Assessment and Feedback

Undergraduate Assessment Deadlines 2025-26

SELLL Semester 1 Assessment Deadlines 2025-26

The submission deadlines for each School of English Literature, Language, and Linguistics module in Semester 1 2025/26 are listed in the document above. Please note that these deadlines are correct as of 16th October 2025, and may be subject to change. Students should always refer to their Module Guide and Canvas Module pages. All UG SELLL modules will be submitted electronically via Canvas. It is advised that you check the Module Guide or contact your Module Leader if you are unsure of how, when and where to submit your assignment.

Coursework

Presenting your work

Students are required to present their work carefully, and in accordance with an internationally-recognized academic style guide. For advice on careful presentation of material, including such things as quotation, paraphrase, and avoiding plagiarism, we advise using the 'How to Reference' guide from The Academic Skills Kit.

As for style:

• Work submitted for literature modules should be presented in MLA 9 style.
  • You can generate citations in MLA 9 style using Cite Them Right (available free through the library).
•  Work submitted for language and linguistics modules should be presented in Harvard style.
  • You may wish to consult the 'Style Guide for Work in Language and Linguistics' for further information.

Additional support on referencing is available through the Teach Yourself Referencing Canvas course; and the Library Guide to Referencing. 

Submitting Assignments

All coursework assessments will be submitted online via Canvas. There may be some exceptions to this, for example if physical artefacts (models or artworks) are required. You will submit your work to the relevant online submission portal found in the ‘Assignments’ tab on the relevant Canvas module page: Instructions for Submitting an Assignment to Canvas.

For full details and instructions of each assignment, please visit the relevant module Canvas page. You must read and follow all instructions provided carefully.

The submission must include a title section containing: your student ID number, the module code, the title of the assignment and a word count (if there is a stated word limit). All submissions must be anonymous – make sure that your name does not appear anywhere on the file.

You should submit your assignment as a single file. Your assignment should be saved with the following file name convention: Student ID Number_Module Code (e.g. 123456789_SEL1033).

When submitting your work to Canvas, we advise that you use Google Chrome web browser (issues have been identified when attempting to upload with Internet Explorer).

Unless otherwise indicated for a specific assignment, file formats that can be accepted by Canvas include doc, docx, pdf, txt, and rtf. Canvas does not support Mac-specific file types (e.g. .pages). If you use a Mac, please ensure that any Mac-specific file types are converted to an accepted file format before submitting.

Please ensure you click ‘Submission Assignment’ at the end of the upload process. It is advised that you check that your work has submitted correctly before leaving Canvas. You will not receive a confirmation email when submitting through Canvas. However, you will see a message on the Canvas assignment submission page confirming a successful submission. You can check your submission status by viewing the confirmation notification in Canvas.

Please take care when submitting your assignment: It is your responsibility to submit the correct file. Check that you have uploaded the final version of the correct assignment. If you submit a file for a different module, your assignment will be given a mark of 0.

Canvas allows multiple versions of a file to be submitted. The last file submitted before the 3pm deadline will be marked by default. If you make an error and a different submission submitted after 3pm should be marked, you MUST inform the School Office (UGOffice.ELLL@newcastle.ac.uk) within 24 hours of the original deadline otherwise the last version submitted before the deadline will be marked. Please note that work submitted after the deadline (without a PEC extension) will be subject to a penalty for late submission, as detailed below.

Late Submission

The normal expectation is that students will hand their work in on time. For SELLL modules, you can submit work as soon as the details of your assignment are released in Canvas. 

If you submit work after the deadline without an approved PEC extension, you will be subject to a lateness penalty, in accordance with the University’s policy on late submissions. Canvas has been set up to automatically mark anyone who submits after the deadline as LATE. This means that if you submit 15.00.01 you will be subject to a late penalty. 

If you have a valid reason for submitting your work late (e.g. illness), please contact your personal tutor or school office for support or submit a PEC form. Wherever possible PEC forms should be submitted in advance of your deadline, though only in rare circumstances retrospective PECs will be considered. However, if the work is not submitted by the agreed extension deadline, it will be recorded as late and the penalties for late submission will be applied from that point. 

If you submit work late, a sliding scale of late penalties will be applied.  This is a fixed penalty of a 5% deduction of the final agreed mark for every calendar day that the work is submitted late. The deduction will be applied each day for up to seven days, or until the mark reaches the pass mark (40 for undergraduate modules, 50 for integrated masters and PGT modules, and the relevant pass grade for non-modular programmes).

There are two circumstances in which late work will always receive a zero: if your piece of work is marked on a non-discriminatory marking scale (i.e., pass/fail or merit/pass/fail), or if you are submitting work for a re-sit assessment.

There may be pieces of coursework for which no late work is allowed. You will receive prior notification in these instances.

24-hour take-home examinations are treated as equivalent to an in-person examination; therefore, late submissions are treated differently to Coursework Assignments. Any take-home exams submitted after the specified deadline will be classed as late, and a mark of zero will be applied. It is not possible to have a PEC extension for a 24-hour take-home exam. If you are concerned about being able to complete your exam in the allocated time, you should discuss the possibility of a deferral with your Personal Tutor and/or Senior Tutor.

Technical Difficulties

Good Academic Practice

As a member of the University community, and as set out in the Student Contracts and Charter, you are expected to demonstrate good academic practice.  This includes completing your studies honestly and ethically and having respect for the work of others. 

The University routinely uses Turnitin to undertake similarity checking on submitted work and support the identification of plagiarism.

