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Academic appeal - CS052403


A student submitted their assignment online, four minutes after the submission deadline.

The work was marked and the student was told the provisional mark was 58%. The provider then lowered the mark to the pass mark because it was a late submission. The student submitted an appeal asking for their personal circumstances to be taken into account. The student described experiencing anxiety and panic attacks following an incident in their student accommodation. The work was due on the first anniversary of the death of a close family member. The student had felt so overwhelmed that they took a short time away from their studies but this meant their work piled up. The student said that they were so anxious that they were unable to articulate their concerns to their tutor, and had not been able to get a medical appointment. They had experienced a panic attack when trying to submit the work.

The provider rejected the student’s appeal because they did not supply any independent evidence about their mental health at the time of the submission.

The student complained to us, and was able to supply new medical evidence. In the light of this evidence, and considering what was proportionate in the circumstances of this case, the provider agreed to remove the penalty it had applied for late submission. The student accepted this offer and the complaint was Settled.