college late assignment policy

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Teaching excellence & educational innovation, late/make-up work policy.

In writing your own late/make-up work policies, consider the following questions:

• Will you allow students to submit late work? If so, up until what point (e.g., 24 hours after the assignment is due? 1 week after the assignment is due?)? Will students lose credit for submitting work late, and if so how much?
• Will you allow students to make-up in-class exams or work? If so, do students need to request a make-up before the exams/assignment occurs? Is there a deadline after which the exam/assignment cannot be made up (e.g., after you’ve returned the exam/assignment) to other students?
• For late work or make-up work, do students need to produce documentation of their excuse (e.g., doctor’s note)? Must they submit this prior to missing the assignment or can they submit it afterwards?
• Are there some assignments that can be submitted late (e.g., homeworks) and other that cannot (e.g., exams)?

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Sample: Late/Make-up work policy

“Due dates for every assignment are provided on the course syllabus and course schedule (and posted in Canvas). Unless otherwise stated, assignments are due on those days. However, I recognize that sometimes “life happens.” In these instances, you may use your allotted two flex days. These days allow you to submit an assignment up to two days late without penalty. You can use these days for any assignment and for any reason. You do not need to provide me with the reason: simply email me and tell me how many of your flex days you would like to use.

Once you’ve exhausted your flex days, then point deductions will occur for any assignment submitted after the deadline. An assignment submitted 24 hours of the due date will only be eligible for 80% of the maximum number of point allotted. Assignments submitted more than 24 hours after the due date will not be accepted. If you experience extenuating circumstances (e.g., you are hospitalized) that prohibit you from submitting your assignments on time, please let me know. I will evaluate these instances on a case-by-case basis.”

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Flexibility: what to consider in late work policies.

November 16, 2018. Photo by Justin Mohling, University Communication.

Choosing a late policy that will work for your particular course and teaching style can be tricky. There are many different options available, and how well each works will depend on factors such as the discipline, course level, enrollment size, and instructor educational philosophy.

This page is designed to help you think about the different options and how they might fit with your needs. It contains a variety of examples of late work policies, annotated with things for you to consider before adopting that policy type. Some also contain ideas of situations where that policy type might work well. While this page may seem lengthy, it’s important to remember that good teaching is hard work! To support students equitably, it is critical to think about the implications for your syllabus policies on different student populations.

Before you dig in, know that this is not intended to be an exhaustive list - there are other creative options available for crafting great syllabus policies. It is also possible to mix elements of the different approaches together if none of them feel like quite the right fit. Note that these are focused on homework and project type work rather than exams. There are a lot of very interesting ways that faculty account for missed exams or students with low exam scores, but that is beyond the scope of this document.

Types of late policies that we’ve seen:

Considerations: This type of policy offers maximum flexibility for students that need it. However, instructors sometimes find that many students procrastinate too much, which can cause students to fall behind if material builds on itself. It can also be difficult to keep up with grading.

Learning happens by trying something, getting feedback, and improving. Instructors assign work because they believe it will lead to valuable student learning. Removing the ability for students to get feedback or re-do work can therefore take away the main reason you have them do the work in the first place.

When might this work well: Upper level or low enrollment courses with highly motivated students.

Considerations: This type of policy is somewhat flexible and pretty easy to implement as an instructor (it can even be automated in Canvas). However, some students may still need exceptions, so this could potentially penalize emergencies unless there is a clear section outlining exceptions to the policy.

When it can work well: This is probably the most common late work policy, and can be implemented in most courses.

Considerations: This policy works similarly to the previous one, which means there is flexibility and ease of implementation. The main difference is that this ensures a decent amount of credit for completing assignments no matter how late they are, which can encourage students to do the work that we know leads to enhanced learning. It is also less penalizing of students that have significant emergencies.

When it can work well: This can be implemented in most courses.

Considerations: This can provide some flexibility, and makes it so the instructor doesn’t have to determine what constitutes a ‘valid’ excuse. It can also be automated in the Canvas. However, students may miss out on learning experiences for missed assignments, so this may not be optimal in courses where material builds on itself and every assignment is important. There may still be some need for flexibility on more than the granted number of assignments for specific students, although this method should substantially reduce the number of exceptions granted.

Where it can work well: In high enrollment courses or classes with a large number of assignments across the semester making it difficult to give feedback on late work.

Considerations: This can be very flexible, and makes it so the instructor doesn’t have to determine what constitutes a ‘valid’ excuse. Also, unlike the policy above where assignments are dropped, here students still get feedback on late work. While there may still be some need for flexibility on more than the granted number of assignments for specific students, this method should substantially reduce the number of exceptions granted.

Where it can work well: This method can work well in most courses, although it does pose the challenge of keeping track of ‘Oops token’ use

Considerations: This can allow flexibility in particular situations, and also helps signal to students what you value most. These policies can be more ‘realistic’, since in a lot of jobs, different types of work (like presenting to a client vs independently working on a project) have very different levels of importance. However, these policies can be more complex to write, and require instructors to be very specific about which rules apply when. Also, there will still be some situations where students need flexibility beyond what is stated for that assignment type, so having a clear exemptions policy will be important.

Considerations: Allowing students to help co-create key parts of the syllabus like policies and due dates can help give them ownership and buy in for the process. You’ll also be able to avoid dates that are particularly busy for a large number of students. However, it can be difficult to find a process that achieves consensus without some students feeling unheard, and you’re unlikely to find a schedule that works perfectly for all students.

Where it can work well: In small classes or courses within a major where students already have a sense of community.

Common beliefs and practices that can be unintentionally harmful:

Requiring documentation to avoid penalties. This can add a burden to students that are already having a difficult time, which sometimes can result in them taking the 0 rather than trying to get an extension. Students can also have very severe illness (COVID-19, the flu) without getting any medical treatment that would provide documentation. Policies like this often use phrases like ‘legitimate absence,’ which can leave students questioning whether their situation counts. first-generation college students and those of marginalized backgrounds are less likely to ask for extensions than other students in situations like this, which leads to inequity.

Requiring notification ahead of time for extensions. While it’s great to encourage students to let you know ahead of time when they’ll need an extension, making it an explicit requirement for being granted extra time is problematic. The term ‘emergency’ means ‘you don’t know it’s coming,’ and if a student is having an emergency, it doesn’t make sense for them to be thinking about your course. Changing the language to something like ‘Either ahead of time or as soon afterward as possible’ signals to students that it’s still okay to contact you after a due date has passed.

Having a stated policy (like ‘no late work under any circumstance’) that differs from what you do in practice (often ‘just talk to me and we can work something out’). As mentioned above, first-generation college students and those of marginalized backgrounds tend to believe exactly what you write in your syllabus. While some students will ask for extensions with this policy, not everyone will, which creates inequity in the implementation of the policy.

Supporting your policy with ‘In the real world there are no extensions’. Actually, there are. People get sick in the real world and need extensions all the time. It can be useful to think carefully about which types of work are granted which types of extensions in your field, and use that to craft a more realistic policy.

‘If I give extensions, they won’t be prepared for their future careers’ . Time / project management is a skill that has to be learned over time. By the time they graduate, we want to ensure they have mastered that skill, but as with anything we teach, it’s not reasonable to hold 1st year students accountable for mastery. There is tremendous variation in workplace culture, so making assumptions about what students will encounter in their future careers can result in gatekeeping rather than support. The question then, is how do we design curriculum to support students through learning time management instead of using it as a reason to push them out?

‘Granting extensions to some students isn’t fair to those that turned it in on time.’ As long as you follow your policy as written, all students are being given the same opportunity for grace. Having a very stringent policy in the name of ‘equality’ is what produces inequity and makes it difficult for students with disabilities or emergency situations to succeed.

Writing a policy using harsh language. Whatever policy you choose to implement, pay close attention to the language that you use. Try to write it in your own voice as an instructor, and be sure to explain the reason you chose that policy. When you use all caps and bold font to say ‘DO NOT’ do something, it can signal to students that they don’t belong and can’t succeed in the course. Even if your policy includes penalties, find a way to phrase it in a way that signals you support student learning.

Having a vague late policy. Sometimes faculty will simply link to a university-level policy or say something like ‘late work will be penalized’. It is very important to write a policy that is specific to your course so students know exactly what to expect. Otherwise, they may make assumptions based on what they’ve experienced in other courses, which may or may not fit with how you implement your policy.

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How to decide when to be flexible

Kathy Castle, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Practice teaches large-enrollment courses and aims to be empathetic, consistent, and equitable, but it doesn't mean "anything goes."

Instead, she has created a decision tree that helps her meet her goals. Take a look and see how it might assist you in implementing flexibility in your course.

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Teaching Commons > Teaching Guides > Course Design > Attendance, Participation & Late Work Policies

​​​​Beyond completing the BlueStar Attendance/Participation survey early in the quarter, as an instructor you have wide latitude on what kinds of attendance, participation and late work policies to set for your classes. In some cases, specific policies are set by your department or program, so check with your department chair or program manager if you are unsure.

One important thing to keep in mind is how your attendance policy corresponds with your course's teaching modality . For example, if your course is listed as "Flex," which allows students to join your class on campus or via Zoom throughout the quarter, you cannot adopt an on-campus-only attendance policy. 

In a whitepaper for Macmillan Learning, which provides attendance tracking services to institutions, Bergin and Ferrara  argue that class attendance is an important early indicator of student success, particularly for non-traditional students. They cite a 2010 meta-analysis that found "class attendance is a better predictor of college grades than any other known predictor of academic performance."

