UCL extends Extenuating Circumstances allowance as part of ‘no detriment’ package

UCL is working on a “no detriment” package - a set of measures aimed at supporting students through assessments and exams during the pandemic.

Source: UCL Imagestore

On January 27, UCL announced that it is to introduce a series of measures designed to support students through 2020-21 assessments and exams, in light of disturbances caused by the pandemic this academic year.

While not finalised yet, this year’s “no detriment” package already includes an enhancement of the Extenuating Circumstance (EC) policy and offers extra time during exams. UCL stated that it is currently unable to provide any details regarding the safety net policy, which was applied last academic year, but the university hopes to make more information available by February 5. 

Education Officer Ayman Benmati confirmed on Monday that students are to receive an “amended and enhanced” EC policy as a result of talks with UCL’s Examination and Assessment Contingency Panel. Ordinarily, if something prevents a student from submitting an assignment on time, they can apply for an EC to extend the deadline, up to two times during the year.

This year, students will be allowed to self-certify (apply without formal proof) for an EC on three separate occasions, with one of them reserved for Term 3. Benmati also stated on Monday that the enhanced EC policy could include further concessions, such as dissertation extensions or the option to postpone certain module credits until the Late Summer Assessment period in August.

All exams are now open-book assessments and the format of some assessment may change to deal with the complications of online learning. The default time period for exams will be 24 hours to cater for individual circumstances, and shorter exams will include an extra hour for an “upload window” to allow for technical problems when submitting exam papers.

After mounting pressure from various student groups, UCL announced on January 6 that it would revisit its “no detriment” policy for this year. Since this announcement, the university has also introduced a “no detriment” policy for staff , who may find their performance is affected by the pandemic.

In a letter penned by the editorial boards of 24 Russell Group student newspapers, Pi Media has called on the Russell Group to rescind its statement that “safety net” policies are no longer “necessary or appropriate” for this year’s assessment.  

UCL’s full statement is available here.