An exceptional circumstance is a circumstance which is outside of your control, and which negatively affects your performance. It is important you describe the impact these circumstances have had on your studies as part of your request. 

For further information, including a list of what the University considers to be exceptional circumstances please see section 8 of the Exceptional Circumstance Policy. Please note: This list included in the policy is not exhaustive – other reasons will be considered. If your circumstance is not on the list please talk to your Student Support Coordinator, School or Department Director of Academic Tutor. The Support Centres (or Henley Helpdesk or ILSI Admin Office) can provide further advice and assistance. 

Please also refer to the policy for information about what is not considered exceptional circumstances and where you find support for such matters.

For UK-based undergraduate and postgraduate taught students, you will need to do the following: 

· Login to the RISIS Portal
· Open the ‘Actions’ tab, then select ‘Exceptional Circumstances' from the list.
· Please read the guidance and complete the online form, following the instructions provided
· The status/outcome of your request will be displayed on RISIS

Our support package includes three different types of Exceptional Circumstance request which you can use depending on your particular situation:

 

Exceptional Circumstances Request Type	When should this type of request be used?	Further information
Standard EC request	Standard EC requests should be used in the majority of cases for valid exceptional circumstances.   Students are required to submit evidence to support a standardExceptional Circumstance request (see comments for relaxation of evidence requirements for specific scenarios).   For more information please refer to the information and FAQs below.	We recognise that in the current context there are situations where it may be impossible or very difficult to obtain evidence, and we have therefore agreed to relax the requirement for evidence where it cannot be obtained (until 25 September 2022).
Self-certification request	Self-certification requests should be used if you have short-term valid exceptional circumstances, for example unexpected illness or temporary disruption to your studies, that you cannot evidence.   Students can request a two-working day extension for eligible coursework assignments on two occasions in the academic year.   For more information see here [insert link to self-cert webpage with details and FAQs]	If you can provide evidence of your circumstances and the impact on your studies, submitting a standard EC request would be the better option for you.
Post-results EC (PREC) request	PREC requests should be used if you believe that your performance in centrally-timetabled University examinations has been affected by an exceptional circumstance, or if you have missed one or more centrally-timetabled examinations due to an exceptional circumstance.   You will have five working days once your results are published to submit a PREC request, together with evidence, for consideration.   For more information see here [insert link to PREC webpage with details and FAQs]	Evidence should be submitted at the same time as the PREC request, or within ten working days of the publication of results if this is not possible.

The relevant request form in RISIS is your opportunity to describe the exceptional circumstance, and its impact on you, and to provide any necessary evidence you have and your request for mitigation. Please note, if you do not provide enough explanation of the circumstance or why mitigation is needed, your request may be rejected.

If your exceptional circumstances have negatively impacted your study for the whole academic year we advise you to apply for a Repeat Year, with relevant evidence to support your request, as soon as your results are published in July.  For situations where it was not foreseeable earlier in the year, you are still able to submit a request for a Repeat Year in the re-sit PREC window (this is the time after re-sit results have been published).   

In most circumstances where a Repeat Year request has been granted University regulations require that, before a student can be re-admitted, they must be medically/psychologically fit to do so. This is known as ‘fitness to return conditions’ (FTR). If your Repeat Year request is granted, these conditions will be noted in your Exceptional Circumstances outcome and MUST be met before you can restart the year. Please be aware that the Repeat Year return to study process which includes FTR conditions can take many weeks to expedite, therefore we advise you to submit your Repeat Year request in plenty of time before the start of the Autumn term if you wish to restart your studies straight away.

If you wait until the re-sit PREC window to submit your Repeat Year request, we will do what we reasonably can to help you return to your studies in September. However, this may not be possible for the following reasons:

• if your medical evidence does not address any fitness to return requirements that may have been placed on you when your Repeat Year request was granted. 
• If your medical evidence to address any fitness to return requirements that may have been placed on you when your Repeat Year request was granted is not received by the end of Week 3 of the Autumn term.

In both instances noted above your studies would need to be suspended until a full academic year later. 

Further advice and guidance:

• Consider your circumstances as early as possible if your request is asking to restart your studies in the Autumn term 
• Do not enter into any financial commitments (eg accommodation) until you have our decision regarding your Repeat Year request and your return to study date has been confirmed. 
• Please be aware that if you do start attending classes and your request is later rejected or we do not have your medical evidence returned by the end of Week 3 in the Autumn term you will need to stop attending and your studies would need to be suspended until a full academic year later.
• Seek advice and guidance from RUSU when submitting a Repeat Year request.