However, some scholars have questioned the benefit of compulsory class attendance, arguing that the relationship between student attendance and performance is statistically significant, but with a weak effect size ( Buechele 2020 ) and does not control for other variables such as motivation ( St. Claire 1999 ). Buechele further argues that it is not attendance per se, but "in-class engagement" that explains the positive correlation. Indeed, active learning —which requires student engagement during class—has been extensively shown to positively impact student success ( Freeman et al., 2014 ). 

The takeaway is that students engaging cognitively and behaviorally with course content increases the likelihood of their success. Providing an incentive for students to attend your class can increase the likelihood of engagement, but only to the extent your class sessions engage them.

No matter what policy you set, you should be explicit about your expectations in your syllabus and early communications with your students.

Example Attendance Policy

Your attendance will be measured by your presence in our synchronous class sessions. After one absence, your final attendance grade will be marked down by [insert grade deduction] for each additional absence.

Much of our learning happens while working with peers, discussion, and participation in a community. These are learning experiences that are almost impossible to make up individually. If you have concerns about your ability to attend synchronous class sessions this quarter, please reach out to me via email to discuss your concerns.

How can I take attendance using Zoom or in a Zoom+/Trimodal Room?

If you want to take attendance in Zoom or in a Zoom+/Trimodal Room, there a few ways you might consider doing so:

• You can take attendance as you would in an on-campus class, by call-and-response.
• If you plan to rely on usage reports to take attendance, make sure students are using a name in Zoom that you'll be able to easily connect with their name in your class roster.

Although it's unlikely to be an issue in your course, it's possible for a student to log in with two devices and rename the other device as another student, thereby "cheating" this system. This may be more likely to occur if class attendance is worth a significant portion of students' grades.

• You can use proxies for taking attendance, like having students complete a survey, poll, or quiz during the class session. These measures can also be "defeated" by students sharing links to surveys, polls, or quizzes, so this method is not foolproof, either.

What is the absense notification service that the Dean of Students offers?

When a student has missed or fallen behind in class for a documented medical, mental health or personal emergency, the Dean of Students Office may notify faculty. Students must submit an absence notification/request for flexibility form along with supporting documentation. Learn more about Absence Notifications  from the Dean of Students.

Participation

Many instructors prefer to assign grades based on students' levels of participation in their class sessions. This strategy corresponds with research that indicates students' levels of engagement are greater predictors of success than just attendance in a physical or virtual room. Key questions to ask yourself are

• What does active participation look like in your teaching context? 
• How will you evaluate your students' participation? 
• What kinds of opportunities for participation will you provide?

In order to increase the likelihood of students' participation, be sure to establish a welcoming and inclusive environment with your students and incorporate active learning techniques . Use icebreakers to get people talking, and continue engaging students personally throughout the quarter.

Example Participation Policy

This is a class in which participation (in a variety of forms) is key to developing your skills and knowledge. Your participation during the synchronous sessions will also help us to build our classroom community. Your participation grade will be determined by your engagement with synchronous class discussions and activities, asynchronous discussion forums, responses to short written assignments, and completion of knowledge-check quizzes.

Your participation in synchronous class sessions will be evaluated based on quality. I will ask you to participate in a variety of forms, including raising your hand and contributing via speaking, posting responses to the Zoom chat, and adding content to Google Docs that will be available via our D2L course site.

You'll earn 1 point for each class session if you

• Contribute unique ideas and personal examples when prompted
• Build on previous comments and contributions
• Provide evidence and support for claims and ideas (especially evidence that is derived from our course texts and materials)
• Ask relevant questions that advance the discussion

All other participation grading guidelines are available as part of the individual activity and assignment instructions.

Like attendance, instructors can set their own policies for late work in the absence of specific criteria set by their college or program. And also like attendance, instructors have a wide range of opinions on late work. For some, deadlines are fixed and only an extreme circumstance such as health emergency, death in the family, etc. will satisfy the requirement for an extended deadline.

However, the ongoing public health emergency related to the novel coronavirus has highlighted how strict deadlines, no matter how well intentioned, can disproportionately impact the most at-risk students. Typically these are students who are working one or more jobs while attending school, raising children, caring for elders, or managing other obligations that limit their time for study and academic work.

Many instructors try to balance the need for establishing a course rhythm with weekly deadlines while also building in enough flexibility so that students are not unduly penalized for work that is late. Brenda Thomas, writing in Faculty Focus , notes how strict penalties for deadlines can inadvertently penalize strong work submitted late while rewarding mediocre work that is submitted on time. She has adopted a semi-flexible policy where late work can be submitted without penalty for five days, with the opportunity for revising and resubmitting, but beyond that late work is penalized at 5 percent each day it is late and precludes the possibility for revising/resubmitting.

Another option you may want to consider is simply reducing the severity of your late penalty based on the number of days an assignment is submitted after the deadline. For example, if you currently deduct one letter grade for each day an assignment is late, consider these alternatives:

• a deduction of one third of a letter grade per day overdue
• a very small deduction for the first day (e.g., the equivalent of one point out of 100) and a larger deduction (2 or 3 points for each day thereafter)

If you're concerned about potential grading bottlenecks due to many students submitting work long after the original deadline, you may want to set a limit on how long you'll accept late work. For instance, you might deduct a small number of points per day late but only accept work a maximum of five or seven days after the original due date.

Other Policies

Review The Syllabus page for more example policies and statements that you can use and adapt.

Crede, M., Roch, S., Kieszczynka, U. (2010). Class attendance in college: a meta-analytic review of the relationship of class attendance with grades and student characteristics. Review of Educational Research. American Educational Research Association.  https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654310362998

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(23), 8410–8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111

St. Clair, K. (1999). A case against compulsory class attendance policies in higher education. Innovative Higher Education, 29(3), 171-180.

Buechele, Stefan (2020) : Evaluating the link between attendance and performance in higher education - the role of classroom engagement dimensions, MAGKS Joint Discussion Paper Series in Economics, No. 10-2020, Philipps-University Marburg, School of Business and Economics, Marburg.

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Faculty Share Ideas About Late Work Policies

During the pandemic, many instructors have incorporated flexibility in their teaching and identified a need to strike a balance between flexibility, fairness, and high expectations of students. Is it difficult to create flexible course deadlines without creating a lot of extra work for instructors? How can we balance compassion with setting clear expectations of getting work done – keeping in mind that the teacher’s wellness, boundaries, and time limits are as important as the students’. Moreover, too much flexibility can sometimes be a barrier for students who need deadlines and more-specific directions. In a recent session faculty shared strategies for and challenges with determining how flexible their late policies should be, balancing the needs of both students and instructors.

Faculty shared with each other specific challenges to having a flexible late policy and strategies they have used to address these challenges in their courses. Based on the discussions and some prior research done by the facilitators, the following strategies emerged that might be of use to instructors who are seeking to balance flexible late work policies, set clear boundaries, and reach course outcomes:

• As a first step, examine your assessment plans to determine if you might cut down on the number of graded assignments.
• Consider the purpose of the assignments, and the reasons why students might be able to turn them in late. No standard policy applies to all KINDS of assignments (or to all classes). Some assignments build on earlier work (e.g., drafts of papers), while others are discrete assessments (e.g., a presentation that comes at the end of a particular unit of study).
• Communication is key – both in terms of what your late policy is AND “why” your policy is set that way. Help the students understand why a deadline is important (i.e., tied to their learning) or why you have built flexibility into certain assignments (but maybe not others).
• Build in “make-up days”, designated day(s) listed in the syllabus when students can submit late work without penalty.
• Build in grace periods after the deadline date (e.g., if you won’t grade something until a day or so after the due date, can it still be considered on time as long as it is there when you do your grading?).
• If you do include a penalty for late work, you can set that up in Canvas so it is applied automatically. This saves you time in grading and the application of the policy is clear to students.
• Include student input/feedback when setting up deadlines.
• If time management challenges are leading students to turn in work late, help them  develop planning skills by allowing late work that is accompanied by a plan for how they will be on time for the assignment next time (or future assignments).
• The “Message students who” feature of Canvas is a good way to reach out to students who turn in late work, especially for early assignments. You can use that feature to check in with them about challenges/confusion they have with the course early on.

Overall, the participants agreed that when it comes to late work policies, it’s hard to find the right balance between complete flexibility and no flexibility. Nevertheless, it is important to try, in order to purposefully create a learning environment for students whose success we care about. For a more comprehensive view of the ideas shared during the session, and links to further reading on the topic, you can check out these resources:

• Methods for Managing Late Work
• Rethinking Deadline and Late Penalty Policies…Again
• Grading for a Pandemic
• Do Late Penalties Do More Harm Than Good?

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Devshikha Bose & Teresa Focarile

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Late Submission of Course Work Policy

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Undergraduate Catalog > University Policies and Procedures > Undergraduate Course Policies > Late Submission of Course Work Policy

All course work (including, but not limited to: assignments, labs, quizzes, exams, and final projects) must be submitted no later than the due date unless prior arrangements are made with the mentor and a new due date is established 1 . If a student submits an assignment after the due date without having made arrangements with the mentor, a minimum of 5 points, (based on an assignment grading scale of 100 points), will be deducted for each week, or part thereof, that the assignment is late.

Students with documented evidence of an emergency which prevented prior communication with the mentor may present documentation to the mentor for consideration.

In order to receive credit for the discussion forum assignments, the student must actively participate during the assigned discussion period.

Course work will not be accepted after the last day of the term unless arranged as part of a Course Extension.

