Assignments

Online submission

The University requires all suitable coursework to be submitted online.  Some forms of assessment are unsuitable for online submission and arrangements for the submission or presentation of such work will be set out in your Module Guide.

Work submitted is both submitted and received through password protected, secure sites. Assignments should not be submitted via email as this is not considered to be a secure method of submission. Your Module Leader will advise you of the arrangements for online submission for each piece of work.  Assessment information is also provided in Module Guides which you should find on your Module Blackboard site. 

Where there is network failure and Blackboard, Pebblepad or Turnitin or the University network is not accessible at the time of submission, or in the 12 hour period before that time, the submission deadline will be amended to the next working day on which Blackboard, Pebblepad or Turnitin or the network becomes available.

By submitting your assignments electronically you are making a declaration of intellectual integrity. You are declaring that the work is your own, and that you have read the Academic Regulations relating to assessment of work and that the work complies with those regulations. Further information on intellectual ownership can be obtained here.  Without this declaration you may be at risk of committing plagiarism.  You are also agreeing to allow your work to be compared against the work of others to detect plagiarism and collusion.

See Turnitin for details of how to submit assignments online through Blackboard.

Format of Assignments

All assignments should be word-processed, unless you are specifically told differently by a tutor. Requirements for submission of individual items of work will be detailed in your Module Guide. If you require further information please contact your Module Leader.

When you submit your work it should be in the following format:

12 pt font size
Verdana
1.5 line spaced or double spaced
Single sided pages

Written assignments must be submitted in English unless specifically requested otherwise.

It is expected that all students will demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes for an assessment within the defined word limit. The
penalties for exceeding word counts are set out in Module Guides.  Further information can be found in Section 3.3 of Appendix 3c The Conduct of Assessment of the University of Cumbria Academic Procedures and Processes.

All academic work should be referenced and cited using the Harvard system unless you are advised differently by your Module Leader.

Please ensure that you keep a copy of all work submitted for assessment as you may be required to produce it subsequently. 

All students are encouraged to check the originality of their work through the university's plagiarism prevention software Turnitin as a development tool. Further information on plagiarism can be found here.

Submission Deadlines

For online submission, the assignment’s deadline date and time will be available to you on Blackboard or PebblePad.  Leaving an online submission until the last-minute risks internet-connection issues which could result in the assignment being marked as late. You should ensure that you have checked submission requirements and allow time to submit.

Any work received after the published deadline date and time will be considered as ‘late’.  

Late Submission

Coursework submitted beyond the submission date but within 3 working days (i.e. excluding weekends, public holidays and periods of University closure) of the submission deadline and without an agreed extension, will be marked as having been received late and marked as an unauthorised late submission. The maximum mark that can then be awarded is the pass mark (40% at Levels 3-6; 50% Level 7).

Submission thereafter, without an agreed extension, will be regarded as non-submission and awarded a zero mark. Where an extension has been agreed, and the work does not meet the agreed new deadline, then the submission will be regarded as a non-submission and awarded a zero mark.

Unauthorised late submission applies only to the first assessment of coursework and not to authorised extensions, deferred assessment, reassessment or extensions. It also does not apply to timed assessments such as presentations, group work, exhibitions or performances, which have the status of examinations.

Where known extenuating circumstances prevent a student from submitting by the due or agreed extension date, they should then make a claim for consideration via the Extenuating Circumstances procedures.

Extensions to Submission Deadline

Authorised extensions to submissions may be agreed by the Module Leader for valid reasons.

Extension Form needs to be completed by you. 

Once you have completed the request, please see the guidance related to the particular assessment for where to submit the form for authorisation. For any questions regarding the correct Authorised Extension Request route, please contact your Module Leader.

The form once agreed must be sent to the Programme Administration (PaD) team for your campus.

Normally, an extension may be given for up to 2 weeks (14 days including 10 working days) and no penalty will be applied to the mark, provided the work is submitted to the re-negotiated deadline. Assignments submitted without a signed Extension Form , but within 3 working days of the original submission will be capped

The agreed extension must allow for the work to be marked and presented to the Module Assessment Board.

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic the amount of time permitted for extensions can be negotiated with the programme team within prescribed limits. Use of extensions is to be considered in the first instance before considering Extenuating circumstances.