1. Useful information:

1. IT problems are not accepted as evidence for EC (for those who are registered on campus and can use IT facilities during term time). IT problems can only be a reason for an EC request when you cannot reasonably access campus, or when you are affected by a University IT failure.
2. You are expected to store files securely on OneDrive and this is provided to you as part of your University IT package.
3. If you have an IT issue, you are expected to take prompt action to remedy it, for example: email the IT Service Desk; take your technology for repair; contact your School if you need support with the school-provided/recommended software;
4. If your own device is faulty, central PC labs on campus are available to you (check Essentials for details).
5. Failures of the central IT system and the Halls system are logged by DTS – so can be referred to on your ECF.

 

2. Examples of evidence to support an ECF include:

1. Contact with IT Help  – evidenced in the form of the DTS ticket acknowledgment email.
2. Confirmation from IT Help that the problem is real and that they have investigated it.
3. Evidence of reasonable and timely action taken by you to overcome the problem.
4. Evidence of failure by the University to provide services it has committed to provide.
5. Evidence from a Blackboard log that this is an assignment submission difficulty. (NB this needs to be obtained from the Support Centre as it is not accessible to students.)
6. Evidence of a timely email to the relevant module convenor (only in cases where specialist software/storage or other local solutions are being used).

 

3. Examples of evidence that is not acceptable to support an ECF include:

1. A stand-alone screen shot with no date or time; a screenshot could be used in dialogue with DTS to diagnose a problem.
2. Save date & time of file.

Although we have been living with the COVID-19 pandemic for many months, it is accepted that its impact on individual students’ may still be unforeseen and unpredictable. Examples of additional valid exceptional circumstances that relate specifically to the ongoing pandemic are as follows:

• illness with symptoms of COVID-19 (or similar symptoms) - if you are claiming exceptional circumstances due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, you should also notify the University that you have tested positive through the online form; 
• unexpectedly challenging circumstances in a student’s domestic situation that could not reasonably have been anticipated or prevented – for example, member(s) of their family are ill or self-isolating and they have consequent caring responsibility;
• circumstances are such that access to reliable internet and/or required technology (for revision, or reliable submission of assessments) is unexpectedly unavailable during the course of the assessment; 
• other severe impacts of COVID-19 (such as impact on mental health, implications on or exacerbation of existing disability, etc.).

Normally, students are required to submit evidence to support an Exceptional Circumstances request. We recognise that there continue to be situations where it may be impossible or very difficult to obtain evidence.
 
You can apply for exceptional circumstances in the usual way using the standard Exceptional Circumstances request form and should continue to provide evidence where at all possible. 

You must:
• either provide evidence, or clearly explain why you are unable to provide evidence (in section 10a);
• provide a description of your circumstances;
and 
• describe the impact that your circumstances are having on your assessments.

Please note, if you do not provide enough explanation as outlined in the three bullet points above your request may be rejected. Providing a detailed explanation will help your School to understand how you have been affected when assessing your case, and to decide what mitigation is appropriate or if we can provide other support. So please, for example, tell us more than just ‘COVID-related’.

Below are some examples of supporting evidence which may be acceptable for short-term illness, issues arising from COVID-19, or IT issues if you are unable to access campus. This list is non-exhaustive and illustrative only; each case will be considered on its own merits.  If necessary, you can attach a Word document to your request with more details. 

Reason	Example evidence
Shielding	A letter from the NHS or from your GP identifying you or someone you care for as clinically extremely vulnerable.
Unexpected childcare issues	A Personal statement (supported where possible by email notification from/to the school/nursery/childcare provider highlighting the reason the child cannot attend school/nursery/childcare provision)
24hr illness (e.g. vomiting/diarrhoea/migraine)	Please note, in this instance you should use the Self-Certification process, if applicable.  If not applicable, submit a standard ECF, and the required evidence could include: • a copy of your communication with the relevant lecturer/module convenor or the Support Centre, at the time of your illness, which states the reason for your absence; • a dated receipt for medication.
Covid like symptoms and/or diagnosis	Evidence includes: 1. acknowledgement of submission of Uni online COVID-reporting form;  2. home at halls app report if in UPP hall;  3. a COVID test result (positive or negative) – report via NHS app if you can, and submit NHS receipt.
IT access and connectivity issues	Connectivity issues Provide details of an outage from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) OR evidence of communication with your ISP to resolve the issue. This should include a screen shot of any error code on the computer (if unable to screen shot, take picture on the phone), including the date and time. OR IT helpdesk ticket number and details reporting the issue

The information which you provide on your Exceptional Circumstances form will normally be held confidentially and will only be shared with those who need to see it. 