This policy applies to undergraduate and graduate students.

1 Students with approved accessibility accommodation may be exempted from point deductions.

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Improving Equity, Grade Challenges, and Late Work

Recommendations for improving equity in grading systems.

Change Weighting Scale When calculating a final grade, each type of assessment holds a certain “weight” in the overall grade. Exam results might be worth 50% of the entire grade, while daily assignments are worth 20%. Giving more weight to recent scores when averaging several scores over an extended period so that low scores early in the marking period don't discourage the student or allow performance on formative assessments to overshadow those on more summative assessments.

Allow for Self-Assessment Give students an opportunity to assess their own learning and reflect on the progress they are making. They can identify their own gaps in skills or knowledge, revise their work, and set realistic goals. This process also helps students stay motivated and interested in their own learning.

Provide Multiple Assessment Formats Students benefit from a grading system that includes multiple types of assignments, preferably designed to allow the students to demonstrate learning in different ways. General strategies include blending extended assignments such as projects with in-class, time-limited assessments such as tests, providing formative (e.g., activities, laboratories) as well as summative (e.g., tests) assessments, and providing an ample number of assessments throughout the marking period.

Tests do not need to be restricted to pencil and paper formats. Students with written output issues can be given oral-response tests. Instructors can use long answer, short answer, diagrams, charts, fill-in-the-blank, and other graphic organizers to have students answer questions about material.

Dealing with Grade Complaints

Occasionally students will dispute a test score or a final grade. In that case, it's important to give the student a courteous hearing. We may have added incorrectly, or overlooked work, or not been able to decipher the writing on a test. If, on the contrary, the grade should still hold, most students appreciate an explanation of how the grade accords with the policies we set forth.  

It’s easier to handle grade challenges, however, if we do not attempt to regrade exams with the concerned student looking on. Have students explain carefully whatever problem they see in the exam, and then ask them to leave for a time. Not only does this give us time to look over the exam on our own to recheck our records, and sometimes to rethink our original criteria for grading, but it also gives the oftentimes upset student a chance to calm down. Graduate Teaching Assistants also need to be careful not to get caught between professor and students on regrading questions. Professors can help GTAs by discussing beforehand, the expectations and policies for regrades; or GTAs can initiate the discussion, finding out who is responsible for regrading issues.

Managing Late Work  (from   A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work,  Cult of Pedagogy )

What assumptions do you make when students don’t turn in work? Unmotivated?  Time-management issues?  Perhaps they may struggle with anxiety. Or they may not have the resources—like time, space, and technology—to consistently complete work at home. More attention has been paid lately to the fact that homework is an equity issue, and our policies around homework should reflect an understanding that all students may not have access to the same resources.  Possible solutions presented below reflect an instructor’s grading philosophy and recognition of issues that impact student work.

Penalties The assumption is that without some sort of negative consequence, too many students would wait until the end of the marking period to turn work in, or in some cases, not turn it in at all, and thus lose its value as a learning opportunity.  Several types of penalties are most common:

Point Deductions Have an increasing amount taken off per day/week, or a standard amount that comes off for any late work (like 10 percent), regardless of when it is turned in. This policy still rewards students for on-time work without completely de-motivating those who are late.

No Feedback or Re-Dos The real value of homework and other smaller assignments should be the opportunity for feedback that students use to improve. A consequence of late work could be the loss of that opportunity: accept late work for full credit, but only students who submit work on time will receive feedback or the chance to re-do it for a higher grade. Those who hand in late work must accept whatever score they get the first time around.

  “Life Happens” Passes   Because things happen in real life that can throw anyone off course every now and then, some teachers offer passes students can use to replace a missed assignment. Typically these passes can only replace low-point assignments, not major ones, and generally only 1 to 3 passes per semester.  Other instructors allow students to drop a low score in the gradebook.  Another option is “Next Class Passes” which allow students one extra day to turn in work. At the end of every semester, you can give extra credit points to students who still have unused passes.  

Extension Requests On the due date, students can submit a written request for a deadline extension rather than taking points off.  Most extension requests ask students to explain why they were unable to complete the assignment on time. This not only gives the students a chance to reflect on their habits, it also invites the teacher to help students solve larger problems that might be getting in the way of their academic success.  

Give Late Work Full Credit Some instructors accept all late work with no penalty, with the assumption that if the work is important, and if we want students to do it, we should let them hand it in whenever they get it done. Other instructors fear this approach will cause more students to stop doing the work or delay submission until the end of a semester, but most students continue to turn work in more or less on time, and the same ones who were late under the old system were still late under the new one. The big difference is that the instructor no longer has to spend time calculating deductions or determining whether students had valid excuses; the work is simply graded for mastery.

• 4 Different Ways To Evaluate Student Progress In the Inclusive Class . Special Needs Resources,  Friendship Circle
• Grading Students with Significant Disabilities in Inclusive Settings, from Kansas University

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This content was published: June 6, 2022 . Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.

Late work that actually works

Posted by Stacie Williams | 12 comments

How to approach late work with students in online classes is a topic I’ve discussed many times with my colleagues. My own thoughts and practices around late work have changed significantly over the years.

What have I tried?

• No late work unless extenuating circumstances (this hurt completion and morale).
• 50% deduction for work submitted up to a week late (students seemed to think it wasn’t worth doing the late work).
• 10% deduction for work submitted up to a week late (this did work better because a 90% was still possible).
• No due dates at all, but I kept suggested due dates (this worked for some students, but many students fell really far behind and tried to do seven weeks of work in the last two weeks of the term).

One of the questions that has guided my thinking is this: “is submitting the work ‘on time’ more important than submitting the work?” I teach because I love to see students learn and grow, not because I like to micromanage due dates.

I understand the argument of teaching students to manage their time and be accountable for deadlines because that’s an important workplace skill. But I’m a professional in the workplace, and I don’t get everything done by every deadline all the time.

As an instructor I had to ask myself, do I  always return grades and provide feedback by the time I say I will? Honestly, no. Sometimes my daughter gets sick and my schedule is thrown by a day or two. Sometimes an unexpected need for a committee or project pops up and I fall a little behind on grading. In these situations I expect grace from my students. So I believe that I should extend grace to students who also need it.

I’m going to share the most current iteration of my late work policy. And I invite you to share yours in the comments, and offer me some new ways of thinking about my policy.

What does my syllabus say?

Unit reflections and homework assignments can be submitted up to one week late without any deduction- no questions asked and no judgment given! Assignment folders close at 11:59pm one week after the due date. Discussions must be completed on time, and the final reflection cannot be submitted late because it’s due in finals week.

What does my policy look like in practice?

The day after an assignment was due (Monday morning), I go into the grade book and enter a 0 (or the word “Ignored” because I use contract grading). I then add a note like this:

“Oops- looks like you didn’t get a chance to submit this assignment. But don’t worry! You have until 4/24 at 11:59pm to submit this assignment- no questions asked! Let me know if I can do anything to help.”

What if a student needs even more time? I extend extra grace when needed. Sometimes a student needs an extra day or two, and that’s okay with me. If a student wants to do the work, and I think that the assignment deepens their learning, then a little extra time seems like a valuable way to support learning and equitable student success.

I do have a creative (unadvertised) way for students to make up a missed discussion, and I offer that to any student who needs to get caught up as we enter the last third of the term. Most students take me up on it, which means they got yet another important opportunity to engage with our course content.

How has this approach been working?

Really well! Most students end up submitting their work within just a couple of days after I notify them via the grade book that they can still submit an assignment. Completion is up – I see students persisting in the class more than I did with my previous policies.

I also have received notes from students thanking me for the reminder and ability to submit the assignment late. And overall, I find that students are more likely to reach out via email when they have a question about completing their late work. That open dialogue between us makes such a difference.

I’m happy with my current policy because I can be empathic and show grace while having a schedule and structure for completing coursework. But will I change my late work policy in the future? Probably. I’m always looking for ways to grow and do better for my students.

About Stacie Williams

I'm the Faculty Department Chair for Communication Studies at the Rock Creek Campus, and I also serve as an Online Faculty Mentor for Communication Studies and Journalism. I love learning new things about teaching online, and seeing student... more »

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Stacie, how do you handle making up a missed discussion?

I have to admit I struggle with late homework, I really like this approach. I am going to try it! I didn’t see what the reduction is once the end of the “late week” ended. I would put it at 15% meaning they could not achieve an A on that particular assignment.

Hi Stacie – I have implemented a similar policy in my courses and have found a lot of success with it! I am passing along your post to our SAC as we are implementing and studying some grading policy changes next year!

Great post. I’d love to hear more about your creative way to make up discussion posts. Those are tricky as timely engagement is so important to the learning. Thanks for sharing!

We all fight the battle of “who’s getting trained” where homework is concerned. Do students learn to turn it in by the due date or does the teacher use their personal time to review and give credit for late work. My current policy for my remote classes is to have a due date with a 24 hour extension. If a student contacts me, I am happy to accept late assignments from them after that time, but there must be communication. I do limit the homework to pre-midterm and post-midterm. I have spent too much time in my career going over a terms worth of homework at the end of the term. After the midterm I do not accept homework from the first half of the term. The requests for submitting late homework come only from a few students each term. 80% submit their assignments on time but I believe homework is important and I don’t want my policy to hinder its submission. Students know that but respect my time as well.

