EUSA VP Education to vote against changes to university extension policy

On 31 July, the Academic Policy and Regulations Committee (APRC) is set to vote on the new Exceptional Circumstances Policy. 

If passed, the policy will overhaul the university’s extension system with changes coming into effect from the beginning of the 2023/2024 academic year.  

As the only student able to vote on the proposal, EUSA VP Education Sabbatical Officer Carl Harper has taken the decision to vote against it.

Proposed changes in the policy include a standard three day extension period only across all schools and a maximum of three self-certifications of illness or circumstance per year. 

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Further extension applications will require evidence such as GP notes, statements from professionals, certified translations of documents and police reports.

Under the new policy, applications for extensions can be made no earlier than 10 days before the assessment deadline, except in circumstances such as a planned medical procedure. 

Illnesses such as common colds will also no longer qualify as grounds for an extension. 

In an open letter to the APRC calling on members to vote no, EUSA stated: “while there does need to be greater consistency regarding Extensions and Special Circumstances across Schools, this should not mean cutting back on the vital support which many students, particularly those who already face additional barriers to academic success, rely on”. 

“This new policy treats students like offenders determined to deceive the university for their own gain.

“The lack of trust in its students creates a hostile and unwelcoming environment, while in reality, students are just trying to do their best in increasingly complex and challenging circumstances”. 

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The open letter also described EUSA’s “frustration” at how student feedback on this policy had been “sidelined”. 

EUSA states that it will continue to urge APRC members to vote against the policy until a number of amendments are made.

These key amendments include increasing the extension period to four days, a relaxing of the evidence requirements and changes to work commitments to be listed as a valid grounds for extension. 

“Potterrow at night 01” by byronv2 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.