If you are uncomfortable with disclosing information about your circumstances, please do discuss the matter with a member of staff (ideally your Academic Tutor or Student Support Coordinator) or a RUSU adviser.

Requests will be considered where:

• your studies have been impaired by circumstances; 
• the circumstances were beyond your control; 
• your request is supported by appropriate evidence (where possible – see note below).

Note: We recognise that there continue to be situations related to COVID-19 where it may be impossible or very difficult to obtain evidence. As part of our assessment support package  we have agreed to relax the requirement for evidence where it cannot be obtained. This is effective until 25 September 2022.

If you need medical evidence a Medical Confirmation Form completed by your GP may be acceptable. For students registered with the University Medical Practice please use the form on their website. For students registered with other GP practices please use this form. For a positive COVID-19 diagnosis resulting in 10-day isolation your NHS message will be sufficient.

If you have previously agreed reasonable adjustments to your assessments (via the Disability Advisory Service - DAS) but these have not been put in place, please do not submit an Exceptional Circumstance request. Please contact your Support Centre (or Henley Helpdesk or ILSI Admin Office) for resolving the matter.

You should submit an EC request where:

• Reasonable adjustments have already been put in place regarding your assessment but you are then faced with additional circumstances beyond your control.
• Your studies have been impaired by the new circumstances
• If reasonable adjustments have been put in place for this assessment and then require additional time due to an exceptional circumstances, you should:

1. First use your 5+/10 days reasonable adjustment;
2. then submit an Exceptional Circumstances form for additional time in the normal way.

You should submit an Exceptional Circumstances form before the deadline for submission of coursework. 

Separate deadlines apply to end of part examinations which are centrally organised and to in-class tests administered locally by Schools/Departments. For:

• in-class tests you should submit an Exceptional Circumstances form before the date of the in-class test and within five working days of the date of the test. If you expect to be absent from an in-class test you must inform the relevant lecturer and Support Centre (or Henley Helpdesk or ILSI Admin Office) in advance of the test, if possible. 
• end of part examinations once your examination results have been published you will have an opportunity to submit a post results Exceptional Circumstances (PREC) form within five working days of the publication of your results.

Summer Examinations 2022 PREC deadline window for submitting an EC post results:
UG and PG finalists (exc BA CDL) can submit a PREC between 22 – 29 June 2022
Part 0 and Part 1 and International Foundation Programme (ISLI October cohort) can submit a PREC between 04 – 11 July 2022
Part 2 and Part 3 non finalists can submit a PREC between 05 – 12 July 2022
Part 1 and Part 2 BA(Ed), BA CDL Finals and PGCE can submit a PREC between 19 – 26 July 2022
International Foundation Programme (ISLI January cohort) can submit a PREC between 04 – 11 August 2022

Resit Examinations 2022 PREC deadline window for submitting an EC post results:
UG non finalist resitters can submit a PREC between 15 – 22 September 2022
UG and PG finalist resitters can submit a PREC between 10 – 17 November 2022
International Foundation Programme (ISLI) resitters can submit a PREC between 07 – 14 September 2022

Due to the pandemic, we recognise that you may find it very difficult/impossible to obtain evidence for certain situations and we have therefore agreed to relax the requirement for external evidence where it cannot be obtained. You will need to make a clear case yourself explaining the circumstances and impact. 

If you are unable to provide evidence on the Exceptional Circumstances form you must:

• clearly explain why you are unable to provide evidence (in section 10a);
• provide a description of your circumstances;
and 
• describe the impact that your circumstances are having on your assessments. 

This will help your School to understand how you have been affected when assessing your case, and decide what mitigation is appropriate or if we can provide other support. Please note, if you do not provide enough explanation of the circumstance or why mitigation is needed, your request may be rejected.

If you are granted DNS in the Summer Term or Resit Period examinations, it means that you have been given the chance to have a fresh attempt at your examination during the next examination period. 

DNS is not usually granted for other assessments. Outcomes such as extension, alternative assessment or rearrangement are more suitable. If you are given the chance to submit coursework by a different agreed deadline, this will not count as a further attempt. New deadlines for submission will be set by your School. 

Undergraduate students are re-assessed during the subsequent examination period.

You must:

1. Collect evidence of impact, showing why you are unable to sit the exam on the date for which it is scheduled.
2. Submit your request as soon as possible, using the standard Exceptional Circumstances form if you know well in advance of the exam. This must only be done where you know you will definitely not be able to take the exam. Where the form is put in in advance and a DNS is granted, you will not be allowed to sit the exam.
3. If you are able to, it is better to submit a Post-Results Exceptional Circumstances (PREC) form in the PREC window (this is the time after results have been published - see information on PREC below). You will then have all your results and be able to make an informed decision about the need to take this exam on another occasion.