Thanks for sharing what works for you, Stacie! I’ve been doing something similar, but a bit differently, and it also seems to work fairly well. I advertise a due date and it shows as the due date on the Assignments page, but it isn’t enforced. They can still submit the assignment after the due date. I also put in a zero, which gets their attention, and in the comments I say that it is a temporary grade until I receive the assignment as well as encouraging them to contact me if they want help. I don’t actually block the assignment folders until a week before the end of the class. Most students submit the work on time, but some trickle in over a week or more afterwards. I haven’t tried a “no judgement given” message in the Syllabus and the grading comments, which I think is a good idea! I do think that some students feel embarrassed to contact the instructor if their work is late. I’m curious: what is your ‘creative (unadvertised) way for students to make up a missed discussion’?

I do some similar things as well, deducting 10% or 20% for late work so that students can still get an A or B.

Here’s how I handle weekly discussions in D2L, which are time-sensitive. I set a hard due date of Wednesday night at 11:59PM so that it appears in the D2L calendar. Then on Thursday morning, I go through and score the posts that were on time. I then reopen the discussion and post feedback for students who didn’t post: “I am putting zeros in the gradebook but have reopened the discussion if you would like to post for half credit.”

I usually have a hard deadline around midterm (say, Monday of Week 6) for any late work from weeks 1-4, then an absolute hard deadline at the end of the term (say, Monday of Week 11) for any late work from Weeks 6-9. It helps compartmentalize things.

Thanks for sharing. I really like the method you’re using and plan on starting to emulate it next term! I wonder if there is a way to have D2L automatically send students that message you’re putting in the comment section of the gradebook to students as well. That way they’re seeing it twice.

Ron, I use pretty much exactly the same approach, and it works really well! The zero gets people’s attention, but I stress that this is only until the assignment is submitted. I never remove points for lateness. There is a hard deadline of Friday Week 9 for submissions and revisions, though, to avoid the folks who try to do a term of work in the last week.

Jessica, you can’t automate it, but there is a fairly painless way to send out the “You have a temporary 0 because you haven’t submitted X yet” message: when you’re viewing the submissions in the Assignments tab, there is a “Email Users Without Submissions” button right on top. It takes a minute to compose and send, but you can contact all these students with a single email. I usually get “Thank you so much for reminding me!” responses and good follow-up.

I worked more than half-time all through university and grad school, and I was not raised to have any time management awareness. The few times my own instructors extended me this grace back then were really crucial to keeping me going. I *so* appreciate hearing my colleagues rethinking this issue.

This is a really interesting read. I have suggested (but not enforced) deadlines. Like you, I have noticed that a significant number of students often put off their work until the last minute, then struggle to catch up. One term this resulted in me having the majority of students submitting all their work for the term pretty much on the last day of class, which was a grading nightmare, and I also don’t think this provides a good learning experience for students. This has definitely given me some food for thought!

Thanks for sharing your strategy. I do something similar with a due date and an end date in D2L. Instead of putting a zero in the gradebook, I use D2L’s Assignment folder feature that allows you to email all students who haven’t submitted an assignment. I do this just after the due date (the next morning if the assignment was due at 11:59pm). The email is just a short reminder that the assignment was due last night, but that they can still submit it within [time period] to get credit. I have had students email me back to thank me for the reminder, sometimes saying that they had completed the assignment by got side tracked and forgot to submit. So it has been very helpful. Of course, the email doesn’t do much in cases where students aren’t checking their PCC email accounts. I’ll consider trying your strategy of inserting a zero with a note in the gradebook as an attention grabber in the future in addition to the email.

I am in complete support of this approach to teaching with compassion. I do the same thing, realizing that this is a very challenging time for most of our students, and they will benefit from the lessons learned and pass it on to others, in their own lives.

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Late Assignment Policy: Crafting Effective Rules & Strategies

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Over 70% of students admit to submitting an assignment late at least once during their academic career, highlighting a widespread challenge in managing deadlines. The late assignment policy often serves as a bridge between educators’ expectations and students’ realities, balancing discipline with empathy. This delicate balance in education raises questions about fairness, grading, learning outcomes, and student well-being, involving teachers and grades. As we dive into the nuances of these policies, we’ll explore how they impact both teaching strategies and student success rates, aiming to find that sweet spot where accountability meets understanding.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the specifics of late assignment policies is crucial for both educators and students to ensure fairness and clarity in academic evaluations.
• Implementing strategies for managing late work can significantly reduce stress for students and maintain course integrity for educators.
• Developing effective policies requires a balance between flexibility and accountability, tailored to the unique needs of each classroom or institution.
• Evaluating the pros and cons of different policy types helps in crafting a policy that minimizes negative impacts on student learning and motivation.
• Learning from successful policy examples provides practical insights into creating policies that encourage timely submissions while accommodating genuine needs for extensions.
• Addressing special considerations, such as disabilities or unforeseen circumstances, ensures that late assignment policies are equitable and inclusive.
• Preventing chronic late submissions starts with clear communication of expectations and may include support mechanisms like time management resources or academic counseling.

Understanding Late Assignment Policies

Policy importance.

Late assignment policies are crucial in any learning environment. They set clear expectations right from the start. This clarity helps students understand what is required of them. It also outlines the consequences, including penalty, of not meeting those expectations by the deadline.

Having a policy balances fairness and accountability among students. It ensures that everyone knows where they stand. Moreover, it can significantly influence student motivation. Knowing there are clear rules, like a late work policy, to follow can push students in the classroom to manage their time better, according to teachers and school guidelines.

Flexible vs Strict

The debate between flexible and strict late homework assignment policies is ongoing in schools.

Flexible policies consider individual circumstances, allowing for exceptions when needed. For example, illness or family emergencies might be valid reasons for extending deadlines without penalty under school late policy.

On the other hand, strict policies maintain uniformity and discipline across the board. They leave little room for interpretation or exception, ensuring all students are treated equally under the same school grading policy standards, with teachers enforcing these uniformly.

This choice greatly affects classroom atmosphere and dynamics. A balance between flexibility and strictness often works best.

Consistency Key

Consistency in applying late assignment policies prevents confusion among students. It makes sure everyone understands what to expect if they submit work late. This consistency in grading policy is vital for fair treatment across all cases over time, ensuring grade equality.

Moreover, consistent enforcement builds trust in policy effectiveness. Students feel more secure knowing that school rules and grading policy apply equally to everyone, including teachers. It fosters an environment of respect towards regulations established by educators.

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Strategies for Managing Late Work

Preventative measures.

To tackle the issue of late submissions, early submission incentives can be a game-changer. Offering small rewards or points boosts encourages students to turn in homework assignments ahead of the school deadline. This approach not only helps manage the workload for both teachers and students but also fosters a culture of promptness.

Progress check-ins are another effective strategy. Regular updates on student homework progress help teachers identify school challenges early on. Teachers can provide necessary guidance, preventing last-minute rushes.

Lastly, organizational skill workshops in school equip students and teachers with tools to better manage their time, tasks, and homework to improve grade. These workshops can cover everything from calendar management to setting realistic goals, crucial skills for academic success.

Work Habits Grade

Incorporating a work habits grade reflects a student’s ability to manage time effectively, complete homework, and avoid being late, according to school teachers. This separate grade motivates students to submit work timely without affecting their academic scores directly.

It acknowledges effort distinctly from academic performance. Students learn from teachers that good work habits, such as homework completion, are valued alongside intellectual achievements in school grade assessments.

Homework Passes

Offering homework passes as rewards for consistent on-time submissions is an innovative incentive. It allows flexibility for students who have shown responsibility with homework and grade but must be used sparingly for late submissions and time management.

• Limit usage to avoid dependency.
• Exclude major assignments from this option.

This system reinforces positive student behavior while maintaining the importance of meeting deadlines for significant projects on time, affecting their grade and homework.

Developing Effective Policies

Policy crafting, extensions guidelines.

Crafting a late assignment policy requires clear extension guidelines. The criteria for eligibility should be transparent to all students. This makes it fair and understandable. The application process must also be simple. Students are more likely to use the system for homework if it’s not complicated, saving time and improving grades without being late.

Limitations on extension length ensure fairness and consistency. It prevents endless delays.

Floating Deadlines

Floating deadlines allow students to prioritize their assignments based on personal schedules or other commitments. This approach demands strong self-discipline from the student, as it’s easy to fall behind on homework without strict deadlines and end up late on time.

However, floating deadlines for student homework might not fit every course structure well, leading to late submissions and time management issues. Some subjects require a more rigid schedule for effective learning.

Submission in Progress

Accepting partial homework submissions can motivate students to continue working past the late deadline to improve their grade over time. It shows that effort at any stage is valuable. The final grade would depend on completion of the work, encouraging ongoing effort rather than giving up after missing a deadline.

Crediting Late Work

When crediting late homework, the grade’s points should decrease based on how delayed the submission time is. This keeps students motivated while acknowledging their efforts. A cap on the lowest possible score helps prevent discouragement among learners who submit work late due to genuine reasons.

Exceptional circumstances should always be considered separately. Life happens, and flexibility with time in such cases can support student wellbeing and academic success, even if they are late.

Pros and Cons of Policy Types

Flexible policies.

Flexible policies are tailored to meet individual or situational needs, including time or being late. They encourage open communication between students and teachers. This approach can help identify issues early on. However, it may require more administrative work.

Teachers need to keep track of exceptions made for each student, including time and late submissions. This could lead to inconsistencies if not managed well.

Strict Policies

Strict policies have clear, non-negotiable deadlines from the start, emphasizing time and not tolerating being late. They make grading and feedback simpler for teachers. There’s no confusion about when assignments are due.

But these policies might not consider unexpected time-related challenges students face, including being late. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t fit every situation.

