• Section 1 - Introduction  
• Purpose 
• Scope 
• Section 2 - Context 
• Legal or Regulatory Context 
• Section 3 - Policy Statements 
• Part A - Principles for Considering and Managing Applications for Extensions
• Fairness
• Student Responsibility  
• Fit to Submit 
• Part B - Possible Outcomes of an Application for Extension 
• Part C - Consequences of an awarded Extension 

Section 1 - Introduction  

Purpose 

(1) This policy sets out the principles for ensuring that students are afforded the opportunity to apply for an extension to coursework deadlines but not to the marking of the same.  

Scope 

To Whom does the Policy Apply? 

(2) The policy applies to all students undertaking Hibernia College programmes.  

Who is responsible for implementing the policy? 

(3) Programme Directors, or their nominees, are responsible for the award of extensions as applied to coursework.  

Definitions 

(4) An Extension as applied to coursework as part of or contributing towards continuous assessment is a revised deadline for submission of a piece of coursework. In this definition a piece of coursework entails a written response, an oral presentation (except a viva voce), or any artifact presented for assessment. Under normal circumstances the maximum extension is up to 10 working days at the discretion of the programme director, or their nominee.  

Section 2 - Context 

Legal or Regulatory Context 

QA Guidelines  

(5) This policy generally supports the implementation of our regulatory obligation to have policy and procedures in place to support the assessment of learners.  

Assessment Policy  

(6) This policy is designed to support the principle of fairness set out in the College Assessment, Grading and Certification Policy.  

Section 3 - Policy Statements 

Part A - Principles for Considering and Managing Applications for Extensions

Fairness

(7) Students are entitled to submit coursework in a fair and reasonable context, in equivalent circumstances to their peers. Where unforeseen circumstances arise which negatively impact on a student’s ability to submit an assessment, they have the right to seek particular consideration in respect of the submission but not the marking of a particular assessment task.  

(8) No student can be deemed to have passed any module or programme unless the learning outcomes have been achieved.   

(9) Award of an extension to a coursework deadline may delay the progression of a student on a programme where completion of the same is required for progression either between modules or stages of a programme.  

Student Responsibility  

(10) Students are responsible for:  

1. Where requested, providing original and verifiable evidence of the factual circumstances supporting their application.  
2. Making reasonable use of the support services, and related policies and procedures, available in Hibernia College to mitigate against circumstances that may delay submission of coursework. 

Fit to Submit 

(11) A student who submits coursework without having made use of support services provided by the College, and or applied for either Extenuating Circumstances or an extension is normally understood to have deemed themselves fit to carry out the coursework.  

Part B - Possible Outcomes of an Application for Extension 

(12) Students following the Extensions Procedure may be granted: 

1. No extension awarded – where no extension is awarded and the student is required to submit the assessment as per the published deadline.  
2. An extension awarded, either with no amendment or with an amendment, involves granting a new deadline, as requested by the student, for the completion of an assessment task, with no application of the late penalty. 
3. Submit Extenuating Circumstances application – where no extension is awarded, and the student is instead advised to submit an extenuating circumstances application.  

Part C - Consequences of an awarded Extension 

(13) Notwithstanding the original circumstances significantly deteriorating causing the student to miss the revised deadline; a student, under normal circumstances, that has been awarded an extension for a piece of coursework is not entitled to apply for extenuating circumstances for the same item of coursework.  

(14) Where an extension for coursework is awarded, there may be a proportional extension to the marking timeframe the Programme Faculty have allocated to the item of coursework.