Extenuating Circumstances
Extenuating circumstances are unexpected problems that may occur outside your course that consequently have an impact on your assessments.
These are defined, within the University’s Extenuating Circumstances Policy & Procedure as circumstances that:
- Impair your performance
- Prevent you from attending an assessment or reassessment (exam) or
- Prevent you from submitting assessed or reassessed work by a scheduled date (resubmission)
Examples of circumstances that are considered as valid:
- Serious illness
- Mental health difficulties
- Bereavement
- Acute personal or emotional circumstances
- Domestic disruption
Examples of circumstances that are NOT considered as valid:
- Employment
- Misreading examination/timetabling information
- Exam stress
- Moving home
- Accommodation disturbances
Please note that the above lists do not contain all possible examples.
Categories of Extenuating Circumstances
There are 3 different types of extenuating circumstances, all of which serving a different purpose:
- Extension request: 14-day extension on coursework. Please note that you can only request for an extension once per assignment.
- Deferral request: request to submit/take at the next available opportunity, determined by the PAB.
- Impaired performance: work that has been submitted but not to the best of your true abilities. If your claim is accepted, you may be granted the opportunity to resubmit your assignment and/or retake your exam.
Please ensure to review the above categories to identify which claim type best suits your situation before submitting your claim.
Evidence
All claims must be supported by independent evidence, e.g. a letter from your General Practice (GP) or another medical professional. The University do not accept claims made without independent evidence unless the circumstances are exceptional.
You must evidence that your EC has prevented you from:
- Submitting/completing an assessment by the deadline.
- Taking an assessment at the correct time.
- Performing as well in an assessment as might have been reasonably expected.
You should submit your claim within 14 days even if you don't have evidence. Your evidence must be uploaded to your claim within 14 calendar days following this. You will receive an email confirming that your claim cannot be considered until you have provided your evidence by the deadline.
The university have created a useful guide containing Accepted Extenuating Circumstances along with examples of suitable evidence.
If you have a Greenwich Inclusion Plan (GIP), you can provide this as valid evidence within your EC claim.
Submitting your claim
You can submit an extenuating circumstances claim before an assessment but no later than 14 calendar days after an assessment deadline or exam date. 'Calendar days' include the weekend.
All claims must be submitted through the Portal: detailed guidance on how to make a claim online can be found here.
It’s important to remember that making an extenuating circumstance claim won’t change an individual grade, but it may allow you to progress to the next stage of your studies or influence the award you’re given by the award board.
Further information
Further information and advice regarding EC claims can be found in the Extenuating Circumstances Policy & Procedure.
What can the GSU Advice Service do for me during the process?
- Advise you on the EC process
- Help you structure your form and the reasons for your EC
- Advise on suitable evidence
- Read over your claim and suggest any changes
- Guide you through the process if you don’t agree with the outcome
Get in touch
If you need any further help and support please get in touch with the advice service by completing our contact form here.
Correct as of July 2024
Other Support
Missing Class? If you require a period of absence of more than three calendar days you should submit an authorised absence form.