3. Extenuating Circumstances
Examination Conventions for Modular Taught Postgraduate Degrees 2012-13
3.1 It is the responsibility of students to notify their tutors/supervisors, or other appropriate departmental staff, at the earliest opportunity if there are any extenuating circumstances that might have a bearing on their performance in assessments. Students should provide notification by completion and submission of a Special Circumstances Form, along with any additional relevant documentary evidence where appropriate.
3.2 Departments should publish in their student handbooks any deadline by which students should notify their tutor or supervisor or other appropriate departmental staff of any extenuating circumstances which they wish the meeting of departmental examiners to be made aware of.
3.3 Departments should take medical circumstances into account when considering performance in assessed work and examinations, provided that adequate and written medical evidence is submitted. A student should submit written medical evidence which states the nature, the date of onset and the duration (where this can be judged) of the medical problem. Where a student has medical problems that are ongoing and/or chronic and that affect more than one examination period the student should keep their tutor/supervisor or other appropriate departmental staff informed and may be required to submit further written medical evidence for subsequent examination periods. Students with ongoing medical conditions may be eligible for support from the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (DDSS) and should refer to the DDSS website for information (www.shef.ac.uk/ssid/disability).
Where a student has disclosed a disability and where details have been passed to the Departmental Disability Liaison Officer by the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service, the student will not be expected to submit further written evidence at subsequent assessment and examination periods. On occasion, where any additional information concerning the impact of the disability at a particular examination period needs to be considered by the Examiners, the student should submit a Special Circumstances Form but will not normally be expected to submit further written evidence. A student will, however, be expected to provide evidence to support other extenuating circumstances, not related to their disability, as detailed at 3.1 and 3.3 above.
3.4 Where extenuating circumstances have affected coursework but not invigilated examinations, the student's tutor or supervisor or other appropriate departmental staff should normally consider granting an extension to the deadline for submission in the first instance. If this is not possible, then alternatively a department may consider taking action under points 3.5 or 3.6 below.
3.5 Where a student has completed all assessed work and examination/s, an adjustment of a grade may take place although reference should also be made to the External Examiner(s). These grades should be returned in the normal way, but departments should keep a record of any adjustments made.
3.6 Where a student is unable to complete an examination a 'Not Assessed' result may be returned and the student allowed to complete the examination as a first sitting on a future occasion.
3.7 Departments may take personal circumstances into account in the same way, but must satisfy themselves that the student has genuinely been affected by non-academic difficulties.
3.8 Marginal cases should be referred to the Faculty to ensure comparability of treatment.
3.9 Medical and personal circumstances should normally be regarded as confidential and at the request of the student may be restricted to special cases committees (or their equivalent) in departments, and to Faculty Officers at Faculty level.
3.10 Notification of medical or personal circumstances, including assessments of dyslexia, which have not been submitted within any specified departmental deadline (as referred to in point 3.2 above) will not normally be considered by the meeting of departmental examiners and will need to become the subject of an appeal under the Academic Appeals Regulations following publication of examination results to students.