University Calendar 2016/17
Section V : Higher Degree Regulations
Regulations Governing Special Considerations for Research Degree Programmes


PREFACE
CONTENTS
SEMESTERS
SECTION I
SECTION II
SECTION III
SECTION IV
SECTION V
SECTION VI
SECTION VII
SECTION VIII
SECTION IX
SECTION X
SECTION XI
SECTION XII
SECTION XIII
SECTION XIV
 
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ARCHIVE 2012/13
ARCHIVE 2013/14
ARCHIVE 2014/15
ARCHIVE 2015/16
Introduction
These Regulations outline the policy and procedure to be followed by students registered on a research degree at the University of Southampton to apply for Special Consideration (in the circumstances set out below). These Regulations apply to the research phase only of doctoral programmes, and do not cover taught assessed components of research degrees. They are divided into two sections. Section A gives details of the policy, whilst Section B outlines the procedure to be followed. Students can obtain free, independent and confidential advice about Special Considerations from the Union Southampton Advice Centre.
     
Section A : The Policy
1. Under what circumstances do these regulations apply?
1.1 A student may apply for Special Consideration following the process in Section B if: (s)/he can prove that there are exceptional circumstances outside of his/her control which have or will negatively affect his/her research degree candidature; including his/her performance in a recent or upcoming Progression Review or final viva voce examination, or his/her ability to meet a deadline for submission of a Progression Review Report or final thesis.
1.2 Under this policy, a student may apply for: an extension to his/her candidature; a suspension from his/her candidature; an extension to a Progression Review Report submission deadline; or for Special Consideration to be given to work to be assessed.
1.3 A request to the PGR Special Considerations Board must be made as soon as issues become apparent, but not normally more than five working days after any assessment or deadline which may have been affected by exceptional circumstances.
1.4 Where reasonable, any Special Considerations Request in respect of a viva voce should be initiated prior to the examination. Where possible, accompanying evidence should be submitted prior to the examination, but normally no later than five working days after the scheduled examination. Only in exceptional circumstances may a scheduled viva voce examination be re-sheduled as a result of a Special Considerations Request.
     
2. Board considering Special Considerations
2.1 Special Considerations requests are initially considered by the Faculty's PGR Special Considerations Board. The Board will make specific recommendations to the Director of the Faculty Graduate School, based on the evidence before them.
2.2 The Faculty PGR Special Considerations Board Terms of Reference shall be constituted as follows:
  2.2.1
  • The Chair: a nominee of the Dean who is a senior academic member of the Faculty, and not a member of the Faculty Graduate School Directorate
  • Two additional academic members
  • Faculty Academic Registrar or nominee
  • Co-opted members as deemed necessary by the Chair
  2.2.2 The Director of the Faculty Graduate School is not permitted as a member of the Special Considerations Board.
  2.2.3 The request for Special Consideration will be presented to the Board by a member of the Faculty Graduate School Directorate, but not the Director of the Faculty Graduate School, who may consult and/or take advice from the student, a member of the supervisory team, or from other relevant Faculties or Professional Services prior to the Board meeting.
  2.2.4 The Board may consult and/or take advice from other relevant Faculties or Professional Services.
  2.2.5 Decisions of the PGR Special Considerations Board shall be made by a simple majority vote, with the Chair having a casting vote.
  2.2.6 The PGR Special Considerations Board shall be responsible for scheduling their meetings as necessary.
  2.2.7 The PGR Special Considerations Board will make provision to deal with a time critical request from a student for an extension to a deadline, or any other time critical matter, by any member of the Board (individual Boards may determine how best to achieve this) to ensure that timely recommendations are made.
  2.2.8 Members of PGR Special Considerations Boards who are also members of the supervisory team of a student making a request for Special Consideration shall not participate in any discussion related to that request, and shall refrain from making a decision in connection with that request.
  2.2.9 All PGR Special Considerations Boards are required to keep formal minutes of their proceedings. The purpose of the minutes of the PGR Special Considerations Board is to record decisions, to summarise any discussion relevant to those decisions (where this is required to give a context or rationale for the decision, or to establish precedents), and to capture for further consideration any areas of discussion or requirements for future action.
2.3 The Director of the Faculty Graduate School
  2.3.1 The Director of the Faculty Graduate School shall consider recommendations from the PGR Special Considerations Board and communicate the final decision to the Faculty Graduate School Office, who will communicate this to the student and supervisory team. This decision should be communicated within 15 working days of submission of a completed application In exceptional, time critical circumstances, a single member of the PGR Special Considerations Board will make a recommendation to the Director the Faculty Graduate School (or in their absence, to their nominated deputy), as detailed in paragraph B2.1 below. This decision shall be communicated, via the Faculty Graduate School Office, to the student and supervisory team. This decision should be communicated within ten working days of submission of a completed application.
     