Work Submission Impact

The timing of work submission directly affects grades and feedback quality. It also influences how committed a teacher thinks a student is, especially if they are frequently late.

Late submissions can disrupt tracking class progress. Teachers use these timelines to gauge where the class stands as a whole.

If many students submit late, it’s hard for the teacher to know if everyone is understanding the material.

Successful Policy Examples

Educational settings.

Different educational settings need tailored late assignment policies . Online classes might offer more flexibility than traditional ones. This is because students might face technical issues or time zone differences.

Classroom size also plays a role. In smaller classes, teachers can afford to be more flexible. They understand each student’s situation better.

Cultural expectations are another factor. Some regions value punctuality differently. So, policies should reflect these cultural norms to be fair and effective.

Daily Homework Considerations

The frequency of assignments affects how lenient a policy can be. More frequent homework means stricter deadlines are often necessary to keep pace with the curriculum.

However, not all assignments are equal.

• Short-term tasks usually have tighter deadlines.
• Long-term projects allow for more leeway.

This distinction helps balance daily practice with overall understanding.

Missed Exams Protocol

A clear process for missed exams is crucial.

• Students should know how to reschedule or arrange makeup exams in advance.
• The policy must state what documentation is needed if an exam is missed.
• It should also outline the consequences of missing an exam without a valid reason.

These steps ensure fairness and clarity for both students and educators.

Special Considerations and Extensions

Legitimate reasons.

Universally, illness and family emergencies are recognized as valid reasons for late assignment submissions. These situations often come unexpectedly and can significantly impact a student’s ability to meet deadlines.

However, what counts as a legitimate reason might differ from one institution to another. Some schools may accept other personal crises or technical issues as valid excuses. It is crucial for students to check their school’s specific policies.

Special Consideration Policy

Every student should have equal access to the process of applying for special consideration. This policy ensures fairness in handling assignments that were submitted late due to unforeseen circumstances.

The criteria for receiving special consideration must be clear and understandable. Schools need to handle sensitive information with confidentiality. This approach respects students’ privacy while assessing their requests fairly.

Extension Requests

Students should aim to request extensions before the deadline if possible. Waiting until the last minute can complicate matters.

Supporting documentation or an explanation is often required when asking for more time on an assignment. This could include medical notes or letters explaining family emergencies. Decisions on extension requests should be communicated quickly so students know where they stand. Schools must ensure these processes are straightforward, ensuring all students can navigate them when needed.

Preventing Chronic Late Submissions

Chronic prevention.

To tackle chronic late submissions, it’s crucial to identify patterns . Some students may always submit work late due to procrastination or personal challenges. By spotting these trends early, educators can offer targeted support.

Offering resources is another effective strategy. Time management tools and counseling services can help students overcome their hurdles. This approach addresses the root of the problem rather than just the symptoms.

Preemptive Strategies

Setting incremental deadlines for larger projects breaks down tasks into manageable chunks. This method prevents last-minute rushes and improves overall quality.

Encouraging peer accountability groups creates a supportive environment where students motivate each other. Offering early feedback opportunities allows students to correct course before it’s too late, enhancing learning outcomes.

Solutions for Late Assignments

Sometimes, despite best efforts, assignments are still submitted late. In these cases, offering options helps maintain academic integrity while acknowledging effort:

• Replace with an alternative assignment under certain conditions.
• Allow submission with penalty to salvage some credit.

Both solutions ensure that learning continues and students have a chance to recover.

Navigating the maze of late assignment policies can seem like a Herculean task, but armed with the right strategies and insights, you’re more than up to the challenge. Whether you’re refining your own policies or looking for the best way to tackle that mountain of late work, remember: balance is key. A policy too lenient loses its teeth, while one too strict might stifle the very creativity and learning it aims to foster. By considering the pros and cons we’ve discussed and taking inspiration from successful examples, you’ll craft a policy that’s not just a rulebook but a roadmap to success.

Now, don’t just sit on this goldmine of information. Take action! Review your current policies or start drafting new ones with today’s insights in mind. Remember, the goal is to encourage punctuality and responsibility without putting unnecessary pressure on your students. Let’s make those deadlines less daunting and more of a shared journey towards excellence. Ready to dive in?

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is a late assignment policy.

A late assignment policy is like a rulebook for what happens when homework doesn’t make it on time. It outlines the dos and don’ts, setting clear consequences and sometimes offering a little wiggle room for those rare oops moments.

How can teachers manage late submissions effectively?

Think of managing late work as juggling. You want to keep all balls in the air without dropping any. Setting clear rules, communicating them well, and being consistent yet flexible are your best tools. It’s about finding that sweet spot between strictness and understanding.

What makes an effective late assignment policy?

An effective policy is like a good recipe; it needs the right mix of ingredients. Clarity, fairness, flexibility, and consistency are key. It should be easy to understand but robust enough to handle exceptions without becoming too lenient or too harsh.

Are there downsides to certain types of late policies?

Sure thing! Some policies can be too rigid or too soft—like sleeping on either a rock or a marshmallow; neither is comfortable. Too strict might stifle learning opportunities while too lenient could encourage procrastination. Balance is crucial!

Can you give examples of successful late assignment policies?

Successful policies often resemble well-oiled machines—they run smoothly because they’re designed thoughtfully. They usually include clear deadlines with reasonable penalties for lateness but also offer grace periods or makeup assignments as lifelines for students genuinely struggling.

What special considerations should be taken into account for extensions?

When granting extensions think of yourself as walking on ice—you need to tread carefully not to slip into chaos! Consider individual circumstances but maintain fairness across the board by requiring valid reasons backed up with evidence where possible.

How can chronic lateness be prevented from the start?

Preventing chronic lateness feels like planting seeds early—you nurture responsibility from day one through clear expectations and support structures (think reminders or check-ins). Encourage accountability while providing resources that help students manage their time more effectively.

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• Effective Classroom Management

Rethinking Deadline and Late Penalty Policies…Again

• August 5, 2019
• Brenda Thomas

Some of the recurring topics on Faculty Focus in the past ten years pertain to handling excuses, extension requests, and late work, because teachers regularly deal with those issues. Suggested remedies range from giving one-time grace to assuming deception as the norm. If you have been a teacher for any length of time, you already have some sort of policy and have maybe modified it more than once. With this article, I am providing a peek at how and why I morphed from a rigid to a more flexible deadline/late penalty policy and what I observed as a result.   

When I began teaching online in 2015, my policy was to deduct 10 percent for each day an assignment was late. That was the maximum allowed by the university as stated in the student handbook, so I adopted that as my policy. I thought that would make everything fair and square for everybody. (I can hear some of you chuckling.) However, three repeating scenarios made me reckon with my naiveté and prompted me to begin tweaking my policy.

• Some students turned in high-quality work but received lower grades due only to lateness.
• Some students turned in low-quality work but received higher grades than the late, high-quality assignments due only to timeliness.  
• Some students received exemptions from deadlines/late penalties because the university periodically requested that faculty grant leniency to those affected by a major natural disaster in their geographical region, but students experiencing other issues beyond their control, such as illnesses, injuries, or technical glitches, had to abide by the set deadlines.

Meting out punishment or pardon based on their reasons and timing made me feel more like Judge Judy than their teacher.

Since I was foregoing late deductions for weather, I decided to do the same for other issues beyond a student’s control, so I began allowing late assignments with no or minimal penalty (5 percent). But only if students contacted me prior to the deadline with a valid reason. (I can hear some of you chuckling again.) As a result, I was inundated with eleventh-hour extension requests for a variety of reasons. Those who contacted me after the deadline with a valid reason received the same consideration. Meting out punishment or pardon based on their reasons and timing made me feel more like Judge Judy than their teacher.

It was around that time I read an article suggesting that teachers abolish deadlines and late penalties altogether, but I saw three main problems with that approach.

• A course eventually ends, so there is at least one deadline. The author said he never had a flood of assignments submitted at the end, but I was unwilling to risk being the exception to that.
• For students to improve throughout my course they needed to receive feedback in between assignments, so multiple deadlines spaced throughout the course were necessary.
• Not having deadlines or late penalties facilitated procrastination and removed incentives for timely work.

Because I wanted to assess my students more on the quality of their work than the speed with which they completed it, while also encouraging timely work without using the incentives of extra points for timeliness and lost points for lateness, I made another policy tweak.

The course ran for seven weeks with a writing assignment due at the end of each week. I could not allow assignments to be turned in after the seventh week ended, but I did allow students five extra days without penalty for each of the six assignments due in the first six weeks. If students turned in their assignment by the deadline each week, I graded it and allowed them to revise and resubmit after seeing my feedback. For those who turned in their assignment during the five-day grace period, they also had the option to revise and resubmit after seeing my feedback, but the highest grade they could receive on the re-do was five points less than the maximum possible for that assignment. If students turned in their assignment after the five-day grace period, then I enacted a late penalty of 5 percent for each day it was late, and they could not revise and resubmit after seeing my feedback.

What I observed was that only two or three students chose to revise and resubmit and even fewer turned in assignments after the five-day grace period. As a result of that new policy, my grading workload negligibly increased, the number of assignments receiving late penalties noticeably decreased, the occurrence of excuses and extension requests became almost non-existent, and the incidence of grades reflecting the quality of the assignments exponentially grew. The lesson I learned, and continue to learn, is that if my policies do not uphold my teaching philosophy then it is time to consider some modifications. Making small tweaks through multiple class sessions helped me notice the details that needed adjusting. Now I’m off to rethink my discussion forum grading policy . . . again.

