York Online Fit to Sit / Submit Policy

Benefiting from this policy

2.1 This policy is designed as a time management tool to help students respond to unexpected issues that may significantly affect their performance in assessments. Students should carefully consider the consequences of taking an extension or postponing an assessment and how they will manage the additional workload later. Taking an extension while also starting a new module may impact on a student’s ability to engage with the new module, potentially requiring additional work to catch up. Postponing an assessment to a later date may mean waiting several months for the assessment to be rescheduled. Unless a student is experiencing significant issues, it is usually best to take an assessment when it is originally scheduled.

2.2 Students should be particularly cautious about repeatedly using this policy to postpone assessments. Performance in summative assessments is an important tool to measure progress on the programme. Studying at Masters level represents a considerable investment of time, effort and money, and students are responsible for monitoring their own progress and ensuring that this investment is worthwhile. Where a student has a number of outstanding assessments from previous modules to take, they should consider taking a break from their modules in order to complete some of those assessments (see the York Online Registration, Absence and Engagement Policy). A delayed assessment will always be the same weighting as the original assessment, and will test the same Learning Outcomes. Wherever possible it will be in the same format as the original assessment. However, the deferred assessment will be an unseen assignment task or exam paper, so there is no value in a student delaying a summative assessment unless they have encountered a significant disruption to their studies whilst preparing for the assessment or they are not fit to sit / submit.

2.3 This policy is not intended to replace other support available for learning. Students who have a disability or a long-term health condition which may have a negative impact on their studies are strongly encouraged to contact the University of York’s Disability Services who will put a Student Support Plan in place which in many cases will reduce the need to use this policy.

2.4 The adjustments provided by this policy are designed to support students in situations where they have encountered temporary and short-term circumstances that have had a negative impact on the student’s ability to complete a summative assessment by the deadline or to their usual standard. This policy is not designed to support students who have experienced more than two weeks of disruption during teaching (ie weeks 1–7) of the module. Where a student’s ability to engage with the module content and associated activities has been severely disrupted, or their circumstances are ongoing and likely to last for more than two weeks, they should request to take a break in their studies (called a Leave of Absence) before the end of week 7.

3 Definitions

3.1 Assessment- a discrete assessment activity, identified as a distinct assessment task in the module catalogue; examples include exams, reports, group work, dissertations. For the purposes of this policy, 'assessment' will refer to summative assessments only. Any references to formative assessments will use the term 'formative assessment'.

3.2 Assignment- the practice of assessing students through means other than exams, e.g. essays, reports, presentations or practical work. Students are required to submit work on or before a published deadline. Assignments are subject to a five-day late submission window. Assignments may also be referred to as ‘open assessments’ outside this policy.

3.3 Capstone project module (CPM) (formerly ISM)- a module where students are expected to identify a research topic and carry out their own research. CPMs have different assessment rules around compensation and reassessment, compared with taught modules (see below), and a specific contribution to the calculation of merits and distinctions. See the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for further details. CPMs are not covered by this policy; students who submit extension requests for the CPM will be subject to the University’s Exceptional Circumstances affecting Assessment policy and rules regarding programme extensions (taught students).

3.4 Deferral- delaying an assessment that has not been taken to the next available opportunity. A deferral is only possible in cases where a student notifies the University that they are not fit to sit / submit in advance of the exam start date or assignment deadline. A deferred assessment will be an unseen assignment task or exam paper.

3.5 Deadline- in relation to assignments, this is the deadline for the submission of the assessment task. In relation to an exam, this is the date and time by which the student is expected to have completed their examination attempt.

3.6 Exam- a summative assessment task taken by way of online examination; students are permitted one attempt to sit a previously unseen assessment or question set within a tightly controlled time period. York Online exams are usually limited timeframe examinations, where students are provided with a two-day window (availability period) to complete the examination, but once they start the examination they must complete within the limited timeframe, for example 2 hours. 

3.7 Extension- an extension to the deadline for an assignment; this will always be two weeks after the original deadline.

3.8 Fit to Sit- a student’s judgement that they are well and capable of sitting an exam.

3.9 Fit to Submit- a student’s judgement that they are well and capable of completing an assignment.

3.10 Formative assessment- formative assessment has a developmental purpose and is designed to help learners learn more effectively by giving them feedback on their performance and on how it can be improved and / or maintained. It does not “count” towards the module mark and is not covered by this policy.

3.11 Independent Study Module (ISM)- see Capstone Project Module.

3.12 Late penalty removal- in cases where a student has submitted an assignment or completed an exam after the deadline and has subsequently made a successful claim that they were affected by a disruption, the mark penalty for late submission defined in the York Online Programmes Handbook may be waived.

