Great news! The University offers several processes to help you if you are experiencing personal problems which are affecting your studies. These include:
- Extension to Deadline – for a short-term problem that will cause you to miss a deadline by up to two weeks;
- Mitigating Circumstances – for more general personal issues that are impacting on your ability to study or complete assessment;
- Intermission – for medium and longer-term problems that require you to put your course on hold.
- Long-Term Health Issues and Disabilities – for disabled students and those in need of support for long term conditions.
These are different processes designed for different contexts. You should get to know them and think carefully about which one is right in your situation.
For instance, if you have an unexpected situation that you think will be resolved relatively quickly, but it is stopping you from completing or handing in your work, you can apply for an extension to deadline (an extension).
If you have a slightly longer-term difficulty and a 3 to 14-day extension is not going to be enough for you, you need to submit a mitigating circumstances application. Mitigating circumstances are unforeseen issues which limit your ability to study and affect your performance in an assessment.
These are different processes designed for different contexts. You should get to know them and think carefully about which one is right in your situation. For instance, if you have an unexpected situation that you think will be resolved relatively quickly, but it is stopping you from completing or handing in your work, you can apply for an extension to deadline (an extension).
However, for long term issues such as on-going health problem, caring responsibilities, maternity or a personal situation, you may need to take a Break in Study (known as intermission). You may also be considering time away from your studies for other reasons, but regardless of your motive it is a good idea to discuss the matter with Brighton SU’s Support team or your Student Support and Guidance Tutor (SSGT) so you can be provided with one-to-one advice and support. We’ve included some guidance on what you need to know below.
If yours is a long-term health problem or disability and you can continue with your studies, it is advisable to get a Learning Support Plan. This will help you get the appropriate on-going support you need to succeed at university. You can contact the University’s Disability & Dyslexia team for help with this. See also the university’s web pages for more information.
Extension to deadline
If you are dealing with something such as a short-term illness, and this means you can't complete or hand in your work on time, you can apply for an Extension to Deadline. This is most appropriate if you think your problem will be resolved relatively quickly and you can catch up on the missed time spent away from study.
Without applying for an extension, handing in your work late (i.e. submission within two weeks of the original deadline) means your work will have an automatic penalty applied. The mark for your work will be capped at the pass mark - 40% for undergraduate assessment, or 50% for postgraduate assessment. So, it is imperative that you apply for an extension in advance of the submission deadline.
How to Apply for an Extension to Deadline
You must apply for an extension no later than 24 hours before the submission deadline set by your tutor for the piece of work. You should use the Extension to Deadline form. This form must be sent from your university email, account along with supporting evidence, to your personal tutor, Course Leader or School Office.
What Happens Next?
Your application will be considered by your Course Leader. If granted, an Extension to Deadline can last from anything from three days to two weeks, depending on your personal situation. If you aren’t going to be able to produce your work satisfactorily during this extended time, we recommend you apply for mitigating circumstances.
Mitigating Circumstances
If you have a slightly longer-term difficulty and a 3 to 14-day extension is not going to be enough for you, you need to submit a mitigating circumstances application. Mitigating circumstances are unforeseen issues which limit your ability to study and affect your performance in an assessment.
How to apply for mitigating circumstances
If you have a slightly longer-term difficulty and a 3 to 14-day extension is not going to be enough for you, you need to submit a mitigating circumstances application. Mitigating circumstances are unforeseen issues which limit your ability to study and affect your performance in an assessment.?
To apply for Mitigating Circumstances, you must complete a Mitigating Circumstances form. You will also need to write a statement explaining your circumstances. Include as much detailed information as you need, focussing on how the situation has affected your ability to study or your performance in assessment(s).
Your application for Mitigating Circumstances also requires supporting evidence. This evidence must be from an independent source, such as a doctor or counsellor.
Your application form, statement and evidence must be sent to your School Office. The deadline for submitting your Mitigating Circumstances application will be advertised by your School. You can check with the School Office or your SSGT if you’re unsure when this is or who to send it to.
What happens next?
Once your application is received, it will be considered by a Mitigating Circumstances Committee. The Committee will make a recommendation to your Exam Board as to whether they should take the circumstances into account when they ratify (agree) the marks for your work.
