Extenuating Circumstances - Greenlands

This page is only applicable to Greenlands Programme Members.

It is essential that you read the following guidance notes before downloading an Extenuating Circumstances Form (ECF) at the bottom of the page.

We are required to keep records of any action we take in respect of course assessment in which an individual student is treated differently from others. We need to record information about illness or other problems which may have affected examination/coursework performance or which may form the basis of a request for suspension of a student's course, or an extension to a deadline to submit coursework.

This document sets out what we ask you to do. Please answer every question and submit the form to the School Office of the School responsible for your degree programme (see details under 'Submitting the form' section) as soon as possible after your illness or other circumstance and not later than the deadline specified below.

You are strongly encouraged to discuss any circumstances which you consider are affecting or might affect your work with your Personal Tutor or a senior person responsible for your programme, e.g. Programme Directors.

You are responsible for notifying your School of any circumstances which you consider might have affected your performance.

If you do not submit this form, your circumstances will not be considered.

Claims will be considered where:

• your performance or ability to work has been impaired by your circumstances; and
• the circumstances were beyond your control (such as illness, death or severe illness of close relative or partner, a physical attack, or other events of comparable effect).

Deadlines for submission

The University has set deadlines by which students are required to submit Extenuating Circumstances Forms. If a form is submitted after the relevant deadline, your circumstances will not normally be taken into account. Extenuating Circumstances Forms submitted after the specified deadlines will only be considered if insurmountable circumstances prevented you from submitting the form (for example, hospitalization, incarceration, or equivalent incapacity). If you submit your extenuating circumstances form after the relevant deadline, you must provide a statement explaining in full the reasons for late submission, and provide supporting evidence where appropriate. The deadlines for 2012/13 are given below.

Greenlands Postgraduate deadlines for submission:

Confidentiality

The information which you provide on this form will be kept in strict confidence and will be restricted to those who are involved in deciding the action to be taken in the light of your circumstances. The decision on your request will be passed to those who need to know, but the detailed circumstances will remain confidential.

Completing the form

Please complete you personal details and sign/date the statement on the first page.

The following guidance relates to the numbered sections of the form:

1. Dates/period of time when your work has been or will be affected

Please give the dates or period of time during which your problems have affected your work and ability to study. You should consider carefully the time period you specify as the University will not normally consider circumstances which fall outside of this period.

2. Modules/examinations/coursework affected and the action you would like us to take

If your problem has affected your coursework or exam for one or more modules, please list the modules affected and complete the table where applicable. You will not know the module code or the Staff Name but you can fill in the information for each module as below:

Example:

• Financial Resources / Coursework (CW) / submitted on 12/02/2013 / please take into consideration if I fail……
• Stage 1 Exam / Exam / taken on 02/03/2013 / please take into consideration if I fail……

If your ability to complete an assessment has been affected, various actions are possible. For example:

• You may be deemed not to have sat (DNS), which means that you are permitted a further attempt at an examination or assessment as if for the first time.

You should indicate in the 'Requested Action' column what action you would like us to consider.

3. About your problem

Describe concisely the circumstances which you consider to have had an adverse effect on your ability to study and describe how these have affected your performance or ability to complete a piece of coursework within your registration period. (Continue on a separate sheet if necessary).

Note that the following would NOT normally be considered as valid extenuating circumstances:

• Computer or printer failure
• Bunching of deadlines
• Job interview
• Falling behind due to paid employment
• Minor illness such as coughs and colds
• Illness after the deadline has passed
• Attendance at weddings and other "rites of passage" ceremonies
• Religious festivals (unless they cover a significant portion of the assessment period or
  fall on the day of an examination, in which case the student is expected to give
  reasonable advance warning).
• General feeling of anxiousness/depression unless backed up by medical evidence
• Holidays
• House moves
• Ignorance of rules and regulations

4. Supporting evidence

Some form of supporting evidence is normally required to support your case. You should attach any supporting evidence to this form. If the evidence is not yet available, please indicate when it will be submitted.

If you consulted a doctor/professional practitioner (except for a counsellor in the University Counselling Service, in which case see below) about your circumstances, please provide a medical certificate or letter/statement from the practitioner and submit it with this form. Note that medical and other practitioners may charge for providing a certificate or letter.

Please note that it is your responsibility to provide the supporting evidence. All evidence must be submitted by the time of the relevant Special Cases Sub-Committee meeting i.e. at least one week before the respective Programme Examiners' meeting. Only in exceptional cases will extenuating circumstances be considered after this meeting.

5. Supporting evidence to be provided by the University Counselling Service

If you consulted the University Counselling Service, please provide the counsellor's name, the date(s) of consultation(s) and your signature to give your consent for the University Counselling Service to disclose information from your confidential records which is relevant to the present request. If you are unwilling for information from your records to be disclosed, you should note this on the form.

Submitting the form

It is important that you submit the form to: Trudy Shore, Examinations Manager (Greenlands), Henley Business School, Greenlands, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 3AU, United Kingdom as soon as possible and not later than the deadline specified, so that the information can be taken into account.

Your form should be in a sealed envelope clearly marked with your name and degree and the words 'Extenuating Circumstances Form - Confidential'.

Download an Extenuating Circumstances Form

• MS Word version: Extenuating Circumstances Form (MS Word - 40KB)
• PDF version: