Extenuating Circumstances

We want you to have a good experience here. If you encounter problems, we encourage all parties to try to resolve these as soon as they arise. We are committed to learning from complaints, and to identifying enhancements to the overall student experience wherever possible.

In most cases, we expect and aim to resolve problems at an early opportunity and in the simplest way. Our process includes an early resolution stage, a local-level resolution stage and an institution-level review stage.

Student Complaints are handled in accordance with Senate Regulation 26: Student Complaints which can both be found on our Student Policies & Regulations webpage.

A set of Frequently Asked Questions have been prepared to assist students considering making a complaint.

Early Resolution

In most cases, we expect and aim to resolve problems at an early opportunity and in the simplest way. The process we use is described in our Student Complaints Regulation as Early Resolution (Stage 1).

You may wish to contact a member of staff directly or you could log some feedback on GetHeard which can be made visible to staff on the public board. If you have set out a concern and what resolution you would like, you can expect an appropriate acknowledgement and update from staff.

Although this stage is informal we would recommend that you keep your own record of the key events, times, and people involved, both in relation to your complaint and the steps taken to try and resolve it.

You should register your complaint within three months of the event which has given rise to it (or, if it relates to a series of events, within three months of the last event in the series).

At this stage you may find it helpful to consult the City St George’s Students’ Union Advice Service who are able to provide free, confidential advice to students concerning academic issues. Their aim is to help resolve any problems at the earliest possible stage so as to reduce any further impact on your studies.

Local-level resolution; submitting a Complaints Form

If it has not been possible to reach an acceptable resolution at Stage 1, it is possible to begin a more formal process. This allows for further and more structured investigation, and is described under Stage 2 of the Student Complaints Regulation.

In order for a complaint to be considered at Stage 2, we ask that you use the Student Complaints Form (SCF) . The purpose of the form is to help focus on the key areas of the complaint and on what you would like to happen. It also gives us a clear, formal record of the complaint.

Please see a preview of the questions in the preview document here. You can use the preview document to prepare for your complaint submission. You will need to submit your complaints using the Student Complaints Form.

You should submit your form within 15 working days of the Stage 1 written response.

You can submit a Stage 2 complaint as an individual student, or as a group of students. You may wish to complain as a group if a number of students have complaints about the same or very similar issues; it is likely that the same remedy would apply if the complaint is upheld. An example might be a group of students all studying the same course, in the same year, who have all been affected by something in the same way.

If you complain as a group, you will be asked to nominate one or two students to act as the representatives.

Although we generally expect that all students submitting a complaint at Stage 2 have made efforts to resolve it at Stage 1, it may exceptionally be possible for other students to join a complaint at Stage 2 because their complaint is so similar to something that has already been raised at Stage 1 and where the outcome was not felt to be satisfactory.

Requesting a review of your complaint

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the local-level resolution, you can request a Stage 3 University-level review of the complaint by submitting the Stage 3 Request for Review form. You can preview the questions and some further guidance using this document here to help you prepare your request.

You must make the Stage 3 request for review within 15 working days of the written outcome of the Stage 2 complaint investigation. If you have any questions about the process please contact ace@city.ac.uk.

If your Stage 2 complaint was submitted as a group, and the group would like to request a review of the complaint, you should submit the Stage 3 request for review as a group as well. It is possible for some but not all of the students involved in the Stage 2 complaint to request a review at Stage 3.

Exceptionally, it may also be possible for additional students to join a complaint at Stage 3 because their complaint is so similar to something that has already been raised at Stage 2 and where the outcome was not felt to be satisfactory.

As at Stage 2, you will be asked to nominate one or two students to act as the representatives.

Once City St George’s internal procedures have been concluded, if you are not satisfied with the outcome of your Stage 3 complaint you have the option to apply to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education for an external review of City St George’s decision. Information and eligibility rules are available at: oiahe.org.uk.

As at the earlier stages of resolution, you may wish to complain to the OIA as a group if a number of students have complaints about the same or very similar issues. It is possible for some but not all of the students who complained at Stage 3 to refer their complaint to the OIA.

It may also be possible for additional students to join a complaint made to the OIA because their complaint is so similar to something that has already been raised with the University and where the outcome was not felt to be satisfactory.

The Extenuating Circumstances procedure recognises that sometimes students will experience circumstances outside their control which impacts on their performance in one or more assessments. Please seek further guidance and read this information before deciding whether or not to submit an application.

The Extenuating Circumstances procedure is for unforeseen circumstances outside your control. Make sure that you access all the help and support available to you in your School/ Validated Institution or through the Student Advisers for other circumstances impacting on your study and assessment.

What are ‘Extenuating Circumstances’?

City St George’s defines ‘Extenuating Circumstances’ (ECs) as circumstances which are unforeseen and outside your control and which can be shown to have had a direct and substantial impact on your academic results. This may include an impact: on capacity to study prior to an assessment, on ability to complete an assessment, and/or on performance during an assessment.

Examples of the types of Extenuating Circumstances that might be accepted include ill-health, bereavement, or other personal issues which were unexpected, out of your control and may have affected preparation for an assessment or performance during the assessment itself. Circumstances such as the availability of books, conflicting assessment deadlines, transport difficulties, routine work commitments or circumstances that could have foreseen and/or prevented will not normally be accepted.

If you are in doubt remember these two questions:

• Could I have foreseen what happened?
• Was I in control of what happened?

If you answer no to both and you believe that your performance was significantly affected as a result of what happened then it is worthwhile submitting a claim.

Who can use the Extenuating Circumstances procedure?

Apart from where stated below, the Extenuating Circumstances Policy applies to all taught students on programmes awarded by City St George's* and is managed in accordance with Senate Regulation 19: Assessment Regulations and the Extenuating Circumstances Policy,

*This Extenuating Circumstances Policy does not apply to:

• LPC/BPTC/BVS Students: LPC/BPTC/BVS claims are managed in accordance with separate BPTC-BVS and LPC Assessment Regulations. The Assessment Regulations for these programmes are set out in the relevant Programme Handbooks. Please contact your School Office in the first instance, for details of how to submit Extenuating Circumstances.
• Study Abroad Students: Please contact your School Office in the first instance for details of how to submit Extenuating Circumstances.
• Research Students: Please contact your Supervisor in the first instance and refer to the student appeals procedure.

How do I submit my claim?

If you are a Clerkenwell or Moorgate campus student and believe that you have been subject to Extenuating Circumstances, you must make a claim no more than seven calendar days** after the affected assessment. You will need to do the following:

1. Access the guidance on completing the Extenuating Circumstances form;
2. Assemble your supporting evidence if your claim relates to Extenuating Circumstances with evidence;
3. Access and complete the Extenuating Circumstances form through e:Vision  and, where relevant, upload your supporting documentation;
4. Submit your form and supporting evidence no later than seven calendar days**after the affected assessment.

Your Programme Handbook includes contact details of staff in your School who can provide further information about Extenuating Circumstances and accompanying documentation.

You must not delay submitting your Extenuating Circumstances form on the basis of not having supporting documentation by the deadline for its submission – this will not be considered a valid reason for a late submission. If you need to submit evidence after you submit your form, you will be able to note this on the form and suggest a date by which you hope to provide the evidence. Please note: any outstanding evidence must be either emailed to your Course Officer or submitted to your Course Office in person. The electronic form will not allow you to submit any evidence after you submit the form.

* LPC/BPTC/BVS claims are managed in accordance with separate BPTC-BVS and LPC Assessment Regulations.

**21 calendar days for LPC students.

Who will consider my claim?

Your Extenuating Circumstances claim will be overseen at by a panel approved by your School Board of Studies (or Validated Institution Course Board). The Panel will be made up of three people; it will be chaired by an experienced, senior academic and may include one senior member of professional services staff.

The Panel will look at whether your form is complete, whether you meet the criteria set out in the Policy, and if your evidence (where relevant and provided) supporting your case is strong enough.

Where your application for Extenuating Circumstances is accepted the Panel will make a recommendation to the Assessment Board. You will be notified of the recommendations the Extenuating Circumstances Panel make and of the decision of the Assessment Board when it meets.

What is the most likely result of submitting an Extenuating Circumstances claim?

All requests for postponement of deadline submission date will be managed and approved in line with your School’s Extension’s process.

