Welcome back to the Arts SU Advice classroom! I’m Shriya, one of your Arts SU Advisers, here today to bring you an important lesson on Extenuating Circumstances.

What are Extenuating Circumstances (also known as ECs)? Well I’m glad you asked! Today I’m going to be teaching you what extenuating circumstances are, how to apply for them, and what you can expect along the way.

What are Extenuating Circumstances?

We all know that life happens and might sometimes impact how you participate in your studies. Extenuating Circumstances (ECs) exist for that exact reason. The University defines ECs as unexpected and unforeseen events that have significantly impacted your studies. An approved claim can help support you to continue your studies, whilst navigating these circumstances.

When to apply

• When you're struggling to meet a deadline due to unexpected circumstances
• When you've missed an exam or assessment due to illness or personal issues
• When something major has disrupted your ability to study leading up to assessment deadlines
• When you’ve submitted work for an assessment but feel its not reflective of your abilities, due to circumstances out of your control

Pro tip: Don't wait until the last minute! Submit your EC application as soon as you can - it is important to make the University aware of the difficulties you’re facing when they’re happening so that they can best support you. We will come onto deadlines for making a claim shortly!

What does the University define as grounds for Extenuating Circumstances?

ECs typically include:

• Short-term physical or mental health conditions
  • NOTE: Long-term conditions are not typically considered as ECs, as the University expects these to be supported by the Disability Services. However, flare-ups of long-term conditions may be considered as ECs.
• Severe personal or family issues
• Bereavement (death of a loved one)
• Being the victim of a crime
• Technical issues during online assessment (with evidence) e.g. University-wide server issues with Turnitin/Moodle

Remember: Situations like WiFi problems, printer issues, or mild colds usually don't count. Our tip is to consider whether the circumstance has had a significant and unpreventable impact on your studies.

How to Apply - Your Step-by-Step Guide

1. Gather your evidence - refer to UALs guidance document to understand accepted forms of evidence in the case of an EC claim

TIP: If you can’t get evidence to support your claim, you could still make a claim and self-certify, read more about this on our web-page here.

1. Fill out the EC form on your student portal
2. Write a clear statement explaining your circumstances
3. Submit everything before the deadline, which is 10 working days before your exam board is due to take place.

TIP: If you don’t know when your exam board is due to take place, you may find the date on your student portal under the ‘My Assessments’ tab, otherwise, you could ask your course team when this is.

The Do's and Don'ts

Do:

• Be honest about your situation
• Stick to the facts and the impact: some of the strongest claims we see are the shorter and to the point ones.
• Provide evidence that aligns with the University’s guidance
• Submit your claim as close to the time of the circumstances as you can
• Seek advice from us if you're unsure about any steps in the process

Don't:

• Wait until the last minute
• Assume your EC will automatically be accepted

What Happens Next?

1. Remember, don’t panic if you have not received an outcome to your claim before your assessment deadline. This EC team will be reviewing your application and if accepted, this can be applied in hindsight.
2. We typically see students receive outcomes within 1-2 weeks, however this can vary during busier times.
3. If accepted, you will likely be given the option to submit your work within 7 days of the original deadline with no additional penalty to your mark. You will also likely be given a deferral opportunity to submit your work at a later date with no additional penalty to your mark
4. If your claim is not accepted, you may still be entitled to a re-submission opportunity (subject to a grade penalty). If this happens to you, get in touch with us and/or your programme administrator and we can help you to outline your options

Do I have to speak to Arts SU to submit an EC claim?

It is totally up to you! We are here to support students navigate and understand UAL regulations and hopefully make the process smoother for you. We can do things like review your application before you submit it and guide you through the process.

TIP: We usually take up to three working days to provide feedback on draft claims so do keep this in mind when reaching out to us for support!

But you absolutely do not have to seek our advice and if you want to proceed and make a claim yourself, you can.

We are an optional advice service and provide free, impartial and confidential guidance.

If you have any questions on today’s session, get in touch with us. We're always happy to help you navigate the process - you can contact an adviser here or book an appointment with us to discuss your case!

Oh, is that the bell already? Thanks for coming along to the session I hope this has been helpful! We look forward to seeing you all for the next session (coming soon…)!

— Shriya, Student Advisor