Extensions

Individual module convenors/lecturers cannot give extensions under any circumstances. 

For an extension of seven days or less, you must contact your Head of Year/Programme and your individual module convenor/lecturer directly together. The Head of Year/Programme makes the determination whether or not you meet the Extenuating Circumstances policy based on the documentation you provide as outlined in that policy.

You should include with this letter your copies of either a medical certificate or a letter from a student counsellor, or other relevant documentation.

If you don’t have an explanation for your lateness, we will just apply the penalty automatically.

Valid reasons for lateness include illness or bereavement. Avoidable problems such as malfunctioning computers, car trouble, books being unavailable at short notice, poor time management including participation in extracurricular or professional creative industries activities including festivals, film shoots, etc. are not valid reasons for lateness.

If you need to seek an extension of more than seven days, you will need to notify your Head of Year/Programme and individual module convenor/lecturer and then fill out and submit this form to the College of Arts Office.

Students who are ill or in distress can be assured that their work will be accepted late, provided that they provide appropriate documentation to the College Office and/or Head of Year/Programme.

Students should NOT seek extensions in advance but instead endeavour to submit their assignment on time regardless of circumstances. You will then follow the steps below if you miss the submission deadline.

If you fail a module 

If you fail a module, you have an opportunity to repeat it. Students must pay a repeat examination fee to the university in such cases for each module they are repeating.

Repeat assignments are posted following the release of second semester marks to Canvas and are equivalent to the total workload of the module you are repeating.  They are due in early-mid August (see calendar above).

Your transcript will state that you failed the module. Repeat marks are capped at 40% for most years. This in turn may cause a delay payment of your SUSI grant.

If you choose not to repeat your module, you must either leave the university or repeat the year. If you repeat the year, you need only repeat those modules that you failed (e.g. if you pass four modules in second year but fail two, and choose to repeat the year, you would only need to repeat the two modules that you failed).

You can review FAQs regarding university policy on repeats including accessing fee information here: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/exams/timetable-advice/examinations_faqs/repeats_faq/

If you need to defer an assessment

Deferral means postponing a university examination or assessments from the end of the semester to the summer period. This will usually be granted in cases of serious illness, bereavement of an immediate family member or other extremely serious circumstances as vetted by the College Office. Decisions about deferral can only be made by the College of Arts office. Applications can again be made through the Extenuating Circumstances application form for the College of Arts.

You can review FAQs on deferrals here: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/exams/timetable-advice/deferrals/

Penalties for Late Work 

Late work that does not meet the grounds for the above or is simply late will be penalised at two points per day including weekends and bank holidays.

Late work penalties can still apply even if you are granted an extension if your documentation does not cover an additional period of lateness. For example, if you provide a cert saying that you were sick for two days, then you can hand in your work two days’ late without penalty. But if your cert says you were sick for two days and you hand in a week late, you will lose marks for five days.

Summary notes on extensions, deferrals, repeats and penalties for late work 

• Late work is penalised at two points per day including weekends and bank holidays.
• Short-term extensions (of seven days or less) can be sent to the Head of Year/Programme with supporting documentation and CANNOT be given by individual module convenors/lecturers .
• Extensions on work of MORE than seven day must be granted through the College of Arts Office and CANNOT be given by individual module convenors/lecturers OR the programme directors.
• Work that is any more than two weeks’ late (14 days) cannot be accepted even if students have medical certificates etc. without a deferral from College Office. Students whose work has not been submitted by this time will automatically be listed as having failed or must seek permission from the College Office to defer the assessment.
• If you provide a cert saying that you were sick for two days, then you can hand in your work two days’ late without penalty. But if your cert says you were sick for two days and you hand in a week late, you will lose marks.
• We ask students to make every effort to submit work on time. Late essays lead to administrative difficulties and may delay the processing of your results.

Review again the full university policy on extenuating circumstances here.

You can access the College of Arts Form for submission of extenuating circumstances forms for 1) extensions of more than seven days or 2) deferrals of a module here.