3. What circumstances are not covered by these regulations?
3.1 These regulations do not:
  3.1.1 apply to students who are already receiving support or reasonable adjustments from the University's Enabling Services for the specific exceptional circumstances raised. It should be noted that despite a student receiving support for a long term condition, they may not be receiving support for a specific episode of that condition. The University's Enabling Services can provide advice and support relating to long term conditions.
  3.1.2 apply to situations in which students can or could have taken reasonable steps either to avoid or to mitigate the impact on their performance;
  3.1.3 allow for the assessment process or a student's marks to be adjusted. A request for Special Considerations shall remain distinct from the assessment process and actual outcomes shall be determined solely on the basis of work submitted. However, the Special Considerations Board may recommend that an attempt is disregarded in accordance with Paragraph 4.2.3(b) below;
     
4. Decisions and Recommendations of the PGR Special Considerations Board
4.1 The role of the Special Considerations Board is to: decide whether the evidence presented supports the case made by the student for the need for Special Consideration; this may be to decide whether the student's academic performance has been significantly affected by the exceptional events reported, or to decide if the exceptional events would significantly affect the ability to work in the case of a suspension, or the ability to submit in the case of an extension, and if so, to make a recommendation for suitable mitigation to the Director of the Faculty Graduate School. The role of the Director of the Faculty Graduate School is to approve, or to approve with amendment to allow suitable implementation, the proposed mitigation.
4.2 The following recommendations can be made from the PGR Special Considerations Board to the Director of the Faculty Graduate School:
  4.2.1 Suspension of Candidature
Recommendation to approve or reject an application for suspension of candidature.
  4.2.2 Extension of Candidature
Recommendation to approve or reject an application for extension of candidature.
  4.2.3 Special Considerations
  1. Recommendation to approve or reject an application to extend a Progression Review Report submission deadline.

  2. Recommendation to disregard a Progression Review Report and/or Progression Review Meeting and allow an additional attempt in accordance with the relevant progression regulations following this disregard.

  3. Recommendation to disregard a viva voce examination and allow an additional attempt in accordance with the relevant examination regulations following this disregard.
     
Section B : The Procedure
1. Submitting a Special Considerations Request
1.1 A student must submit a Special Considerations form with accompanying evidence to their Faculty Graduate School Office. A request to the PGR Special Considerations Board must be made as soon as issues become apparent, but not normally more than five working days after any assessment or deadline which may have been affected by exceptional circumstances. Where reasonable, any Special Considerations Requests in respect of a viva voce should be initiated prior to the examination, but normally no later than five working days after the scheduled examination.
1.2 Special Considerations requests which are incomplete in any material aspect and do not enclose evidence in support of that request will not be considered by the Special Considerations Board until rectified.
     
2. Considering the Request
2.1 Requests for extensions of a deadline and other time critical decision: In exceptional circumstances, a single member of the PGR Special Consideration Board will make a recommendation to the Director of the Faculty Graduate School (or in their absence to their nominated deputy) on Special Considerations requests for the extension of a deadline or other time critical decisions as and when the need arises, provided that the request is appropriately completed and has supporting evidence. That member of the PGR Special Considerations Board may choose to consult with another member of the Board and/or the relevant supervisor before making that recommendation.
2.2 For all other requests:
  PGR Special Considerations Boards shall be responsible to schedule their meetings as necessary. Before the PGR Special Considerations Board makes a decision, it may deem it appropriate to require the student to attend a meeting with a senior member of academic staff to discuss their request and the evidence they have submitted.
     
3. PGR Special Considerations Board Decisions and Recommendations
3.1 The PGR Special Considerations Board will take a decision or make a recommendation as set out in Section A4.
     
4. Notification
4.1 The Director of the Faculty Graduate School shall consider recommendations from the PGR Special Considerations Board, decide how to implement any mitigation and communicate the final decision via the Faculty Graduate School Office to the student and the supervisory team. This decision should be communicated within 15 working days of submission of a completed application.
4.2 Time critical decisions shall be communicated, via the Faculty Graduate School Office, to the student and supervisory team. This decision should be communicated within ten working days of submission of a completed application
     
6. Appeals
6.1 Students wishing to appeal a decision of the Director of the Faculty Graduate School based on recommendations of the PGR Special Considerations Board should refer to the Regulations Governing Academic Appeals. Students may only appeal if they are able to show that they satisfy one or more the grounds specified in the Regulations Governing Academic Appeals.
   
Approved by AQSC in August 2016 [Chair's Action], and by Senate in August 2016 [Chair's Action]

Submitted by Corporate Services
Last reviewed: 20-Aug-2016
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