Where, your claim is for ‘Extenuating Circumstances with Evidence’ or ‘Extenuating Circumstances without Evidence’, your claim is considered valid and at the discretion of your School, your claim will likely result in you having:

1. A deferral of your assessment to the next opportunity without penalty (please note that examinations will usually be deferred to the next opportunity).

I have missed the deadline for submitting an Extenuating Circumstances form. What do I do?

If you miss the deadline for reasons which were unforeseen and outside your control then you may be able to submit an Appeal asking that your late Extenuating Circumstances form be approved for submission to the Extenuating Circumstances Panel. Saying that you did not know about the deadline, or indicating that you didn't think your performance would be affected at the time of the assessment will not be accepted as grounds for an appeal.

Please see the Student Appeals section of these pages or the relevant section of your Programme Handbook for information about submitting an appeal on the grounds of late extenuating circumstances.

Extenuating Circumstances Policy

City St George’s Extenuating Circumstances (EC) Policy seeks to support you with circumstances that are affecting your studies in a way that is proportionate and responsive to your needs.

View the full Extenuating Circumstances Policy and Appendices.

The Extenuating Circumstances Policy allows for the following types of Extenuating Circumstances claims:

1. Extenuating Circumstances without evidence: You can make a claim without evidence for an extenuating circumstance lasting no more than 7 calendar days with a clear impact on your ability to undertake assessments during this time. The policy sets out further parameters for when such claims are appropriate
2. Extenuating Circumstances with evidence: For all other Extenuating Circumstances claims you are required to provide documentary evidence to support your claims. This usually therefore includes claims for longer periods of illness or repeated illnesses including illnesses with ‘flare ups’.

Further details and information can be found in the policy including Appendix 1: Grounds for Extenuating Circumstances and Appendix 2: Evidence for Extenuating Circumstances

In order to make an extenuating circumstances claim you can access and complete the Extenuating Circumstances form through e:Vision and, where relevant, upload your supporting documentation.

It is really important that you continue to let us know of any circumstances that are affecting your studies so that we can support you and take this into account, both now and in relation to your future progress.

If you experience problems with your studies, it is important that you let us know as soon as possible. Suggested contacts can be found in your Programme Handbook.

Depending on the nature of the problem, it may be possible to get extra help or advice, but it is likely to be more difficult the longer you wait. If the problem cannot be resolved informally, we may have procedures which allow for the situation to be addressed more formally.

Occasionally things might go wrong or you may experience circumstances outside your control which have an impact on your academic assessment, progression or award.

City St George’s has a number of support mechanisms in place to ensure these are dealt with as quickly as possible and you should make use of these at the earliest possible opportunity. Please see the student support services pages of the Student Hub for more information. The earlier a problem is reported, the more we will be able to do to assist in minimising disruption to your studies.

The appeals process is intended for the very rare cases where no resolution or remedy was possible at an earlier stage and you may need to appeal a decision made by an Assessment Board for taught students (e.g. about your results) or a decision made regarding the registration status or examination results of research students). This includes decisions made about extenuating circumstances and academic misconduct.

Student appeals are conducted in accordance with the Senate Regulations 20, 20b, 21 and 21b: Student Appeals, which can be found on our Student Policies and Regulations webpage. A set of frequently asked questions is included at the end of the regulations as an appendix.

BVS/BPTC and LPC students in The City Law School should be aware that, although student appeals on these courses are conducted in accordance with Senate Regulation 20, they should refer to the individual Assessment Regulations for their programme where any reference to Assessment Regulations is made, rather than referring to Senate Regulation 19.

Before you appeal

Before considering an appeal, please make sure that you have sought advice and guidance about your concerns. It may be that there are quick steps that can be taken to resolve your problem or that the appeals process is not the best way forward.

You can find general advice about progression and awards for taught students in the results and outcomes page.

For example, if you are worried that there is an error in the calculation of your marks you can request a marks check and, if there is an error, this can be remedied without the need for an appeal. Check in your Programme Handbook for the correct source of advice and guidance in your School/ Validated Institution or speak to your Course Officer, Course Director or Personal Tutor.

You may also wish to speak to the Students’ Union Advice Service for independent guidance and support about problems in general, as well as about appeals.