3.13 Late submission window- the period after an original cohort deadline or extended deadline when a student is still able to submit their work on Canvas. Work submitted in this time is subject to specific rules (multiple submissions and late penalty rules) that are outlined in the taught module's 'Summative Assessment Policies' pages in Canvas.

3.14 Learning Outcomes- statements of the knowledge, skills and attributes that a learner is expected to have acquired after completion of a process of learning.

3.15 Online learning period (formerly “teaching periods”) - each online learning period lasts eight weeks and students study a single module in that time. The online learning periods are numbered OL1 (the September start) to OL6 (the June start). 

3.16 Reassessment- also referred to as a resit, reassessment is an opportunity for students to redeem failure for the award of credit to meet progression or award requirements. Reassessments may be exams or assignments, and are always summative assessments worth 100% of the module weighting. Reassessments are covered by this policy.

3.17 Sit-as-if-for-the-first-time (SAIFFT)- in cases where a student has sat an exam or submitted an assignment and has subsequently revoked their ‘fit to sit / submit’ declaration via an exceptional circumstances claim, they may be permitted a second opportunity to attempt the affected assessment. If the student accepts this opportunity, the new mark will always replace the student’s original result. A sit-as-if-for-the-first-time will be an unseen assignment task or exam paper.

3.18 Summative assessment- summative assessment is used to indicate the extent of a learner’s success in meeting the assessment criteria used to gauge the intended learning outcomes of a module or programme. Marks for summative assessments make up the mark for the module. Summative assessments are covered by this policy.

3.19 Taught module- a module where the content has been defined and structured by the module author, even where study might be self-directed. This is distinct from modules where students are expected to identify a research topic and carry out their own research (see capstone project modules). Taught modules have specific assessment rules around compensation and reassessment, and a specific contribution to the calculation of merits and distinctions. See the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for further details.

3.20 Working days- standard working days for the University are Monday to Friday, 9.00- 17.00 UK time, excluding Bank Holidays and University closure days.

4. Notifying the University of a disruption affecting an exam

4.1 Scope

4.1.1 This section applies to students who are scheduled to take an online exam. This may be an in-module first sit attempt, a reassessment attempt, or a deferral or sit-as-if-for-the-first time that has been previously scheduled following a claim under this policy.

4.2 Types of disruption and evidence requirements

4.2.1 Where a student anticipates in advance of the exam availability period that they will be unable to complete an upcoming exam at the scheduled time, they may choose to delay that exam. Students may choose to delay an exam for any reason, but typical examples would include an illness that seriously impacts upon concentration; significant change in workload in their paid employment; or inability to arrange childcare during the scheduled exam period. No evidence of the disruption or its impact will be required. 

4.2.2 Where a student starts an online exam and experiences a disruption that impacts on their ability to complete it, they can withdraw their fit to sit declaration by submitting an exceptional circumstances claim. A student will be considered to have started the exam if they have begun their single attempt in Canvas, even if the student has not answered any questions.

4.2.3 Where a student completes an exam, either by the deadline or late, but feels that they experienced a disruption that affected their performance, they can withdraw their fit to sit declaration by submitting an exceptional circumstances claim.

4.2.4 Where a student does not complete an exam and does not notify the University in advance of the assessment deadline, they can submit an exceptional circumstances claim.

4.2.5 Claims submitted under 4.2.2, 4.2.3 and 4.2.4 may be for any reason, with the exception of those listed in section 7.2. However, evidence of the disruption will be required along with a clear statement about its impact on performance. This will be assessed and the request will only be approved in cases where the disruption could not have been foreseen and is likely to have had a significant impact on the student’s performance. Acceptable forms of evidence are listed in section 11. Claims need to be submitted by the deadlines outlined in section 9.

4.2.6 The York Online Support Team may work with other University teams as appropriate and Canvas support to verify the impact that the disruption had on the student’s exam attempt. However, the student is still expected to provide their own evidence of the disruption unless their statement provides good reason why this is not possible, as outlined in section 11.7 of this policy.

4.3 Outcomes

4.3.1 Where the request is received before the exam availability period begins, the outcome is a deferral of the exam to the next opportunity.

4.3.2 Where the request is received during the exam availability period or after the exam deadline and:

• the student’s performance was significantly affected; or
• the student had to abandon the exam; or the student was unable to attempt the exam, the outcome will be a sit-as-if-for-the-first-time.

4.3.3 Where the impact of the disruption was that the exam was submitted late but the student’s performance was not otherwise adversely affected, the late penalty will be waived. 

