Extensions

I regularly have students who do not meet deadlines for assessments. Sometimes there's not much I can do---if they try to turn work in after the semester has ended for example (which has happened).  Most of the time it's my decision whether or not to offer extensions.

There are two main factors in that decision and a relatively minor one as well. The first is fairness---a student who has more time for an assessment can have an advantage over the rest of the class and the grade measures different things for the late student and the class. This is not that big a deal in my experience for homework and projects but for exams and presentations it can seriously change a grade in a way that is biased.  Fairness works both ways---if the student has been ill and works with me on a schedule to catch back up then fairness requires that I give her/him more time.

The second factor is whether or not the extension is encouraging students not to take deadlines seriously. This happens regularly with HW, and without warning I will cut off HW extensions after three; that seems to be when students start to believe that deadlines don't apply to them. Cutting off the extensions seems to bring the students back to their senses, that either they do the work on time or they decide not to do it at all.

The minor factor that I try not to let influence me is that it takes more work to grade assignments in separate batches. It's not that much extra work although in anticipation it can feel like a lot.

The one line I do not cross is when a student decides to give themselves an extension. This often happens with exams; "I knew I wasn't ready yet so when can we plan a make-up?" Were I to accede then I would be showing the student favoritism, allowing them to do better than other students but not on their merits.  It saddens me how often students take this route with brinkmanship, often emailing me their plan the morning of an exam.