Academic adjustments
Academic Adjustments
Academic adjustments are modifications in learning and assessment arrangements that may be offered to students experiencing exceptional circumstances affecting their studies. The adjustments allow students to meet academic standards and provide equal access to the educational opportunities of the University.
This guidance aims to support students in managing the challenges and demands of academic study by highlighting the various forms of academic adjustments available.
Information about academic adjustments for students with a declared disability can be found in the following policy.
It is the responsibility of the student to notify their School as soon as possible if there are any circumstances which could result in the need for academic adjustments. (See Paragraph 4 of the Policy on Extenuating Circumstances).
Extensions
An extension is an academic adjustment by which a student may receive additional time to complete their coursework. It may be an option for students where circumstances have significantly affected a student’s ability to prepare for, or submit, an assignment. Detailed guidance on extensions as an academic adjustment is available here.
Deferred Assessment
A deferred assessment may be an option where exceptional circumstances have significantly affected the ability of the student to prepare for or sit a scheduled assessment. It postpones the publication of the module result to a later examination diet.
The deferral of assessments is not appropriate for minor ailments that are not sufficiently serious to prevent participation in assessment, or for permanent or long- term conditions that are under medical control.
Requests for deferred assessments should be made to the relevant School as soon as possible and should be supported by appropriate evidence.
Alternative assessment
An alternative assessment may be an option where extenuating circumstances have significantly affected the ability of the student to prepare for and sit the scheduled assessments in their original format.
Requests for alternative assessments should be made to the relevant School as soon as possible and should be supported by appropriate written evidence.
Leave of Absence
A Leave of Absence may be an option for any semester where circumstances have affected, are currently affecting, or will affect the ability of the student to engage with the teaching and these circumstances cannot reasonably be accommodated by other means such as allowance for absence or extensions or deferrals. A Leave of Absence results in all modules taken in the affected semester(s) being removed from the student’s record.
A student cannot take more than four semesters of Leave of Absence over their degree programme.
The deadline for a Leave of Absence application is the Friday of Week 9 in the current semester (See the Leave of Absence policy for more information). There is also an earlier deadline for fee liability in Week 4.
S-coding
S-coding is a process through which allowance can be made for special circumstances affecting the final grade for an Honours module.
S-coding may be an option for students when extenuating circumstances have significantly affected their ability to engage fully with the module. An S-coded module result may be excluded from the degree classification calculation.
Before an S-code is awarded, every effort should be made to exploit the other forms of academic adjustment available to secure the grade for the module.
In order to request S-coding a student must complete the relevant application and send any supporting documentation to the relevant Director of Teaching. (Please see the Policy on S-coding and associated guidance for more information).
V-coding
V-coding allows for all grades received in a semester or year to be nullified. Such modules are marked as V without a numerical grade, with the effect as if the modules had never been taken.
V-coding cannot be requested by a student, but may be offered by the Proctor or delegate, as a last resort in a case where no other academic adjustments can adequately address a student’s exceptional circumstances (See the V-coding policy for more information).
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