4.4 Approval

4.4.1 Where students notify the University that they are not fit in advance of the exam availability period, approval will be automatic. Students will receive an email confirmation that their request has been received and actioned.

4.4.2 Where a student experiences a disruption during the exam availability period and requests another opportunity to sit it, the claim and evidence will be considered by the York Online Support Team, who may consult with the Chair of the Department’s Exceptional Circumstances affecting Assessment Committee, or their deputy, on a case-by-case basis as part of the decision-making process. Students will receive an email stating whether their request has been approved. Where a claim is rejected or partially rejected, the student will be notified by email that their request has not been upheld, provided with the reason for the decision, and informed of their right to appeal to the Special Cases Team (see section 13).

5. Notifying the University of a disruption affecting an assignment

5.1 Scope

5.1.1 This section applies to students who are due to submit an assignment. This may be an in-module first sit attempt, a reassessment attempt, or a deferral or sit-as-if-for-the-first time that has been previously scheduled following a claim under this policy. It does not apply to assignments where an extension has already been applied. Where a student has already received an extension and needs to make an additional claim, they should refer to section 6.

5.2 Types of disruption and evidence requirements

5.2.1 Where a student anticipates that they will be unable to complete the assignment by the deadline they may choose to delay that assignment. This may be for any reason, but typical examples would include an illness that seriously impacts upon concentration; significant change in workload in their paid employment; or an increase to caring responsibilities for an extended period such as during a family member’s serious illness. No evidence of the disruption or its impact will be required.

5.2.2 Where a student submits an assignment, either by the deadline or within the late submission window, but feels that they experienced a disruption that affected their performance, they can withdraw their fit to sit declaration by submitting an exceptional circumstances claim.

5.2.3 Where a student does not submit an assignment, and does not notify the University in advance of the assessment deadline, they can submit an exceptional circumstances claim.

5.2.4 Claims submitted under 5.2.2 and 5.2.3 may be for any reason, with the exception of those listed in section 7.2. However, evidence of the disruption will be required along with a clear statement about its impact on performance. This will be assessed and the request will only be approved in cases where the disruption could not have been foreseen and is likely to have had a significant impact on the student’s performance. Acceptable forms of evidence are listed in section 11. Claims need to be submitted by the deadlines outlined in section 9.

5.3 Outcomes

5.3.1 Where the student has not yet submitted their assignment and informs the University before the deadline, the student may choose between a two-week extension or a deferral. For students choosing an extension, they may submit their assignment before the extension period closes but no other length of extension will be permitted (1). Students submitting after the new assignment deadline will be subject to the standard late penalties.

5.3.2 Where the student has submitted an assignment by the deadline but their performance was significantly affected, the outcome will be a sit-as-if-for-the-first-time.

5.3.3 Where the student has submitted an assignment after the deadline but within the late submission window, and the impact of the disruption was that the assignment was submitted late but the student’s performance was not otherwise adversely affected, the outcome will be a late penalty waiver.

5.3.4 Where the student has not yet submitted an assignment and submits an Exceptional Circumstances claim (including supporting evidence) within one week of the assessment deadline, the student may choose between a two-week extension or a sit-as-is-for-the-first-time.

a) Students who are offered the extension may submit their assignment before the extension period closes, but no other length of extension will be permitted. Students submitting after the new assignment deadline will be subject to the standard late penalties.
b) Students who are offered a sit-as-if-for-the-first-time may still submit work within the late submission window, if they are able to do so.

5.3.5 Where the student has not yet submitted an assignment and submits an Exceptional Circumstances claim more than one week after the assessment deadline or cannot immediately supply evidence (see section 11.12), the outcome will be a sit-as-if-for-the-first-time.

5.4 Approval

5.4.1 Where students notify the University that they are not fit in advance of the assessment deadline, approval will be automatic. Students will receive an email confirmation that their request has been received and actioned.

5.4.2 Where a student submits an exceptional circumstances claim after the assessment deadline, the claim and evidence will be considered by the York Online Support Team, who may consult with the Chair of the Department’s Exceptional Circumstances affecting Assessment Committee, or their deputy, on a case-by-case basis as part of the decision-making process. Students will receive an email stating whether their request has been approved. Where a claim is rejected or partially rejected, the student will be notified by email that their request has not been upheld, provided with the reason for the decision, and informed of their right to appeal to the Special Cases Team (see section 13).

Note 1: If a student requests an extension longer than two weeks, they will automatically be given a two-week extension but will be given the opportunity to change this to a deferral without having to submit a new claim.