You are strongly encouraged to seek advice from your School/Department before submitting an Exceptional Circumstances/PREC form.

During the examination period, the University has set deadlines by which students must submit their Exceptional Circumstances forms to their Support Centre (or Henley Helpdesk or ILSI Admin Office). 

Forms submitted after the specified deadlines will only be considered if significant circumstances prevented you from submitting the form on time (for example, hospitalisation, or major physical or mental incapacity). You will have to provide a statement explaining in full the reasons for late submission.

We hope the introduction of post-results Exceptional Circumstances requests (see below) gives you the confidence to take your exams as planned; however, if you are considering requesting a delay, you must first seek advice from your School or Support Centre (or Henley Helpdesk or ILSI Admin Office), because it is important that you understand the implications of delaying your exams.

We understand that you will be better able to evaluate the impact any adverse circumstances have had on your exam performance after the publication of your results. Therefore, if you believe that your performance in examinations has been affected by an exceptional circumstance in the Summer Term or Resit Period or if you have missed one or more examinations due to an exceptional circumstance you are then able to submit an Exceptional Circumstances form following publication of results.

If you are granted Post-Results Exceptional Circumstances, you will be allowed to take the exam again. If you were taking the exam for the first time, when you take the exam again it will be considered a ‘first attempt’ (also known as DNS - ‘Deemed Not to have Sat’) and your original attempt will not be considered. In some cases the mode of assessment may be different. You must seek advice from your School before requesting a ‘Deemed Not to have Sat’, as there are some important implications to consider. The mark for your original attempt will be cancelled, pending the next attempt, which means your overall classification or result for your relevant Part is also cancelled until your new result is published.

Once your results are published, you will have five working days to submit a Post-Results Exceptional Circumstances request for our consideration. Evidence should be submitted at the same time, or within ten working days of the publication of results if this is not possible. If you cannot provide evidence, you will have the opportunity to explain this on the form.

Late evidence: please tell your Support Centre if you are having difficulties getting evidence. Any evidence presented ten-working days after results publication will normally be considered late but may not be processed in time for you to resit the exam at the next available opportunity. It may also mean that you are unable to progress or graduate until the next academic year.

Please do not submit an Exceptional Circumstances form for issues relating to exam performance until you have received your results and read the important advice to consider which will soon be published on Essentials, along with the full policy.

If you are faced with situations or difficulties that are outside your control and which negatively affect your academic performance during an Exam period (Summer Term or Re-sit period) you should seek relevant support at the time (for example: contact your Support Centre, seek medical advice). You must also gather the relevant and applicable evidence at the time of those circumstances. This evidence can then be submitted along with your Post-Results Exceptional Circumstances request for our consideration in the five working days after your Summer Term/Re-sit results are published.

You have the right to appeal against a School-level or University Standing Committee on Special Cases decision in respect of an Exceptional Circumstances request.

Please carefully review the grounds for appeal detailed in the Exceptional Circumstances outcome appeal form. You are strongly encouraged to seek advice from the RUSU Advisers in your Students’ Union. They are professional RUSU staff with knowledge and experience of the University’s procedures who can offer confidential, independent advice and support you throughout the process. You can find out how to contact a RUSU Adviser.

If you have new evidence which you were not able to submit by the original deadline, you may submit this to the Support Centre, Henley School Office or ISLI (as appropriate) which should normally be within 10 working days from the date that the outcome of your extenuating circumstances request is made available to you, together with an explanation as to why the evidence could not be submitted by the original deadline.

     • Submit any appeal before the deadline for appeal. The deadline to appeal is within five working days from the date you were sent the notification outcome of your Exceptional Circumstances request. The only exception to this deadline is if you are notified of your outcome during the Summer term examination period. 

     • In this circumstance, the deadline for you to appeal is whichever is later:
                   - five working days from the date the outcome of your Exceptional Circumstances request is made available to you, 
                   - the next working day following the final day of the relevant exam period. The dates for exam periods are published online.

     • Download and complete the Exceptional Circumstances outcome appeal form

     • Get any official documents or paperwork that you need to support your appeal.

     • Send the form and the documents the Student Appeals and Academic Misconduct Officer ecfappeals@reading.ac.uk before the deadline for appeal.

If you have other questions not covered in this page about making a request, you can contact the following people for advice:

-  Your Student Support Coordinator or relevant support staff in ISLI/HBS

-  Your Academic Tutor or the School Director Academic Tutoring

-  The Advice Service at RUSU: email advice@rusu.co.uk or call 0118 378 4100

-  For students on Henley Greenlands-based programmes contact your Programme Administrator