If your claim is successful, it does not mean your marks will change (except where a penalty for late submission is removed). But it could mean you gain another attempt at the assignment or exam at a later date. This further attempt would be made on the same basis as the attempt that has been covered by Mitigating Circumstances.
For example; if your first attempt at that assessment was affected by personal issues, the repeat attempt would be marked as though it was your first attempt. The advantage here is that you would not incur the penalty that is normally applied to second and third attempts.
Things to consider
Your successful claim will only cover the assessment period for which you claimed. This means that if you claim in semester 1, but your problems continue into semester 2, you will need to submit another claim to cover the next assessment period. Resit assessments during the summer vacation are not covered by any previous claim, so a new claim would be needed.
Long-Term Health Problems and Disabilities
If you have a disability, medical condition or a mental health difficulty the Disability and Dyslexia team can support you in a number of ways, depending on your individual circumstances.
It is likely your long-term health problem or disability will be impacting on your study, therefore it is advisable to get a Learning Support Plan to make sure you get appropriate support. You can contact the University’s Disability & Dyslexia team for help with this. See the university’s website for more information.
You can read the university’s regulations on Learning Support Plans here.
Things to Consider
If your course requires you to attend placement, you will need to consider whether you wish to share information about the learning support you may require with the placement provider. The university does not automatically share this information with external third parties, therefore you should discuss your needs with the Disability and Dyslexia team before undertaking your placement.
If you require additional learning support for a condition that you’ve not declared, or because your needs have changed, you should speak to the D&D team again to have your needs re-assessed.
For long-term issues such as a health problem, caring responsibilities, maternity or a personal situation, or if you are considering time away from university you may need to apply for intermission (break in study).
It is a good idea to discuss the matter with Brighton SU’s Support team or your Student Support and Guidance Tutor (SSGT) who can provide one-to-one advice and support. Intermission is not an automatic right - it must be agreed in advance with the University.
How to apply for intermission
To take a break and spend time away from your studies, you must submit a written application, usually an email, to your Course Leader, explaining your reasons for intermitting.
The length of your period of Intermission will vary according to your individual needs, course and stage of study. However, Intermission will usually begin at an appropriate stage in the academic calendar - for example at the end of a module, term, or semester.
What happens next?
During Intermission, your studies will be suspended, and you will be de-registered from the course for a fixed period. You cannot undertake assessments during the period of intermission.
When your time away from university is coming to a close, someone from your school should contact you with details of how to re-start your course and details of how to re-activate your Student Central account. You will then need to activate your account and re-enrol with the university via Student Central.
Things to consider
It is important to be aware of the Maximum Period of Registration on your course. This is the maximum length of time a student may take to complete a course. A period of Intermission does not ‘stop the clock’, so a long break can potentially cause you to exceed this period. More information about this can be found in the university’s General Examination & Assessment Regulations (GEAR), Section D.
You also need to be aware of the possible impact on your student funding. If you need to take a break, you or the University will need to contact Student Finance England. You may be in receipt of overpayments. You should talk to the university’s Student Advice team to discuss the effects on your student finance.
If you are an International Student on a Tier 4 visa, a break in study may not be possible, or you may need to apply for a new visa - seek advice from the International Student Support Team.
If you are an International Student on a Tier 4 visa, a break in study may not be possible, or you may need to apply for a new visa
Further information on Intermission can be found here on the university’s website.
When your time away from university is coming to a close, your school will contact you with details of how to re-start your course, confirmation of your end-of-year results and details of how to re-access your computer account. You will then need to activate your account and enrol with the university via student central.
Other things to consider when you are applying for a break in study; be aware of the maximum duration of your course - will you be able to complete it within the timeframe? You should be aware there is a maximum period of registration. More information about this can be found in the university’s General Examination & Assessment Regulations (GEAR), Section D.
You also need to be aware of the possible impact on your student funding - for an undergraduate degree, if you are entitled you should receive funding for the duration of your course plus one year. If you need to take a break, you will need to contact your funding body, think about possible overpayments and whether you have enough funding available to you to finish the course. You should talk to the university’s Student Advice team to discuss the effects on your student finance.
If you are an International Student on a Tier 4 visa, a break in study may not be possible, or you may need to apply for a new visa - seek advice from the International Student Support Team.
Further information on ‘Intermission' can be found here on the university’s website.