Stage 1

A Stage 1 appeal is considered by your School/Validated Institution. You will need to submit your Stage 1 appeal within 20 working days of receiving your Assessment Board decision (for taught students) or the decision about your registration status/examination (for research students).

You can only appeal if

1. there has been a material error that has affected the decision (a procedural error with a material impact);

   and/or 

2. you faced undisclosed extenuating circumstances – something affected you at the time of the assessment that you weren’t able to tell us about at that time.

You cannot appeal because you are generally unhappy with the mark or decision or disagree with it.

To appeal on the grounds of material error, you will need to be able to demonstrate (with evidence) that there has been a serious procedural error made by the University that was material to the decision that has been made. This means that the decision would have been different if the error had not occurred. The error may be to do with the assessment itself, a process that led to a recommendation being made to the Assessment Board (e.g. an Academic Misconduct Panel or EC Panel) or the way the final decision was made.

To appeal on the grounds of undisclosed extenuating circumstances, we expect that you can demonstrate (with evidence) that you experienced some extenuating circumstances at the time of the assessment (see the section above), and that you could not have disclosed these at the time via the usual extenuating circumstances procedures for a valid and overriding reason outside your control, which you also support with evidence.

It is essential that you explain why you could not disclose circumstances at the time of the assessment as well as telling us what the circumstances themselves were. We will not normally accept an appeal if you say that you were unaware of the extenuating circumstances process at the time or if you assumed that your performance would not be affected by an event which you have since decided resulted in extenuating circumstances.

Stage 2

Stage 2 is a University-level review of the Stage 1 decision.

You can ask for a review of Stage 1 if you can demonstrate that there was an error in how Stage 1 was handled, and/or if you have new, relevant information that you could not disclose at Stage 1 for a valid reason outside your control. It is essential that you explain what the new information is and why you were unable to disclose it earlier. We will not normally accept an appeal if you say that you did not think the information was relevant, or did not want to disclose it.

You cannot request a review because you do not agree with the decision made at Stage 1.

You will need to submit your Stage 2 review form within 15 working days of receiving the outcome of your Stage 1 appeal.

How to appeal

Note the deadlines above and give yourself plenty of time to read and complete the form.

Choose the form that applies to you below and follow the guidance given in the form.

Taught students (except Study Abroad/Validated Institution students)

• Taught students should appeal at Stage 1 and Stage 2 via e:Vision.
• You will need a University account to submit your appeal via e:Vision. If you are having difficulties accessing your account, please speak to the IT Service. If you are unable to resolve the issue, or if you have been withdrawn from study and no longer have an account, please use the appeal forms below for Study Abroad/Validated Institution students.

Study Abroad/Validated Institution students

• Stage 1 appeal form
• Note that ArtsEd students wishing to submit a Stage 1 appeal should use this form.
• Stage 2 Review form

Research students

• Stage 1 appeal form
• Stage 2 Review form

Supporting evidence

You are required to submit supporting evidence with your appeal form but it is essential that you submit your appeal on time. If you are unable to obtain supporting documentation by the deadline, please submit your form and note that evidence is outstanding. You will need to indicate when your evidence will become available and ensure that you share it with

Please email your School/Validated Institution with outstanding Stage 1 evidence, or the Student Experience (Casework) team with outstanding Stage 2 evidence.

Who can I contact if I have further questions?

If you have any questions about the Stage 1 appeals process or need to submit further evidence, please contact the relevant team in your School :

• The City Law School: cls-ecandappeals@city.ac.uk
• School of Health & Medical Sciences: shpsquality@city.ac.uk
• School of Science & Technology: sst-acd@city.ac.uk
• School of Policy & Global Affairs: spga-appeals@city.ac.uk
• School of Communication & Creativity: scc-appeals@city.ac.uk
• Bayes Business School: aqs@city.ac.uk
• INTO City: intocity.academicsupport@intoglobal.com
• LEaD (MA in Academic Practice): maap@city.ac.uk

If you have any questions about the Stage 2 appeals process, please contact the Student Experience (Casework) team in Academic Services: ace@city.ac.uk.

What if I am still unhappy after Stage 2?

Once all the internal procedures have been concluded, you have the option to apply to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) for an external review of the City St George’s decision. Information and eligibility rules are available at: www.oiahe.org.uk.