6. Notifying the University of a disruption affecting an assignment extension

6.1 Scope

6.1.1 This section applies to students who are due to submit an assignment for which they have already received an extension. This may be an in-module first sit attempt, a reassessment attempt, or a deferral or sit-as-if-for-the-first time that has been previously scheduled following a claim under this policy.

6.2 Types of disruption and evidence requirements

6.2.1 Where a student has been given an extension to an assignment deadline and they decide before the original assignment deadline that an extension of two weeks is insufficient, they can request that the assignment be deferred instead. As under 5.2.1, this may be for any reason and no evidence is required.

6.2.2 Where a student has been given an extension to an assignment deadline and they decide after the original assignment deadline that an extension of two weeks is insufficient, they can submit a new exceptional circumstances claim. This may be for any reason, with the exception of those listed in section 7.2. However, evidence of the disruption will be required along with a clear statement about its impact on performance, including why the two-week extension has not provided sufficient mitigation. For the request to be approved, the student will need to demonstrate that there was continued disruption over and above what was expected when the extension was requested and the continued disruption is likely to have had a significant impact on the student’s performance. This is to ensure that students are adequately supported and that they do not gain an unfair advantage. Acceptable forms of evidence are listed in section 11. Claims need to be submitted by the deadlines outlined in section 9.

6.3 Outcomes

6.3.1 Where a student submits a new request before the original assignment deadline, and has not submitted their assignment, the outcome will be a deferral.

6.3.2 Where the student has submitted an assignment but their performance was significantly affected and submits a new request after the original assignment deadline, the outcome will be a sit-as-if-for-the-first-time.

6.3.3 Where the student has submitted an assignment after the extended deadline but within the late submission window, and the impact of the disruption was that the assignment was submitted late but the student’s performance was not otherwise adversely affected, the outcome will be a late penalty waiver.

6.3.4 Where the student has not yet submitted an assignment and submits a request after the original assessment deadline, the outcome for a successful claim will be a sit-as-if-for-the-first-time. This outcome does not prevent the student from submitting work to the two-week extension, if they are able to do so.

a) Where a student is initially granted a sit-as-if-for-the-first time but is then able to submit in the late submission window, the student may request to change their claim outcome from a sit-as-if-for-the-first-time to a late penalty waiver. The student must make this request within one week of receiving their claim outcome. Retrospective requests to change the claim outcome after the student has received their marks will not be approved. This is to ensure that the student does not gain an unfair advantage. 

6.4 Approval

6.4.1 Where students notify the University that they need to delay their assessment in advance of the original assessment deadline, approval will be automatic. Students will receive an email confirmation that their request has been received and actioned.

6.4.2 Where a student submits an exceptional circumstances claim after the original assessment deadline, the claim and evidence will be considered by the York Online Support Team, who may consult with the Chair of the Department’s Exceptional Circumstances affecting Assessment Committee, or their deputy, on a case-by-case basis as part of the decision-making process. Students will receive an email stating whether their request has been approved. Where a claim is rejected or partially rejected, the student will be notified by email that their request has not been upheld, provided with the reason for the decision, and informed of their right to appeal to the Special Cases Team (see section 13).

7. Requests to revoke fit to sit / submit - reasons for rejection

7.1 Where a student wishes to withdraw their fit to sit / submit declaration by submitting an exceptional circumstances claim after the assignment deadline or the exam has started, they will need to demonstrate that the disruption could not have been foreseen and that the impact on their assessment performance was significant.

7.2 Issues that will never be accepted

7.2.1 

Where a student notifies the University of a disruption after the assessment deadline, the following will never be accepted:

a) Claims of failure/technical issues of the Canvas Learning Management System or other necessary IT systems beyond the student’s reasonable control that cannot be evidenced.
b) Submission of the wrong file, the wrong file type, or a corrupted file.
c) Failure to upload all required elements of an assessment or to do so within the allotted time.
d) Technical issues within the student’s control such as loss of work not backed up, with the exception of hardware failure during an exam where evidence is provided.
e) Misreading of the deadlines or the assessment instructions.
f) Failure to manage their own time or to plan adequately.
g) Deadlines for assignments or exams being set close together.
h) Lack of awareness of this policy.
i) Assessment errors or procedural issues that affect the whole cohort or whole groups of students (2).

