Extenuating Circumstances

Extenuating circumstances are usually personal or health problems which have a negative impact upon your ability to prepare for or sit an assessment. 

The following is a non-exhaustive list of circumstances which are likely to be accepted as extenuating circumstances:

1. Bereavement - death of close relative/significant other (which in an employment context would have led to a period of compassionate leave).

2. Serious short term illness/accident/hospitalisation (which in an employment context would have led to a period of sickness absence).

3. Deterioration or fluctuation of a disability or long term health condition.

4. Significant adverse personal/family circumstances.

5. Other significant exceptional factors for which there is evidence of stress caused, i.e. victim of crime. Evidence (police crime reference, letter from hospital/doctor treating condition, social worker letter etc) of any of these is likely to be required by the department.

It is the responsibility of students to notify tutors, or other appropriate departmental staff, at the earliest opportunity, if there are any extenuating circumstances that might have a bearing on examination/assessment performance. Please note that forms should only be submitted where assessments have been affected and not to explain absences from class: these should be dealt with by direct communication with the tutor concerned. The University provides a number of support services for students experiencing medical or personal difficulties: https://sites.google.com/sheffield.ac.uk/englishhub/student-support  

All of your information will be treated confidentially, however if you have any extra sensitive information that you do not wish to put in the main form, you should record those details in a separate document. Save the document as 'Sensitive - for ECF', attach it to an email to Lucy Cherrett l.cherrett@sheffield.ac.uk  and clearly state that the attachment is a confidential document to support an extenuating circumstances application.  In the section of the form where you are asked to provide details of your circumstances, you should answer this question to show that you have sent additional information by email.

Please read the following University Guidance before submitting your form: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/forms/circsnotes

If you are applying for Extenuating Circumstances because you will not be able to meet a coursework deadline, and the deadline is at least two workings days away, you should apply for an extension in the first instance at the link below: School of English Extension Request

 The Extenuating Circumstances Committee is a sub-committee of the Examination Board and meets before the final board at the end of each semester to consider all cases where an extenuating circumstances form has been submitted. While the form allows students to indicate what action they would like the committee to consider, this does not mean this action will be taken. Students should discuss with their personal tutors whether they should make an application before submitting a form to discuss whether it is appropriate to submit a form, how it should be completed. The assessment team can advise on this too, though they can't provide the ongoing support which might be provided 

Submit an Extenuating Circumstances form

Please use the following online form to submit an Extenuating Circumstances request and any supporting documentation.

Please make sure you are logged into MUSE *and* your Google email account, otherwise you will get an error message saying "You need permission, try contacting the owner of the form". 

*Please note- Supporting evidence is required for Extenuating Circumstances

Please note the deadlines below for submitting Extenuating Circumstances Forms:

Autumn Semester Assessments - Friday 9th February 2024

Spring Semester Assessments - Friday 7th June 2024

August Assessment Period - Friday 23rd August 2024

Postgraduate Dissertations - Friday 30th August 2024