Brenda Thomas is an online instructor in the humanities who writes on topics related to online higher education. 

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• Introduction
• Board of Managers
• Accreditation and Affiliations
• State Approvals and Authorizations
• Business Hours
• Staff Directory
• Catalog Purpose and Changes
• Transfer of Credit
• Courses and Credit Load
• Withdrawal and Reinstatement Policies
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
• Learner Funding Overview
• Learner Financial Responsibilities and Academic Program Progress
• Title IV Federal Student Aid (FSA) Overview and Policies
• Withdrawals and Refunds
• State Specific Disclosures
• General Information
• Learner Support Services (LSS)
• Learner Code of Conduct
• Federal Disclosures
• Academic Calendar Information
• General Education
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• Learner Credentialing
• Learning Modalities Definitions
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• Pre-Semester Scheduling Variance Form
• EL-DFC Absences During the Semester
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• Errata and Addenda

Late Coursework Policy and Extensions

Late Coursework Policy

Course Assignments, including discussions, exams, and other graded assignments, should be submitted on time.  If learners are unable to complete an assignment on time, they should contact their instructor immediately via the Learning Management System (LMS) inbox and must complete an Assignment Extension Request form found in Learner Forms in the LMS.      

Assignments that are submitted after the due date without approval from the instructor will receive the following deductions:    

• Certain assignments such as Initial Discussion posts and replies, HESIs, mid-term exams, final exams, final projects, and/or portfolios will not be accepted without approval from the instructor   
• Late assignments submitted within one (1) week after the due date will receive up to a 10% deduction.    
• Assignments submitted more than one (1) week and less than two (2) weeks late will receive up to a 20% deduction.    
• Assignments submitted more than two weeks late will receive a zero (0).

Assignments may be accepted after the due date and without the required late penalty deduction only under extenuating circumstances , which will be reviewed at the discretion of the instructor . In c ircumstances that will affect the learner’s assignments in multiple courses , the learner may file an Exception Request .

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Late Assignment Policy

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Guidelines for Late Assignment Submissions

Strayer University understands students may face illness or other exceptional circumstances that could impact their ability to attend class and complete course requirements.  The University encourages faculty to approach late work from a perspective of empathy and understanding.  Strayer University serves busy adult students who have many competing demands.  While academic pursuits must be a top priority for our students, faculty members are encouraged to provide reasonable accommodations for students who request an extension.  The information below provides an overview of the related policy and procedures students and faculty/staff should follow in this event.

Documented & Undocumented Exceptional Circumstances

A documented exceptional circumstance may include, but is not limited to:

A student's long-term (4 days or more) illness and/or hospitalization

• Natural disasters (particularly those that lead to the loss of power/internet connection at the time of the assignment deadline)
• Military deployment
• Hospitalization and/or death of an immediate family member
• Short-term (3 days or less) illness of the student or student's child
• Unexpected circumstances related to a student's employment
• Unexpected child or elder care          

Treatment of Late Assignments with Documented Exceptional Circumstances

• A student may submit work after the due date and receive credit for the assignment if the student provides documentation supporting the exceptional circumstance directly to the course instructor.
• Students with exceptional circumstances and supporting documentation provided to the course instructor will not receive a deduction of points for work submitted during the exceptional circumstance timeframe agreed upon between the instructor and student. 
• Instructors who have been provided documentation for a late assignment due to an exceptional circumstance must allow students to make up all assignments, including discussion posts during the agreed upon time period for the documented exceptional circumstance..                  

Late Assignment with Undocumented Exceptional Circumstance

• A student with an undocumented exceptional circumstance may submit work after the due date and may receive partial credit for the assignment.  It is the student's responsibility to communicate with the instructor about the late assignment in accordance with the Student Responsibilities section of this standard operating procedure.  If a student has not communicated with the professor about the late work, it is in the instructor's discretion, with such discretion applied by the professor consistently across all students enrolled in their sections and consistently among all their sections of the same course, whether to accept late work.
• Information about expectations and grading for late assignments and undocumented exceptional circumstances will be made available to students by the instructor teaching the course.  Late work must be submitted by the deadlines given by the instructor, and in no event later than 11:59 PM ET on the last day of the quarter.
• Students requiring extended time should contact their instructor and Dean.

Documented and Undocumented Late Submissions: It is the student's responsibility to: 

• When a student misses a class (or is unable to sign in to an online class) due to illness or other exceptional circumstance, the student must contact the instructor and/or his or her Campus Dean as soon as possible. When the Campus Dean is contacted, the information must be relayed to the professor.
• If the student is unable to contact the instructor and/or his/her Campus Dean, a family member or friend of the student may inform the instructor or Campus Dean of the student’s illness or other exceptional circumstance. When the local campus is contacted, the information must be relayed to the instructor.
• NOTE: If the student becomes ill while on campus, the student may be asked by the instructor or Campus Dean to go home (please refer to the Security Policy in the Student Handbook ).
• Completing Missed Assignments (Note: Item a. below applies only to documented exceptional circumstances; the remaining items apply to both documented and undocumented exceptional circumstances): 
• If the student meets the "Late assignment with Documented Exceptional Circumstances" requirement and wants to complete missed assignments with no point deduction, the student must provide the instructor and/or Campus Dean with documentation that supports the exceptional circumstances within two weeks of the conversation with the instructor and/or Campus Dean.  In the event the student misses more than two weeks and may not be able to successfully complete all missing assignments, he/she would work with the Campus Dean to discuss the appropriate available options.
• For a student taking online classes, he/she should always attempt to keep up with the online course work and assignments, if at all possible.
• The student will be responsible for all material missed during the period of absence. Students should also be aware of the Attendance procedures that defines what constitutes attendance.  The Attendance procedures can be found in the University Catalog.
• The student must also complete any missed postings to discussion threads or complete equivalent writing assignments as dictated by the instructor in place of late discussion board entries for online classes.  Make-up work given by the faculty member shall be consistent with the Attendance procedures and may include any combination of exams, papers, and assignments.
• Student and instructor should agree in writing on deadlines for submitting late assignments; however, all work must be completed by the end of the quarter. 

Up one level

Policies and Procedures

Late Assignment Policy

A student may review course grades in Moodle at any time during the current module and are responsible for all topic assignments during each 8 week module. The student may refer to the Orientation course to review grading rubrics for specific grading information. If an assignment is submitted after the weekly completion deadline, the assignment will receive point deductions based on the late grading scale established by the University (multiple choice quizzes excluded).

There is no grace period. After the original due date, the late policy applies; however, exceptions may be made in extreme hardship situations. The student must notify the course instructor as soon as possible and submit the required documentation for approval before the late point deduction can be waived. No assignments will be accepted after the course end date, including multiple choice quizzes, unless the student has submitted an Application for Incomplete Grade Form prior to the end of the module. See the Incomplete Grade Policy at https://www.huhs.edu/incomplete-grade-policy/ for more details.

Grading Timeframes

Course topics are posted at the beginning of each new week during the module. Each topic assignment must be completed and submitted in Moodle within seven (7) calendar days from when the topic posts in Moodle in order to receive full credit for the assignment (multiple choice quizzes excluded).

For example: If the 1 st week of the module begins on Monday, Topic 1 will post on Monday in Moodle and the student will have until the end of day Sunday (Central Time) to complete Topic 1. Then on the next Monday, Topic 2 will post in Moodle and the student will have until the end of day Sunday (Central Time) to complete Topic 2.

Grade Point Deductions

All written assignments that are not submitted in Moodle by the deadline will be penalized as follows:

• First day late                     10 points deducted
• Second day late                20 points deducted
• Third day late                   30 points deducted
• Fourth day late                  40 points deducted
• Fifth day late                     50 points deducted
• After fifth day late             No points awarded

Point Deduction Waiver

In the case of extreme hardship situations, the student must notify the course instructor via email, including supporting evidence, as soon as possible.  If a point deduction waiver is granted, the instructor will establish new deadlines and a plan for the student to get back on track. If a point deduction waiver is not granted, the student may appeal the instructor’s decision by forwarding all correspondence records along with the supporting evidence to the Director of Administration. However, all assignments MUST be completed by the last day of the 8 week module unless the student has submitted an Application for Incomplete Grade Form prior to the end of the module.

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Late Assignments – A Complete College Student’s Guide

As semester assignments begin to accumulate, students can often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work they might be facing. When deadlines from various classes begin to coincide, it can be all too easy to end up with late work. This is a common experience for many students, and it is important to understand the consequences of turning in late assignments. 

The ability to turn in late work will vary from professor to professor. Many will accept late work with a penalty, while others will only accept it if you have made a special arrangement beforehand. It is important to understand the policy for each of your classes to be successful. 

In the rest of this article, we will take a closer look at late work policies in different college classrooms. We will see some typical examples from professors as well as the reasons behind these different policies. We will also see how to ask your professor for an extension if you feel like you cannot complete an assignment on time. 

Do Professors Accept Late Work?

Professors do accept late work, but they tend to have different policies when it comes to accepting work and awarding credit. Even if it is late, professors usually prefer that students complete the assignment so that they will stay engaged with the material and the learning process.

However, professors usually will assign consequences for late work. If your professor accepts late assignments, he or she might do so with some amount of point dedication. The system for these penalties will depend on your specific professor.

You will need to consult your syllabus or your class policies to understand the consequences of turning in a late assignment for each of your professors. 

This deduction may increase the later the assignment is, such as a 10% loss of points each day that it is late. Or you may find that if you submit the assignment even a minute after it is due, it can only receive 50% credit. 