7.3 Reasons for non-acceptance

7.3.1 Where a student notifies the University of a disruption after the assessment deadline, the following will usually lead to a rejection:

a) The student has not submitted the claim within one week of the assessment, and has not provided or evidenced good reason for failing to do so. Where a student submits a claim more than a week after the affected assessment but before the module marks are approved by the Board of Examiners, the claim can still be considered, as long as the student provides satisfactory evidence of a ‘good reason’ as to why they could not have claimed earlier (see section 12). If they cannot do so, the claim may be rejected regardless of the strength of the claim. However, there may be occasions where the student’s circumstances are so serious and exceptional that it would be reasonable to consider their request regardless of the reasons for the late submission.

b) The student has not provided full information about the disruption and its effect on their studies, or has not provided evidence. The student will be prompted for the necessary information before any decision to reject the claim is made. Where further information or evidence is required, students should be expected to provide it as soon as possible and in any event no later than either:

• • three weeks after the assessment deadline or;
  • the date of the Board of Examiners meeting at which marks for the assessment will be approved (whichever is earlier).

c) The timing of the disruption cited would not have adversely affected the assessment(s).

d) The student has not sufficiently demonstrated that the circumstances impacted their ability to engage with the assessment in question.

e) The circumstances in question relate to a disability for which reasonable adjustments have been made but which the student has not engaged with to a reasonable extent. For example where mentoring or specialist tuition is provided and agreed but the student decides not to attend.

f) The claim is submitted after the assessment marks have been ratified by the Board of Examiners. Such claims must be considered as formal University appeals.

Note 2: Claims of this nature are not student-specific and are therefore not appropriate to be considered under this policy. Any such claims would be investigated by the Chair of Board of Examiners and, where appropriate, cohort-wide mitigation put in place in consultation with the Standing Committee on Assessment.

8. Exceptions to the above

8.1 Modules where group work contributes to the summative assessment

8.1.1 A small number of modules on the York Online programmes include group work that contributes to the summative assessment. This may be where students take part in formative activities as a group, the results of which contribute to their individual summative assessment, or where two or more students collaborate on a single piece of summative work. The University needs to provide mitigation for the student experiencing the disruption and ensure that other students in the group are not disadvantaged and are able to complete the assessment.

8.1.2 It is the responsibility of the department, when designing group activities that are summatively assessed or affect a summative assessment, to take reasonable measures to ensure that non-participation by one or more members of the student group will not affect the ability of other students to engage with the assessment. These measures should be designed to prevent the student group from being required to delay their assessment or take an alternative assessment, in all but the most severe circumstances.

8.1.3 In no case may circumstances that have affected an individual student ever be disclosed to the group, even where this has directly impacted the group assessment.

8.1.4 Where an individual student experiences a disruption during group work that requires mitigation, they may be granted one of the standard outcomes where this outcome will not impact the ability of other students to complete the assessment. In cases where a standard outcome will impact on other students, an alternative individual assessment will be defined for the module, which will form the outcome for the student experiencing the disruption with a deadline appropriate to the circumstances and in line with the standard practice of a two-week extension or a deferral/sit-as-if-for-the-first-time.

8.1.5 Where an entire group encounters a disruption, the group may be granted an extension to the submission deadline, provided that due consideration of the student’s individual circumstances is taken before the extension is granted. Where a deadline extension would disproportionately negatively affect one or more members of the group (for example, due to conflicting commitments), then an alternative individual assessment should be provided. Students will not be permitted to defer a group assignment due to the inequitable impact on individual student trajectories.

8.1.6 Where a student notifies the University of a disruption after the deadline for a group assessment has passed and their claim is approved, the only permissible outcome is a sit-as-if-for-the-first-time where the student is individually assessed.

8.1.7 Where exceptions are defined for particular modules, this will be set out in the assessment information for that module within the Learning Management System.

8.2 Rare cases

8.2.1 It is possible that circumstances may arise where the standard procedures outlined above would not provide adequate mitigation. Such cases will be discussed with the Chair of the Department’s Exceptional Circumstances affecting Assessment Committee, or their deputy, and one of the following remedies may be applied:

a) The opportunity to take ‘as if for the first time’ a different form of assessment than the original assessment. (Alternative assessments cannot be an assessment in a format that the student has never before encountered). This will usually be for practical reasons, e.g. where a student has deferred an assessment several times and the department has substantially revised the assessment method for that module.

b) Additional work to complete the original learning outcomes of the module, eg where practical work has been only partially completed. 

c) Recommendations to the Special Cases Team for the award of a taught aegrotat degree where the conditions of the Policy on Exceptional Awards are met.

d) If a single module mark is created from a number of marks from assessments testing the same learning outcomes, the following rule may apply. The Chair of the Department’s Exceptional Circumstances affecting Assessment Committee can, in order to produce a module mark, recommend to the Board of Studies waiving no more than 20% of the overall module mark. This is permitted only where the learning outcomes for the module have been measured by the remaining assessments for that module. Where the various elements of a module are intended to test different learning outcomes, such waiving of marks is not permissible. This procedure may be followed for up to a maximum of 30 credits of non-CPM modules, provided that the learning outcomes for the module(s) have been achieved.

e) A revised submission (referral) of work already submitted may be permitted. Where this is allowed, the academic department will apply due consideration to ensuring the student is not unduly advantaged. 

f) Repeat study of the module. In these cases, students will also be subject to the procedures outlined in the York Online Repeat Study policy.

