Help with Extenuating Circumstances

The University have in place a policy which protects students who have been impacted by unforeseen or profound experiences that have impacted their performance. These are called extenuating circumstances. 
If a student believes that an assessment they’ve submitted will or has been impacted by extenuating circumstances, they can request that the University recognises and takes them into account. In order to do this, you will need to submit information through a form on MyTSD, and clicking on the ‘Data Changes and Forms’ tab on the ‘Forms’ menu.

Circumstances that can be considered by the University

Although this is not a definitive list of all acceptable criteria, you should consider submitting an extenuating circumstances form if, for example:

• You have suffered a bereavement.
• You have become unwell during the assessment period and can evidence the impact on your studies.
• You have increased work responsibilities or unexpected pressures from your employer where your study is subsidiary to your employment.

The University will not consider the loss of work, minor health problems such as colds, or technical problems as extenuating circumstances. You should mitigate these problems by keeping back-ups of your work and planning carefully.

When to contact your SU

If you are going through something and are unsure if the University will acknowledge this through its extenuating circumstances process, you can get in touch with us for independent advice and support. 
When completing the extenuating circumstances process, it will be crucial that you provide evidence of the challenges you’re facing. You can get in touch with us if you are confused about what kind of evidence to provide or need help in meeting the evidence requirements of the process.

You can also contact us for support if you are experiencing difficulties completing the form. For example, if you’re struggling with the language of the form, cannot complete the form due to difficulties accessing technology or are unsure of how to present your situation clearly. 

If your extenuating circumstances claim has been rejected by the University and you’re unsure of what do to next, do not hesitate to contact and we’ll do our best to offer you support. 

Email unionadvice@uwtsd.ac.uk and one of our staff will be in touch with you for a chat.