What is Self-Certification?
Self-Certification is a type of Extenuating Circumstamces claim which enables you to claim for extensions without the need to provide evidence.
All students are eligible to make Self-Certification claims but there are limitations (see next section for details). If a Self-Certification is not applicable then you will need to make a Full EC claim instead.
How do Self-Certification claims work?
Self-certification claims provide extensions of 10 working days for any coursework or coursework-style assessments falling within a 'self-certification period' chosen by the student.
It’s important to note that:
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You can only make a self-certification claim once per semester. Any other claims for an extension in the same semester will need to be backed up with evidence as a Full EC claim.
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You can self-certify for a period of five working days, ‘the self-certification period’.
- Self-Certification claims are made via the Extenuating Circumstances area of the MySRS portal.
So, if you have a minor illness (such as a cold) and are due to submit two pieces of coursework that are due the following week, you can make a self-certification claim. You just need to make a self-certification claim via the Extenuating Circumstances area of the MySRS portal. You would choose next week (the week the assignments are due) as the five working day self-certification period and you will automatically be granted extensions of 10 working days for both assignments.
Select the date you want your self-certification to apply from. The applicable self-certification period of 5 working days will be auto-calculated. Only assessments falling within the 5 working days will be covered by your claim.
Here's an example to explain the self-certification period:
You have two pieces of coursework due on Tuesday 18th March and Thursday 20th March. You have been affected by illness and want to request a self-certified EC claim. You would start the five working day self-certification period on Tuesday 18th March, and the last day would be Monday 24th March, thereby ensuring the five working day self-certification period covers both assessments.
How do I make a claim?
Self-Certification claims are made via the Extenuating Circumstances area of the MySRS portal.
This process should be straightforward but you can watch BCU's video guide here: How do I submit a Self certification claim for extenuating circumstances - YouTube.
How many Self-Certification claims can I make?
You can only make one self-certification claim per semester.
The dates for each semester are given below. If you make a self-certification claim, you can only withdraw it with approval from Student Governance. Once you have made a claim for a semester, you will not be able to submit any further self-certification claims for the same semester.
- Semester 1 runs from 16th September through to 26th January
- Semester 2 runs from 27th January through to 25th May
- Semester 3 runs from 26th May through to 15th September