If circumstances in your life significantly affect your performance in assessed work (including examinations) or lead to you needing a deadline extension for such work, then you can submit an 'exceptional circumstances' request. Please speak to your supervisor if you experience this kind of difficulty.
The University defines an exceptional circumstance as a problem which goes beyond the normal difficulties experienced in life. They are often one-off, life-affecting events, whereby the circumstances must be exceptional (i.e. serious and unusual) relative to the normal daily challenges that academic study presents, and unpredictable in that the student could not reasonably have been expected either to avoid them, or to allow for them in planning or preparing the assessment work during the assessment period for which you are claiming.
If your difficulties affect your studies beyond one assessment period, do please discuss with your supervisor the other options open to you.
If you are a Philosophy student and have questions about the ECA process which cannot be answered by these web pages then please do email Karen Norris (for Undergraduate students) or Carol Dixon (for MA and Graduate Diploma students) at philosophy-ex-circs@york.ac.uk
Disability Services are available to advise any student with substantial and long-standing professionally diagnosed health difficulties - either physical or mental health - which have a negative impact on their ability to study. They can arrange academic support and adjustments if you have disability or long-term health condition, and students should contact them in the first instance for advice.
The definition of Disability is that of the Equality Act - any long-term condition that has a significant impact on day-to-day life. 'Long-term' means has lasted or is likely to last 12 months or more, whilst 'day-to-day life' in this case means study related activities, and this includes mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.
All students with long-term conditions can be offered practical help with their studies, exams and written assessments, via a Student Support Plan. Any support arrangements that you may have had at school or college are not carried over once you are at University, so if you are aware of having long-term issues as described above then we would urge you to get in touch with Disability Services as quickly as possible for advice and support. The sooner you do this, the better, in terms of seeking the support and practical help you may need thoughout your degree course. There are step-by-step instructions showing how to request support via the Disability Services web pages.
Once you have an SSP in place then this will provide you, your Department(s) and Disability Services with information as to what teaching support and assessment adjustments you have in place. It is your plan, so you must be clear on what support is available and how you ask for certain adjustments.
If your SSP permits you to request occasional summative essay extensions for disability-related reasons. Extensions are not permitted for online or closed exams. If you wish to apply for an essay extensions please follow the procedure below: