Ask The Library: AskUs

Here are some examples of what we would usually consider valid PMC requests:

• Serious short-term illness or injury affecting your ability to study
• Death or significant illness of a close family member or friend
• Unexpected caring responsibilities affecting your ability to study
• Worsening of an ongoing illness or disability, including mental health conditions
• An emergency or crisis that prevents you from attending an exam, presentation or accessing an online assessment
• An unexpected accommodation crisis such as eviction or a home becoming uninhabitable
• A crime which has had a substantial impact on your ability to study
• Significant and unanticipated increases in your workload (e.g. as a result of paid employment) which had not been planned for (this only applies to part time/distance learning students)
• Being called for jury service
• A shortcoming or failure in the support arrangements if you are a disabled student.

Here are some examples of what we would not usually consider to be valid PMC requests:

• Missing a coursework deadline or exam because you got the time or date mixed up
• Minor ailments of a short-term nature such as colds, headaches, stomach upsets, except where the ailment prevented attendance at, or occurred during, an exam or similar timed assessment;
• House moves, holidays or celebrations where you either have control over the date, reasonable prior notice or could choose not to attend.
• Circumstances where individual arrangements have already been put in place e.g. through a Reasonable Adjustment Plan or Carer Support Plan).
• Circumstances to which all or most students are subject (e.g. financial difficulties, “bunching” of examinations or coursework deadlines or exam stress).
• Circumstances where individual arrangements have already been put in place (e.g. through a Reasonable Adjustment Plan or Carer Support Plan).
• Circumstances arising from poor time management or personal organisation (e.g. failure to plan for foreseeable last-minute emergencies such as computer crashes, printing problems, work not backed up, misreading/lack of awareness of examination timetables or submission deadlines).
• Travel problems arising from minor delays or in cases where normal traffic congestion has not been taken into account.
• Issues that the University is responsible for, for example, with timetables, equipment or teaching/supervision provision. There is a different process for this so please speak to your tutor.
• Being subject to Procedures such as Academic Misconduct, Student Misconduct or Fitness to Practise.