Making a late submission request
Late submissions and deadlines
It is your responsibility to inform the department of any circumstances affecting your ability to submit on time. It is at the discretion of the department to comment on work submitted later than the below deadlines for formative feedback only (i.e. no formal marks will be awarded).
Please contact your department for support and advice if you are concerned about your deadlines.
Coursework
If you miss your coursework deadline and believe that you have circumstances which have affected your ability to submit on time, then you should submit an extenuating circumstances form within seven calendar days (including weekends and/or holidays) of the deadline explaining those circumstances and providing any relevant evidence. You should also submit your coursework so that it can be marked if your claim is accepted.
Online examinations over 23 hours 59 minutes or take-home exams
If you miss submitting your online examination, which is over 23 hours 59 minutes in length, or your take-home exam by the deadline and believe that you have circumstances which have affected your ability to submit by the deadline, then you should submit an extenuating circumstances form within 24 hours detailing those circumstances and any relevant evidence. You also need to submit your work within 24 hours so that it can be marked if your claim is accepted.
Online examinations under 23 hours 59 minutes
If you miss submitting your online examination which is less than 23 hours 59 minutes in length by the deadline, this will be treated as a missed assessment, for which you will be given a 0. You will need to submit an extenuating circumstances claim if circumstances outside of your control prevented you from submitting on time.
Late submission claims
You may only submit a claim for late submission via the extenuating circumstances claim form once the deadline for your submission has passed. This form can be found under the Education tab on MyEssex.
What to include on your form
You should include on the extenuating circumstances form details of the specific piece(s) of coursework or online examination examinations that you are submitting late and describe the circumstances that prevented timely submission of the work. Make sure you explain the impact these circumstances had on your ability to submit your coursework or online examination by the deadline.
Documentary evidence
Where you are able, it is in your interest to submit independent and reliable supporting evidence as part of your extenuating circumstances application. Supporting evidence should be relevant to the circumstances described in both nature and timeframe. Without supporting evidence, the Extenuating Circumstances Committee/Board of Examiners may not be able to take action on your claim.
See our guidance on documentary evidence.
Longer-term extenuating circumstances or non-submission of work
If you have experienced significant (longer term) extenuating circumstances that prevent you from either submitting your work at all, or submitting within the relevant late submission timeframe, you should submit an extenuating circumstances form. You should clearly explain how your extenuating circumstances affected your ability to submit your work on the form.
Processing your application
Late submission requests for coursework will be accepted for consideration by the relevant departmental Extenuating Circumstances Committee in line with the deadlines stated above, unless model answers have been released. It is at the discretion of the department to comment on work submitted later than the applicable late submission deadline for formative feedback only (that is, no formal marks will be awarded).
Each department has an Extenuating Circumstances Committee which will normally meet at least twice during the year. The Committee will decide whether your work should be marked and whether that mark will count towards your formal assessment (i.e. no formal marks will be instated). The department will advise you of the outcome.
Further information
False claims
You should note that submitting a false claim or false documentation is a serious matter and would be regarded as an attempt to gain unfair advantage. This would be an academic offence and would be dealt with under the Academic Offences Procedures. The University reserves the right to check on the validity of the document(s) you submit by contacting the third party directly.
Data Protection
The University is committed to a fair and confidential process for handling extenuating circumstances and recognises that this process may involve the disclosure and handling of sensitive personal information. Information will be processed in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018. For further details about how the University processes your personal data please see our Privacy Statement.
Guidance for disabled students
If you have a disability which is preventing you from meeting published deadlines, please contact a member of the Disability Service in the Student Services Hub to discuss this issue in advance of your submission dates.
If you find that you are unable to submit a hard copy of a Late Submission Form, you can submit it electronically. Please contact your department who will tell you the email address to use.
If you have any queries about a claim which has been rejected, please contact your department to request further information. You can also discuss this feedback with staff in the Student Services Hub if you believe that your individual needs have not been understood or adequately taken into account.
If you are providing information about your disability on your Late Submission of Coursework Form or your Extenuating Circumstances Form, please note that this does not count as disclosure to the University as these forms are intended for use only by the Late Submissions Committee or the Board of Examiners. We strongly urge you to disclose any persistent medical condition, specific learning difficulty or disability to your Student Services Hub.
If you need any further help and advice, please contact or visit the Student Services Hub or SU Advice who will be happy to assist you.