8.2.2 The following outcomes will never be offered:

a) substitution or changing of marks
b) zero-weighting of a module.

9. Deadlines for notifying the University

9.1 Students should notify the University of a disruption to an assessment no more than two weeks before the assessment deadline and no later than one week after the deadline. For example, if the exam window is 13.00 Wednesday to 13.00 Friday, students have until 13.00 the following Friday to get in touch. Students who do not submit their assessment by the deadline and who do not notify the University via the appropriate form will receive a mark of zero in which case the standard rules around reassessment will apply, as set out in the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback.

9.2 Students may notify the University of a disruption affecting their assessment more than one week after the assessment deadline, providing that they also provide evidence of a good reason for not doing so earlier (see section 12), and that they do so before module marks have been approved by the Board of Examiners.

10. Dealing with unexpected submissions

10.1 Where a student informs the University of their intention to defer the assessment but then submits it by the deadline, it will be assumed that they are capable of taking the assessment and the mark will stand. They will not be permitted to take the assessment again unless they withdraw their fit to sit / submit declaration by submitting an exceptional circumstances claim and are offered a sit-as-if-for-the-first-time.

10.2 Where a student informs the University of their intention to defer the assessment before the deadline but then submits the assignment after the deadline and within the late submission period, it will be treated as an extension and the late penalties waived.

10.3 Where a student submits their assignment early but then notifies the University of a disruption before the original assessment deadline, the first attempt will not be marked and the student’s notification will be treated as set out in section 5.3.1 of this policy.

11. Acceptable forms of evidence

11.1 Students who notify the University of a disruption after the two-day exam availability period has started or after the original assignment deadline must provide evidence to support their claim. Supporting evidence must indicate the nature of the disruption and demonstrate that its timing would have had an impact on the assessment. The student’s own statement about their circumstances will be considered as evidence but in most cases independent corroborating evidence will also be required.

11.2 All evidence must be in English or be accompanied by an English translation; translations should preferably be provided by an independent third party. It is the student’s responsibility to source the translation.

11.3 Students will not be expected to provide independent evidence confirming the death of another person. Where the death is of someone other than a close family member, students will be expected to explain the relationship and the impact on the student’s ability to complete the assessment. The following are considered close family members: parents and step-parents, siblings, spouse, children, grandparents, grandchildren, uncles and aunts, nieces and nephews, parents-in-law, and brother- or sister-in-law.

11.4 Students will not be expected to provide independent evidence confirming sexual violence or domestic or intimate partner abuse.

11.5 Students will not be expected to provide evidence of a miscarriage or of an abortion, or of complications arising from a miscarriage or abortion, or of health conditions related to pregnancy. 

11.6 Where the student has been impacted by the serious illness or accident of a close family member (as defined in 11.3), they will not be expected to provide independent evidence confirming that illness. They will be expected to describe the situation and its impact on their ability to complete the assessment. A serious illness is defined as anything involving inpatient hospital treatment, surgery, or several weeks outpatient treatment; an accident includes anything that requires emergency treatment. Acute incidents in chronic conditions will be considered in the same way. Where a student reports more than two of the same acute incidents in a relative with a chronic illness, they may be referred to the Department’s Chair of the Exceptional Circumstances Committee for approval.

11.7 The University recognises that students may encounter other circumstances where it is not possible for a student to get independent evidence. In such cases, a statement made by the student shortly after the event, along with an explanation of why independent evidence cannot be obtained, may be sufficient.

11.7.1 In these cases, the York Online Support Team will consult with the Chair of the Department’s Exceptional Circumstances affecting Assessment Committee (or their deputy). In such cases, consideration will be given to whether the explanation as to why evidence cannot be obtained is plausible.

11.7.2 Student statements that are not supported by corroborating evidence will never be accepted for claims of failure/technical issues of the learning management system or of other necessary IT systems beyond the student’s reasonable control.

11.7.3 Students making more than two claims that cannot be supported by independent evidence may be referred to the Department’s Chair of the Exceptional Circumstances Committee for approval.

11.8 Where evidence is required, the following types of evidence are more likely to be accepted:

• a recent letter or certificate from a medical professional, dated and on headed paper; this includes GPs, consultants, midwives and nurses as well as psychiatrists and other mental health practitioners
• an appointment letter, hospital discharge letter or other medical documentation, dated and on headed paper, or a screenshot from a patient app that confirms a medical diagnosis, clinical investigation or referral and the date this took place
• a letter from the student’s employer, dated and on headed paper or an email from the student's employer, sent from the employer's email address
• for students running their own business, a letter, dated and on headed paper, from a business partner, solicitor or accountant or other independent evidence such as financial statements
• a police crime report
• a letter or other evidence from another professional service, such as the local council, a charity or independent advisory service, a family solicitor, etc
• a supporting letter from another University of York service such as the Open Door Team, Disability Services or Student Hub
• a written account from an independent third party from outside the University who directly witnessed the circumstances.

11.9 The following types of evidence are less likely to be accepted:

• a letter or certificate from a medical professional that simply repeats the student’s own description of events and does not provide an independent assessment
• a medical appointment confirmation (for example email, or screenshot from a patient app) where the student has requested the appointment in question (ie the student requesting the appointment may not in itself be taken as evidence of a diagnosis)
• a letter or certificate from a complementary therapist
• a written account from the student’s family or friends who have directly witnessed the circumstances, or their impact on the student’s wellbeing or ability to perform in assessment
• for students running their own business, their own statement about the situation.

11.10 The following types of evidence are unlikely to be accepted:

• a letter from the student’s academic supervisor, module tutor or another academic contact regarding the student’s circumstances;
• a written account from the student’s family or friends, if they have not directly witnessed the submitted circumstances or their impact upon the student.

11.11 Where a student in possession of a Student Support Plan (SSP) submits a claim after the assignment deadline or exam start, the SSP may be used as independent supporting evidence providing:

• the reason the student was unable to prepare for or complete the assessment is clearly connected to a health condition or disability specified in their SSP
• the student provides an explanation of why they were unable to take action before the assignment deadline or exam start that demonstrates they encountered relevant circumstances (for example, an escalation of their health condition) that could not have been foreseen.

11.12 Where students require longer than three weeks after the assessment deadline to provide evidence, this may be permitted provided that they inform the University of this delay in obtaining evidence and the reasons for it before the three week deadline has passed. In cases where the student has not provided evidence before the date of the Board of Examiners meeting at which marks for the assessment will be approved, their claim will be rejected and the student advised of their right to appeal.

11.13 The University reserves the right to check the authenticity of all supporting evidence submitted. Where it is suspected that a student has submitted evidence that is not genuine, they may be referred for consideration under the University’s Regulation 7: student discipline procedure.

11.14 Where a student states that they were given misleading advice or incorrect information by an employee of the University, or the University of York Students’ Union, or an individual or company employed or contracted to act on the University’s behalf, the York Online Support Team may attempt to verify the claim by requesting copies of emails or telephone recordings from the employees concerned. 

12. Reasons for informing the University late

12.1 Where a student informs the University of a disruption more than one week after the assessment deadline, they must demonstrate that they had a good reason for not declaring it sooner and include evidence of that reason.

12.2 The following are examples of ‘good reasons’:

a) a genuine medical emergency which would have clearly prevented the student from notifying the University, such as hospitalisation

b) severe issues outside the student’s control that meant they were unavoidably prevented from notifying the University

c) where the student was given misleading advice or incorrect information regarding this policy by an employee of the University, or an employee of the University of York Students’ Union (including full-time officers), or an individual or company employed or contracted to act on the University’s behalf.

12.3 The following are not considered to be ‘good reasons’:

a) retrospective consideration of module results, including arguments that the student’s performance in a specific assessment was surprising, disappointing or out of character

b) a belief that the University would not take the issue seriously

c) ignorance, or misreading, of this policy, unless the student can evidence that they were misadvised

d) where the student was given misleading advice or incorrect information regarding this policy by another student

e) believing or hoping that they would do well enough in the assessments despite their situation

f) deciding not to disclose their circumstances because they wanted to demonstrate that they could succeed without help

g) general embarrassment / a reluctance to disclose their circumstances, including that the student belongs to or grew up in a culture in which problems are not openly discussed or disclosed to others. This is not accepted as a good reason for non-disclosure of disruptions because it would be unjust to accept claims from some students but not others on the basis of assumptions about cultural norms based on a student’s nationality, ethnicity or religious faith. The University does not discriminate against students on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, faith or any other protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.