By submitting an assignment, you confirm that it is your own work and acknowledge that you understand and have followed the University's guidelines on the avoidance of academic misconduct, which includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of material, and any other forms of dishonesty. Please note that the improper use of any content generated by AI. tools/applications constitutes misconduct. This includes not only copying text itself but also copying an essay structure and/or bullet points provided by an AI tool.

The overarching purpose of assessment is to demonstrate the understanding, analysis and application of knowledge gained through your learning to those marking your work.  Passing off the work of others as your own, whether this is copying in an exam, getting someone else to write an assignment on your behalf, or claiming authorship of machine generated content (e.g., provided by ChatGPT), does not demonstrate your learning.  As well as limiting your opportunities to develop as a learner, this type of behaviour is unethical.  Poor research and academic practice, including plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification, are taken very seriously and can result in disciplinary action.

The University is committed to ensuring that assessments are fair for all students, and it has established an academic misconduct procedure. for dealing with situations in which any student uses improper means to ‘get ahead’ on an assessment. You should familiarise yourself with the procedure and which situations may be considered academic misconduct.  

Support and guidance to help you demonstrate good academic practice can be found as part of the Academic Skills Kit..

Examinations

University exam period dates are available here: Exam Dates and Timetable | Newcastle University.

Please note that examinations can be scheduled on Saturdays during the main periods. You are expected to be available for examination at the University during all the main periods, including the August period (e.g. in the event of a deferred or resit exam). The University cannot accept individual requests from students about the timing of their examinations.

University rules, advice and guidance can also be found here Exams | Newcastle University.

If you wish to be considered for alternative exam arrangements (e.g., extra time, rest breaks, use of a PC, smaller venue etc.) in light of a disability, specific learning difficulty or long-term medical condition, then you should note that there are certain deadlines by which you must supply the appropriate medical evidence/documentation. For further information, you should contact the Student Wellbeing as soon as possible. Guidance can be found on the Student Wellbeing | Newcastle University.

Examinations will generally take place on (or close to) campus, although there are exceptions to this rule. International students, for example, may apply to take a re-sit exam or deferred exam in their home country. More information is available here: Overseas Exam Arrangements | Newcastle University.

24-hour take-home examinations will be submitted online via Canvas. Please see the ‘Assignments’ tab of the relevant Module for full details and instructions.

How Your Work Is Marked

Module teams make sure that work is marked consistently. How they do this will depend on the type of assessment – but it could include things like checking samples of work or recording student presentations so they could be reviewed by a second person. For modules within the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, your work will be marked in line with the UG Moderation and Scaling Policy. to fair and consistent marking.

Markers within the School will use the following Assessment Criteria:

• UG Marking Criteria - Literature
• UG Marking Criteria - Language and Linguistics
• UG Marking Criteria - English and History
• UG Marking Criteria - Creative Writing

For specialised assessment types, the following criteria are also available:

• UG Marking Criteria - Participation and Engagement
• UG Marking Criteria - Short Films
• UG Marking Criteria - Digital Exhibitions
• UG Marking Criteria - Public Facing Projects
• UG Marking Criteria - Presentations

Examinations and Coursework Assignments submitted to Canvas at Stages 2 and 3 are marked anonymously to ensure fair and unbiased marking.

Each school has a Board of Examiners for each subject area. The Board of Examiners is an official group responsible for considering the outcomes of assessment on programmes. They make decisions on your award and degree classification based on your marks. 

There is a flow chart which summarises the marking process within the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics: THE MARKING PROCESS.

Feedback

Constructive feedback on your assessed work is an important part of your learning at Newcastle University.

Feedback on coursework assessments will be returned to students 20 working days from the submission date (excluding weekends and University closure dates). If your feedback is delayed, your module leader will contact you to let you know.

You can access your feedback through the relevant submission portal in Canvas. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your feedback, you should contact the Module Leader in the first instance.

If your work is late or you have an extension due to a PEC adjustment, this may delay the release of your feedback. We will aim to have your feedback released to you approximately 20 working days from you actual the submission date.

In order to make the most of your feedback, at the start of each semester, you can arrange to have a 'Feed Forward' meeting with your personal tutor to discuss your Student Feed Forward Form and your feedback from the previous semester. More guidance about understanding, interpreting and implementing feedback can be found within your Academic Skills Kit.

Please note: if your work is subject to a late penalty, this will not show in Canvas. Canvas will display the actual mark achieved. The penalty will be applied to your marks in the Student Portal, and this will contribute towards your Stage Average and show on your transcript.

Marks are final only after the Board of Examiners meet in June. Your final module marks will be visible on the Student Portal after the meeting of the Board of Examiners, and you will be contacted with information regarding your progression or degree classification.

Resits and Deferrals

Deferral of Assessments

A deferral is normally only appropriate if you are unable to attend a scheduled examination, or if an extension of up to two weeks for the submission of an assignment isn’t appropriate. In cases such as this, you can submit a PEC form to request for your assessment to be deferred. It is advised that you discuss this with your Personal Tutor and/or Senior Tutor first. Adjustments such as this will require PEC Committee approval.

Deferrals would usually be to the next normal occasion (the Summer/August assessment period), or to a later normal occasion (the assessment period at the end of the relevant Semester), unless you are given a specific alternative submission date or deadline by your School. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are available for the entirety of all assessment periods. 

Re-sitting Assessments

At progression stages (not in your final stage), you are allowed the one opportunity to re-sit a module you have failed in the August assessment period. If you are required to re-sit a module, you will be contacted in July with further instructions. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are available for the entirety of all assessment periods. 

University Assessment, Feedback and Marking Policy

More information can be found within the University Assessment, Feedback and Marking Policy.