These penalties may depend on the size and importance of the assignment as well. 

If you can submit a late assignment, even with a points deduction, earning some credit is often better than earning no credit at all. Even though it can be painful to submit a fully complete assignment and know that it can only earn up to 50% of the total possible points, this is still better than earning a zero for that particular assignment. 

Extenuating Circumstances and Emergencies

Professors may be willing to make exceptions for late assignments in extenuating circumstances and serious emergencies. However, be prepared to show documentation if this applies to you. 

If you had a severe illness, a death in the family, or other emergencies, consult with your professor about what documentation they may need to verify your situation.

Professors ask for proof not because they don’t believe you but often as a way to make sure students won’t try to take advantage of the system in place when there are real emergencies. If these circumstances apply to you, you may be able to submit an assignment late without receiving the penalties that usually apply to late work. 

Other Extensions and Exceptions

Depending on your professor, you may be able to contact them in advance if you know you won’t be able to make your assignment deadline, which does not usually mean the night before the assignment is due. 

It is more likely your professor needs to hear from you at least a week in advance.

If you have a serious reason why you won’t be able to make the anticipated deadline, some professors are open to making special arrangements with responsible students. Others will not be so open to this, as they will see it as your responsibility to arrange your time and complete your tasks. 

You may get a feel from other students who have already had this professor whether or not it’s possible to arrange extensions. You may also encounter a limit to these extensions, such as professors who will give you one special extension per semester but are not open to any more extensions than that.

Can a Professor Refuse a Late Assignment?

If you are not facing extenuating circumstances with documented proof, professors can refuse a late assignment. It will depend on the professor, as many will accept late assignments with a penalty. It is important to check with each professor to understand the policy. 

You may find that some professors are very strict on their policies to accept assignments only if they are on time. While the inflexibility of their policy might feel alarming to students, most professors have well-intentioned reasons for how they choose to conduct their class. 

Professors can understand that students are facing a lot of challenges and may even be willing to make exceptions in extreme circumstances. However, professors are also trying to prepare students for life after college that will certainly involve strict deadlines without much room for flexibility. 

If a professor allows a student to hand in assignments or ask for extensions after the due date, they may feel the students in their classroom are drifting apart in terms of cohesion.  Assignments typically correspond with the topics being covered in class, and their due dates reflect the timeline in which students should be processing and applying the information.

If you have half of the class sticking to the schedule and the other half of the class drifting behind, the professor’s job of teaching the collective group of students suddenly becomes much more challenging. 

It is no longer a cohesive whole but a fragmented group with some students hungry for the new information while others have not yet internalized last week’s material. 

Professors have designed their lectures and class structures carefully and usually with years of experience in applying them. 

The lessons they have to teach will build on each other ( source ). If students have holes in their foundational knowledge because they haven’t yet completed the assignments, they will struggle to absorb the new information as well.

This leads to a downward trend in the classroom where students simply cannot keep up. To avoid this from happening, professors may choose to stick to strict deadlines to keep their students responsible for the material taught on the timeline that has been designed. 

From the student’s experience as well, the class can start to feel overwhelming, and the assignments can become a burden. 

As assignments begin to accumulate, students may need to rush through them just to get them done before the end of the semester. This style of working does not help students enjoy the learning process or get the most out of the classes they are taking. 

However, even for professors with strict policies, the sooner you can talk to them about any issues you are experiencing, the better. Conversations about extensions after the deadline has passed may not be welcomed by the same professor who is willing to make a special arrangement with you a week or two before the deadline arrives.

How To Ask Professor To Accept a Late Assignment

If you know you won’t be able to make a set deadline, it is best to contact your professor as early as possible. 

The sooner you realize your limitations and express them, the more responsible you will seem like a student, and the more likely your professor may be to make a special arrangement for you. 

Professors have heard every excuse imaginable as to why an assignment wasn’t handed in when it should have been. Their sympathy may be low when contacted with one of these excuses after the fact. 

You are better off contacting them before the deadline has passed, if possible. 

It is also best to be honest and take responsibility for the fact that you will not complete your work on time. This is also preferable for many professors than to be told excuses and avoid taking the responsibility that the situation requires.

If it’s possible to meet with your professor in person, this is ideal. 

Try to stop by during their office hours, if possible, because it will show that you are putting in the effort and demonstrating that you are engaged in the class. They might see that you are really trying your best and that you simply have a conflict that requires a little extra time to complete an assignment properly. 

If it’s not possible to meet with your professor in person, sending an email is also a common practice for students needing to discuss deadlines. 

However, if you’re writing an email to stall and try to buy yourself more time, your professor will likely see right through this tactic. If you write to your professor claiming that the assignment is done, but you are wondering if you can still submit it, you should be ready to back up your claim.

If it’s possible to attach the assignment to the document or provide a link where the professor can see the assignment, that will go a long way in bolstering your credibility. Many times students will write that the assignment is complete when it is not, hoping they will have it done by the time the professor responds to the email. 

To get a college professor’s perspective on excuses and honesty in asking about late assignments, you can check out this video on Youtube:

How To Compose an Email to Your Professor

Keep your emails short and to the point while being respectful and taking responsibility for your lateness. Avoid blaming outside circumstances, because you can explain your situation while recognizing the fact that it was you who failed to complete the assignment on time. 

To help you write a respectful and effective email to your professor about a late assignment, you can follow this sample guide:

Sample Email To Professor Regarding Late Assignment

To: ( make sure you have entered your professor’s email correctly here ) Subject: Late Assignment ( you can also write your name and class section here for clarity ) Dear Professor ______, ( use the appropriate name and title for your professor here ) I am writing to you because I am concerned with my ability to meet the deadline for the _______ assignment ( specify the particular assignment here ). I have struggled to manage my time wisely in the last few weeks and really apologize for failing to keep up with the clearly explained structure of the course. ( You can offer your explanation and take responsibility for your mistake here ). If you are willing to accept this assignment past its date, I am prepared to turn it in on ____ ( offer a suggested deadline here ). Or I can come by your office hours tomorrow to discuss this further if that suits you ( offer an alternative to discuss it in person if appropriate ).  Again, I am sorry for this mismanagement on my part. I am doing my best to improve myself in terms of time and assignment management. Sincerely, ( Your name, class, and section information )

Be Respectful

No matter the response your professor gives you, continue to be respectful in your communications. 

Your professor is doing you a favor by negotiating deadlines and trying to help you out in succeeding in the class. Even if you are facing a harsher penalty than you would like, try to take it in stride and remember this lesson for the next set of deadlines you are facing. 

If your professor doesn’t respond to your email, see this guide on what to do .

Final Thoughts

When it comes to turning in late assignments, your ability to do so will depend on your professor and your circumstances. It is best to understand the late assignment policy for each class from the beginning, so you know what kinds of penalties you are facing for late work.

When it comes to contacting your professor, try to do this as early as possible. The sooner you talk to your professor, the more likely he or she is to try to help you. If you are facing a real emergency, remember to communicate this and provide any supporting documentation.

Recommended Reading:

• My Professor Thinks I Cheated: Confronting the Accusation
• Can Professors Drop Students? This May Surprise You!
• Do Professors Bump Up Grades?

Emily is an engineer at a Fortune 100 company. Her degree is in Chemical Engineering with minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. She completed 4 internships in college and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2020. She is from Texas and currently lives in Seattle, WA. Emily loves hiking, traveling, and playing guitar. She is a very proud dog mom to her fur baby, Oliver.

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Incentivize! Don’t Penalize: Revisiting Late Policies for Online Students

Coming from a culture of storytellers, I’d like to share a story that inspired this post.

I was at my local supermarket in the northeast side of Los Angeles when a former student, Ignacio (Nacho), recognized me and approached me. “Are you Ms. Fabi?” He then reminded me of who he was. I also met his Mama. His Mama started to tell me in Spanish what a good son Nacho is and how proud she is of him. I felt confused because, as I recall, he had dropped my class. As I listened to Nacho, there in the store, the reason he dropped hit me hard. He dropped the class because his mother had lost her job and he needed to work more hours to take care of his family.  This caused him to struggle with time management. Nacho had a formative assessment due in my class and he couldn’t complete it by the due date. So, he dropped the class. Of course, I said, “Why didn’t you tell me?”  He said, “Well you were very clear about late papers.  You set your rule and I broke it.”  To him, talking to me meant asking for help, and he didn’t want to ask for a favor. A “favor” was not an option for him.  I could even see it in the eyes of his mother.  She stood by his decision. “ Se porta bien ” – He behaves.

Like many working class immigrant households, we were raised to be proud, which meant not breaking the rules.  Since many of our parents lived in fear of breaking rules in the US, the goal of behaving was instilled in us. Good behavior builds character. Character becomes more important than achievement. Nacho was the epitome of character. He was a good son of a single-family household, an Army Reserve Serviceman (another environment requiring good behavior) and a college student. Yet my policy became a barrier. I did not set up an environment to encourage communication and support him to succeed.

The next semester, Nacho registered for my course again.  I learned he was a hard worker who also learned how to advocate for himself when he needed to. He never took advantage of my kindness and appreciated my personalized feedback. After all, I had met his Mama. Nacho earned an A, completed his bachelors at a Cal State, and is now a college recruiter. After Nacho, my journey as an online instructor was forever changed.

When I started teaching online, I struggled with late policies.  I remember a colleague telling me I needed to be strict with deadlines to “show them how it will be in the real world.” I learned my lesson after my Nacho encounter. After that, I began to imagine a learning environment where submitting late assignments could still be a method to encourage student effort and communicate that I believe in my students’ abilities. I have wondered how this change might remove barriers for students and foster a more equitable learning experience. 