13. Right to appeal

13.1 Students have the right to appeal within 28 days of receiving a claim outcome in any circumstance where their request is rejected, ie:

• where notification is received after the assessment deadline and the request is rejected or partially rejected, including where the “good reason” for not notifying the University earlier is rejected;
• where students notify the University of a disruption by submitting an Exceptional Circumstances claim or supporting evidence/information after module marks have been approved by the Board of Examiners.

14. Data protection and safeguarding

14.1 Information and documents provided by students under this policy will be treated confidentially in line with the University of York Data Protection Policy and the University’s privacy notice for students.

14.2 The York Online Support Team typically obtains personal information directly from students eg when they contact us by email, telephone or video call, or when they submit an online Exceptional Circumstances claim form, request to take a break or submit a request for Repeat Study in e:Vision. The York Online Support Team may also receive information or data from the student’s academic department, their Student Success Coordinator or Disability Services.

14.3 Students’ personal information is used to prepare and process claims; to inform claim outcomes (i.e. to establish whether the student’s claim has grounds); to process claim outcomes (e.g. to ensure students are able to submit to a new submission point); and to establish whether they may benefit from additional support or signposting to other University services.

14.4 Personal information will be available to the York Online Support Team, and may be discussed within the team and with the Student Success Coordinators in order to support the student journey and provide services to students. Special Category data may be discussed within the team when one student case falls under multiple different processes (eg the Fit to Sit / Submit process; the Leave of Absence process; the Repeat Study process; or the appeals process). Evidence, which may include special category data, provided under one process may be used in support of a claim submitted through a different process, where applicable, with the student’s permission (eg evidence submitted in support of a Repeat Study request may be used if a student submits a Fit to Sit / Submit claim on the same grounds, but provides no evidence).

14.5 Where a team member believes a student may benefit from, or requires, additional information or support, personal information, including special category data, will be shared within the York Online Support Team in order to facilitate the provision of appropriate support (eg advising a student about other policies that help them in their circumstances or checking in on a student’s welfare)

14.6 Outcomes from claims made under this policy may be shared with a student’s academic supervisor and / or their Student Success Coordinator to enable them to provide advice about progress and trajectory through the programme. Outcomes may be shared with other relevant members of academic staff where a student needs an alternative assessment in order to sit a deferred or sit-as-if-for-the-first-time assessment. Details of the claim itself (ie the reason for it and evidence submitted) will not be shared.

14.7 Personal information will be shared with the Chair of the Department’s Exceptional Circumstances affecting Assessment Committee, or their deputy, if a claim requires consultation. Claims may also need to be shared with the Chair of Board of Studies where an outcome potentially affects achievement of the Programme Learning Outcomes or where a recommendation needs to be made to the Special Cases Team (eg where a student might be eligible for an aegrotat award). This may include special category data. In rare cases, an anonymised summary of the claim may be shared with the Chair of the Standing Committee on Assessment, or with support staff supporting the special cases processes, for advice on the application of this policy and to inform outcomes.

14.8 In the event that an appeal is submitted regarding a Fit to Sit / Submit outcomes, personal information will be shared with members of the Special Cases Team considering the appeal; the Chair of the Board of Studies who will approve recommendations about the appeal; and occasionally members of the Standing Committee on Assessment, in order to respond to an appeal. To investigate an appeal, the York Online Support Team may need to request relevant information from module tutors, academic supervisors or Student Success Coordinators; in such cases, the staff concerned will be aware that an appeal has been submitted but will not be provided with personal information.

14.9 In the event that a student submits a complaint about their experience of this policy, the claim form, evidence and outcome will be reviewed as needed by the Head of Online Partnerships, or their deputy, in order to investigate the complaint and provide a response.

14.10 Where the York Online Support Team has a concern regarding the welfare of a student they may seek advice from the Open Door Team or Disability Services, and may share personal information where it is deemed necessary. Where students have a Student Support Plan in place, personal information may also be shared with the Department’s disability contact to ensure that the Student Support Plan is supporting the student adequately.

14.11 Where the York Online Support Team has a concern regarding the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult they will seek advice from a Safeguarding Designated Contact, and may submit a safeguarding report containing a student’s personal information. Please see the University’s Safeguarding Framework on the University website.

If a student’s Fit to Sit / Submit claim is approved, the type of mitigation they will be offered depends on the timing of the claim and the type of assessment. The following table provides a quick reference guide to what outcome is permitted for each scenario. The type of mitigation offered is outlined in detail in sections 4.3, 5.3 and 6.3 of this policy.