To wonder whether there's anything I can do?

[EricNorthmansFangBanger]

I am probably BU but I'm feeling quite desperate. Any advice from university lecturers would be a bonus.

I'm in my final year at uni and will be finished at the end of the month. I've got extenuating circumstances on some of my assignments for various reasons and these have been approved. One of my assignments was due at the end of January. Due to some of the reasons I got my ECs for, I ended up not having really started it. My lecturer told me to not worry about it and pretty much gave me a 'whenever it's ready' extension.

I had a new DC by ELCS shortly after that, with two wound infections after that, so was only really ready to start doing uni work again near the end of April. I asked the lecturer when she wanted the work in and was still told to not worry about it. I got to the 2000 word mark and struggled. I did a few bits here and there for the creative side of the assignment but was struggling with the photoshop aspect. I saw her again mid-May and she repeated to not worry about the assignment when I asked.

DC3 is bf and is pretty much on there all day the majority of the time so doing work is hard. By the time DC finishes feeding for the day it's generally 9pm and I'm knackered. Fast-forward to Monday and my lecturer rings to say she's missing all my work for the module. For some reason the work I did hand in had been misplaced so I re-sent that no problem. She said she had to have my assignment by yesterday morning and when I spoke about the creative side she said 'don't worry about those, just get something in'. I handed in the written assignment a few hours later and told her I'd try and get the creative side in for yesterday morning. She told me 'no worries'. DC3 ended up being quite poorly so I ended up at the GP and he now has a prescription for antibiotics. By the time we'd got home I still had a tiny bit left to do but I didn't want to hand the work in without the bit I had left as we'd been told we'd be marked down if we left out anything. So I, very stupidly i know now, assumed I'd be find to hand in the creative side first thing this morning. I text my lecturer early to check she'd be in. She replied a little later to say she'd submitted the marks for the module and that it was pretty much just bad luck. So I've got a 0 for the creative side. This will have affected my marks greatly, to the point where I'm most likely (read definitely) to have missed out on a 2:1 for the module. I'm very uncertain if I've even made a 2:2.

Now I know it should have already been done but there were reasons it wasn't. I couldn't include this piece of work on my extenuating circumstances because I'd been given the extension already. I'm so totally gutted and really upset. My lecturer didn't highlight the importance of it having to be in Tuesday. She didn't mention that I'd not get a grade for this bit of work, otherwise I'd have just handed in what I had and have got marked down a little bit. Is there anything I can do? I can drop a module for my overall mark for the year but I've just got a feeling that this is going to make a difference to whether I come out with a 2:1 or not.

Do you have your extension forms for the other modules in writing? And do you have the extension forms for this particular module in writing or anything in email?

I would go and see the exams officer who deals with all of this thing and see if he or she can sort it out. If you have had nothing in writing and then a demand for the work on one day then they may well find in your favour.

I've had students fail 50% of the first years modules and alongside the exams officer we have come to an arrangement - I think having a baby mid-course counts as extenuating circumstances. You could also contact Student Services

Is this is an OU course? Otherwise I find it bit strange that an undergraduate would have the mobile number of a lecturer - it's not something I would do? (although this is not really relevant!)

OP, did you tell her that you ended up at the GP's ill and were given antibiotics ?

It was my DS who ended up ill at the doctors, though I am also ill at this moment in time, but yes I told her this morning that he has antibiotics. I've been in and dropped off the creative side of the work today and she said that she told my year tutor today that I'd not managed to get the piece of work in and that she also apparently said it was just bad luck.

For my other assignments I've got a copy of the extenuating circumstances form and a letter to tell me these have been approved. For this particular assignment I have nothing - no extension forms were filled in. I've a text or two where she's said don't worry about it. It's not an OU course no. I can't remember exactly how I've got her number in the first place but I know a lot of the students have it, it's her work phone and just an alternative means for us to get in touch. She had to get the marks in yesterday apparently otherwise she may have been disciplined. But she still didn't get in touch and say that that was that.

Have a look at your institution's academic regulations. In some places you can get an additional extenuating circumstances for the same piece of work as long as it is for a different reason to the original extenuating circumstance. As JJXM says, speak to your institution's exam officer (Head of Examinations or similar job title) and explain the situation. It is fairly unusual to be given an open-ended extension, we always give a deadline date for students with extenuating circs so they know what they are working to.

Your lecturer did say that she had to have your work yesterday morning which you didn't do, but you can argue 1. That the fact that that date wasn't moveable wasn't indicated, especially considering the lack of a formal deadline from the institution and the previous flexibility on dates, and 2. That she didn't give you enough time in advance of her needing the work on Tuesday as she only informed you on Monday.

If you did get a 2.2 for this module then it may not impact too much on your overall classification. Depends on how they work out the overall classification. Hope you get it sorted.

Sorry, just realised that this piece wasn't part of the original extenuating circs but an open-ended extension - I'd be checking that out, it seems rather unusual to me and may not have followed procedure. Do you have access to some kind of student advisor/tutor/friendly academic who can go through the regs with you?

Normally this lecturer would be the one I'd turn to, so I'm kind of stuck. She's lovely and has been a great help to me over the years I've been studying. I don't want to get her into trouble, but at the same time this is my degree I'm talking about so obviously I'm willing to look at the options.

There was definitely no date given for the hand in at all. She didn't give me one and I've just tried to get it done. Not having a deadline has been negative for me. I'm not sure where to turn now. What happens if procedure hasn't been followed? How much trouble is she likely to get in? Like I say, I really don't want to get her into trouble.

Open-ended deadlines are a big no-no as they can be taken advantage of on both sides. If you have nothing in writing then neither does she - 24 hours is unreasonable notice.

Email you the exams officer in your department and copy in the head of department. Explain the situation to them; that the deadline was open ended and that you have a new baby and you have both been ill. I've had students do alternative assessments such as doing an oral presentation instead of coursework or them being given an average score for the coursework based on the work submitted over the year. As long as you can produce a doctor's note you have a good case. If they will not move then escalate to the Exams Department in Registry. I would be fuming as a student if I was told that getting a 2:2 was 'just bad luck' - it's your degree - fight for it.

As for worrying about upsetting her - don't - she's a professional and this is part of her job. She might be seething inside but it's all part and parcel of working with students..