What Students Want

Our goal should not be to translate our face-to-face learning environments into our online courses. Both are unique and should be designed to leverage the characteristics of the modality. Also, our students have reasons for choosing to take an online vs. a face-to-face course. Kelly Ann Gleason, a student at Cuesta College, stated during the student panel for Digital Learning Day 2019, “We are taking online classes because we have life outside the classroom, so the very reason that we are taking this [an online class] communicates what we expect.”  And what do they expect?  Flexibility. Today, more than 24% of enrollments in the California Community College system are from online courses. Most of these students are blending their schedules with a mix of face-to-face and online courses to develop a flexible schedule that allows them to advance their academic goals while also fulfilling their work and life responsibilities. To put it another way, being on campus full-time is a privilege that many students do not have.

The student panelists who participated with Kelly Ann continued to advocate the need to respect faculty and their time, yet they want to see online faculty design an online environment where students are given a fair chance to submit quality work when time management becomes challenging.  As Henry Fan, a student from Foothill College, stated, “Not all time is created equal.”

The full archive of the student panel is embedded below. To jump to the segment on late policies, click here.

How to Promote an Equitable Culture of Excellence

Equity means ensuring each student has what they need to succeed. Is it equitable to apply the same late policy to every student in every situation? It is our responsibility to measure the quality of student learning rather than how punctual an assignment is.  And if it’s not punctual, how can we use that as an opportunity to understand our students’ realities and encourage them to keep going?

Here are some suggestions to incentivize responsibility by placing a culture of excellence and care on your end.

• Spend time in preparing and designing Canvas Assignments . Make sure every student is clear about what to do and how to do it.  Students might need models, templates or deeper explanations before they are ready.  Include a rubric so your expectations are clearly communicated. Embed a video encouraging excellence within the Assignment page.
• Use Canvas Announcements to nudge students on upcoming deadlines.  We know some students struggle with deadlines and it would be irresponsible as a teacher to not act upon that knowledge before it’s too late.
• Monitor submissions throughout the week.  As the due date approaches, use the Grades area of Canvas to send a personal message to students who have not yet submitted.  Ask if they are OK.  Encourage them to talk to you if they need to.
• For students who do not submit by the deadline, use the Canvas Inbox to message these students and ask if they are OK.  Provide them an opportunity to negotiate.  If a response is still missing, send your campus’ Distance Education policy language on Last Day of Attendance (LDA) for online courses. Be sure they know the last date they have to withdraw and receive a W, as it is better than an F.
• Grade and provide comments in a timely manner so you reciprocate your culture of responsibility by providing meaningful feedback.
• Plan your life around knowing you will always receive late submissions.  So, when you don’t, you will feel happy and spend extra time with your loved ones.

We are content specialists.  Not life specialists.  Yet we can create an equitable culture of excellence, so all students can achieve academic excellence.

My Submission Policy:

Plan on submitting work on time.I immediately review work and provide meaningful feedback with in 48-72 hours.

Because time management is challenging, deadlines might not be met. But, you’re in luck. I’m on your side.  Late submissions will be accepted with a penalty. Assignments submitted after the deadline may receive a 10% grade point deduction for each day following the due date and time.

Don ’t want the penalty? Here’s an incentive.

If you recognize a due date might be a problem, advocate for your success by following these steps:

• Identify the problem
• Contact me to propose a solution
• Let’s negotiate

Do you have a submission policy you’d like to share? I warmly invite you to leave a reply below to keep the conversation going!

Fabiola Torres

Fabiola Torres is an online Ethnic Studies professor at Glendale Community College, an Equity facilitator for the CVC/Online Network of Educators (@ONE). During the pandemic, Fabiola collaborated with a number of colleges throughout the country in offering professional development workshops and keynote presentations focussing on applying equity-minded methods such as culturally responsive teaching in the online environment, and humanizing online teaching and learning. Fabiola’s teaching principles are inspired by her M.A. in Chicana/o Studies from California State University, Northridge and M.A. in Learning Technology from Pepperdine’s School of Education and Psychology. She was awarded the Online Learning Consortium Advocate Award for Diversity and Inclusion in July of 2020. Fabiola is a fur-mommy of Luke, Leia and Wookie.

LOVE this post, Fabiola! What a powerful story. You asked us to share our late work policies. Here is mine:

Everyone has an automatic 2-day grace period for late submissions – no questions asked! This means that you can always submit work up to 2 days late without having to ask for an extension, and without losing any points. After the grace period, late work may still be accepted. Contact me so we can develop a plan to get you caught up!

I love this! Thanks for making me think more about how to help students with what they really need.

Hi Aloha!!! Thank you… Developing a plan is so valuable. I love how we can communicate via Canvas throughout the semester to set a welcoming tone. So when the time comes to speak up, we enable the “door” to be open for possibilities.

I use a “virtual” token system. Students are given a set amount of tokens at the beginning of the semester and a few opportunities to earn tokens throughout the semester. They can use a token to submit late work no questions asked. (They can also use a token to revise submitted assignments.)

Your Nacho story hits home in many aspects. I also echo your statements regarding working class immigrant and their pride for not breaking rules and fear associated with such behavior.

Love this! I’m teaching my first asynchronous class online and this is helpful! thank you.

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A Late Work Policy That Works for Teachers and Students

Creating clear boundaries around when students can submit assignments after the due date can boost morale for everyone.

When the end of a term approaches, educator social media is full of images and commentary on the sheer amount of grading that will be coming their way. From images of monstrous waves or an exhausted teacher grasping a large cup of coffee, the stress is palpable. So how do we make this better for everyone, including teachers, students, families, case coordinators, and everyone else struggling at the end of the term?

As educators, we want to be considerate of the fact that students have yet to acquire excellent management skills. But we also need to protect our own mental health and teach students the responsibility that comes with completing assignments and turning in work. 

Designing a Late Work Policy With Students

Some years back, I had a high school world language class with a wonderful group of students—but getting work from them was challenging on a good day. After one particularly exhausting end of the term when I received a monumental amount of late work, I flatly said, “We can’t do this again.” Shockingly, they agreed. I gave the class 30 minutes to discuss as a class what they thought could be a fair policy. The requirements were simple: 

1. Simplicity. This policy had to be easy for me to manage as a teacher.

2. Accountability. It couldn’t be a free-for-all with no accountability. 

I could easily write a separate article on how to have students design class policies, but that is for a different time. Here is what the students came up with as a proposal:

Assessment as final deadline: All homework and classwork is accepted full credit until the assessment—then it is not accepted at all. This also counts for any retakes (or corrections) to other activities or smaller assessments. 

The 55 percent rule: If a student does the large majority of the assignments up until assessment, they do not get less than 55 percent on any assessment. This gives students an incentive to get their work done and make arrangements with the teacher to keep on track. It should be very unlikely that a student will do the majority of assignments related to an assessment and get below 55 percent. However, if it does happen, they know that there are policies in place to help them.

If a student does get below 55 percent and has done the large majority of the work, this forces me as an educator to consider the cause. Did other students have similar troubles? If so, was the assessment reflective of the work done in class? If this student was an outlier, perhaps they simply had a rough day (which does happen)?

Assessment as proof of competency: If a student is missing an assignment and they get above a certain score on the assessment, they can get partial credit for any missing work related to the assessment. The students were very clear that this was not a reason to not do work, but rather it was to allow students to focus on critical assignments if they get behind. 

Assessment as redo attempt: If a student does well on a final unit assessment, they can have their grade raised for smaller assessments leading up to that larger one. This was because they showed understanding in areas where they had struggled before. 

Once this policy was created, I shared it with all my sections. Students overwhelmingly supported it. So, we decided to implement it on a trial basis. Once that was a success, I shared this with colleagues, and they implemented it in their classrooms as well. It is now a regular course policy and is shared in all of my course syllabi.

a policy that works for teachers and students

After we set this policy up in my classroom, I observed a variety of benefits.

Morale boost for teacher and students: There was an immediate turnaround for both me and my students. Students who felt that failure was inevitable were motivated and engaged. And I felt better about giving students another chance-–but with boundaries. 

Increased accountability: Students held each other accountable for their own success and admitted when they were not putting in their effort. Parents were highly supportive; it was clear why a student was not successful, and this saved a lot of time responding to parent emails.

Better-quality work: Work was less rushed, which led to better quality, deeper learning, and stronger assessment scores. Students told me they had often rushed through work so it wouldn’t be marked late, but this gave them time to do quality work and therefore learn in the process.

Students did the work: Very few students used the “proof of competency policy” as a chance to simply not do work. Rather, this policy helped students prioritize missing work if they got really behind. Although I worried that this policy might be taken advantage of, only a small handful of students tried—and they realized very quickly that this was not a recipe for success. 

Range of grades: There was still a wide range of grades. Highly skilled students who had an excellent understanding of the content still earned excellent grades. Those who struggled earned grades that weren’t quite as high, but they felt empowered with the recognition of their efforts.

So why does this policy work? I believe there are two main reasons. The first is assurance. Provided they do “their part,” students feel that they can be successful and are assured that their efforts do matter. If they make mistakes, life events make submitting work challenging, or the content gets particularly hard for them, there are structures in place to help them. Second, there is a sense of control for the students. Students crave the opportunity to have control over their future, and they are able to recognize what is fair and how they (and their classmates) should be held accountable for their responsibilities.