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UCL is committed to providing the support you need in order to make the most out of your studies. The Student Support Framework draws together our main academic support processes under one banner to help you understand the options open to you.
The Framework includes the following components:
Part 1: How to Use this Framework helps you find your way around the different support options open to you. It includes:
- Where to find help and advice听听听听听听听听
- Information about when to use this framework (for example if you are an affiliate, study abroad or placement student)
- Advice on confidentiality and how 皇家华人ill look after your data
- Information on providing supporting evidence
- Links to other support options that are available to you.
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Part 2: Types of Support explains how each of the following processes works:
Support process: | Use this if: | What this covers: |
You have a short-term illness, bereavement or other unexpected emergency. | 鈥楨xtenuating Circumstances鈥� (often know as 鈥楨Cs鈥�) are events which are sudden, unexpected, significantly disruptive and beyond your control and which may affect your performance at summative assessment, such as a serious illness or the death of a close relative. You can submit an Extenuating Circumstances claim to access 鈥榤itigation鈥� such as an extension or deferring an assessment to a later date.听 | |
Reasonable Adjustments for Disabilities and Long-term Conditions | You have a disability or long-term physical or mental health condition.听听听听听 | UCL can provide longer-term 鈥楻easonable Adjustments鈥� to support your learning and assessment. This includes setting up a 鈥楽oRA鈥� (Summary of Reasonable Adjustments) with UCL鈥檚 Student Support and Wellbeing team. |
You need long-term or ongoing support with one or more of the following:
| Academic Adjustments include long-term reasonable adjustments arranged by your Department if you need additional support with learning, teaching and assessment. | |
You need additional support to sit an online or face-to-face exam.听听听听 | Exam Adjustments are specifically for Controlled Condition Exams and Take-Home Papers, and include adjustments such as extra time, rest breaks, a more comfortable chair and specialist equipment. These are available to students with a longer-term disability or health condition, and to students who need shorter-term support e.g. if you are pregnant, or have a broken arm. | |
听 | You are thinking of taking time out from your studies听听听听听听听听听 . | Interruption of Study is for students who wish to take a break from their studies and return at a later date. You can take time out from your studies for a wide range of reasons - you might want to take up an internship or placement, take time out to travel, be planning to have children, or be facing personal challenges which are making it hard to study. |
You are having persistent or ongoing difficulties and UCL鈥檚 other support processes are not providing the right level of help. | Support to Study aims to help you if you are having significant, persistent, longer-term difficulties and UCL鈥檚 normal mechanisms (e.g. Reasonable Adjustments, Extenuating Circumstances, Interruption of Study) are not providing enough support. We will work with you to put together a Support Plan to help you get the most out of your studies. |
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The Student Support Framework is just one of the ways in which UCL helps you to get the most out of your time with us:
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The Student Support Framework | Your Personal Tutor | Your Department |
The Student Support Framework explains how you can apply for formal support with your studies such as extensions, reasonable adjustments, or taking time out from your studies. | One of your first priorities should be to meet your Personal Tutor. They will help you to get the most out of your studies, and provide support and encouragement during your time with us. | Help is also available from members of staff in your UCL department including academic staff and departmental administrators. You can find their contact details on Moodle or in your Student Handbook. |
UCL Student Support and Wellbeing | FAQs and Enquiries | Students鈥� Union UCL Advice Service |
UCL鈥檚 team of expert wellbeing, disability and mental health staff provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space in which you can discuss any issues that may be affecting your ability to study. | askUCL is our self-help centre and student enquiry system. It includes a wide range of Frequently Asked Questions. If you can鈥檛 find what you鈥檙e looking for, you can log an enquiry. | The Students鈥� Union UCL provides a free, confidential and independent advice service with a trained and experienced team. |
11.1 Key contacts in SSEES for assistance with any of the above
How to submit an Extenuating Circumstances request, including extension requests
You must notify SSEES, no matter which department teaches the module(s) concerned,听You can make an EC claim through Portico. For intial enquiries regarding your EC requests should go to the Student Support Officer and sent to the email address ssees-extenuating-circumstances@ucl.ac.uk
You should attach appropriate supporting evidence. Further guidance on the EC process is .
The same form should be used to apply for all forms of mitigation for short-term unexpected circumstances, including short extensions to coursework deadlines of up to one week, special assessment arrangements such as extra time in examinations, or other forms of mitigation, including longer extensions, or deferral of an examination to a later date.
Further information is available in the Grounds for Extenuating Circumstances (PDF).
Requests for extensions or other mitigations in examinations will only be considered where the circumstances meet the definition of an extenuating circumstance. Guidance is provided (Grounds for Extenuating Circumstances) to help you assess whether an EC claim might be considered 鈥� you are encouraged to review this guidance before submitting your claim. You will be contacted once a decision has been made about your request. Wherever possible such requests should be submitted well before the deadline. Please note that routine computer problems such as viruses, disk corruption, printer problems, and short term network problems are not acceptable grounds for an extension. You are expected to take proper precautions and make back-up copies of your work and allow enough time to produce your work in hard-copy.
If you do not present evidence your claim it is likely to be rejected.
Extensions听cannot听be granted retrospectively or by individual Course Tutors and must make an EC claim through Portico.听