Late Work and Extensions
Because disruptions to our plans are inevitable, it’s wise to have clear, formal policies about how you will handle late work and requests for extensions.
Clear policies that are presented at the start of the semester, usually in the syllabus, let students know what to expect. In the absence of a stated policy, some students may ask for exceptions or extensions, while others won’t, potentially perpetuating inequities.
As you craft your policy, consider that educational research suggests that students believe flexible deadlines allow them to turn in higher quality work while reducing their stress (Hills and Peacock 2022). “[D]esperation in the face of deadlines” has also been cited as a factor in some students’ decisions to engage in academic dishonesty (see Chapter 1 in Bertram Gallant and Rettinger 2025). Certainly, there are arguments to be made for eliminating late penalties (Hasinoff 2022). However, there are many, many possible policies, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Faculty might find this decision tree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to be useful in navigating them.
A well-crafted extension policy can support a more stringent policy on late work. Faculty might consider tokens for late work, a common feature of alternative grading strategies. Another option is to use a flexible extension policy to incentivize students to start assignments early. For example, a faculty member might offer a “no questions asked” extension if students submit their request at least a day before the deadline and accompanied by evidence that they have started the assignment.
Whatever policy you devise, it’s important that you feel confident about enforcing it in practice and that it accounts for the wide range of extenuating circumstances that students might encounter. If you do not feel confident enforcing your written policies, you may end up following a different, unwritten rule instead. Finally, you should consider how your policies will intersect with SARC accommodations, the College’s concussion policy, and other institutional policies.
