The University is taking steps to ensure that you are not disadvantaged in your academic performance by the impact of Covid-19. Boards of Examiners, who decide your course and programme results, will be given detailed information about the impact on each of your courses of both Covid-19 and the recent industrial action to help them to make decisions in your best interests.
Please do not submit a special circumstances request about the general impact of Covid-19 or industrial action, since Boards of Examiners will already be taking account of this. “General impact” means things like:
- Increased stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic;
- Reduced contact with relatives and friends;
- Lack of access to physical resources, e.g. library materials;
- Cancellation of classes;
- Reduced access to supervision/academic advice on your assessments.
You should submit a special circumstances request if you have experienced a unique, significant impact due to Covid-19, or the industrial action. For example, this might be because you have:
- Been ill with Covid-19;
- Experienced the exacerbation of an existing health condition due to the pandemic situation or related to the impact of industrial action;
- Experienced the death or serious illness of someone close to you;
- Taken on exceptional caring responsibilities due to Covid-19;
- Been required to carry out more paid work than usual, as a “key worker” (e.g. in healthcare, retail, delivery);
- Experienced significant and prolonged problems with access to teaching and learning materials, e.g. due to connectivity, power, or equipment issues.
Providing this additional information will help your Board of Examiners to decide what action to take in your best interest.
You can also submit a special circumstances request as usual if your assessments – especially those from earlier in the Semester – have been affected by other circumstances beyond your control. Information about what would normally qualify as special circumstances is available on our website.
If you have been affected by special circumstances, you should submit information in writing. You should do this through the normal route in your School.