Assignment Deadlines and Lateness

For in-person/real-time assignments:

Many of my assignments involve some in-person/real-time presentation component (whether it’s sharing work with your classmates and receiving their feedback, or meeting with me one-on-one to work through an essay, or performing a play, or something else): those assignments cannot be extended under any circumstances, but you can always send me (or a TA, if your class has TAs) an email asking for priority in scheduling, so you can make your in-person/real-time presentation as late as possible that way (that’s sort of a built-in extension).

If you miss the scheduled in-person/real-time presentation you signed up for, then email me immediately; I’ve got a different protocol for how I handle no-shows for each in-person/real-time assignment. (For one-on-one real-time essay submissions, as long as you email me a pdf or doc[x] copy of the paper by the end of the day you were originally scheduled to present, I’ll receive it as I would any late paper — see below).

For all other assignments:

If there’s no in-person/real-time component to an assignment, then my extension and lateness policy is always this:

  • All requests for deadline extensions made a week in advance will be granted. You do not have to give a reason — just email me (or your TA, if your class has TAs) at least a week before the usual deadline to ask that your deadline be moved a week later. Just ask!

  • I will not grant extensions, for any reason, that are not requested one calendar week in advance of the deadline listed on the course schedule, with no exceptions (but worry not — the lateness penalties are very light; see below).

  • If any assignment has any in-person/real-time components (see above), then no part of it is eligible for extensions and no part of it can be handed in late. I can’t accept assignments in parts.

  • All extensions are for one extra week exactly (no more and no less).

  • By requesting an extension or handing in work late, you give up on your opportunity to receive feedback and comments from me (or your TA). I (or your TA) will give numerical grades to late or extended assignments, but no comments or feedback otherwise (though you can meet with me in Office Hours later to talk about the assignment).

  • Lateness penalties are very light.

    • If you miss a deadline (including an extended deadline), then you lose 3/100 points (3%) from your assignment grade. From there, you’ve got one week to get the assignment in (it’s a flat three-point penalty for the first week, whether you get it in seven hours late or seven days late — so if you’ve already missed the deadline, you might as well not rush it).

    • If one week passes after the missed deadline (including an extended deadline), and you still haven’t gotten the assignment in, then you lose another 3/100 points (3%) from your assignment grade — that’s a total of 6/100 (6%) deducted for lateness. That’s the maximum lateness points I will deduct in my classes. From there, you’ve got until the last day of classes to get the assignment in (it’s a flat six-point penalty after the first week, whether you get it in eight days late or on the last day of class, so take your time).

    • Unless you have arranged for a medical or personal dispensation with your college registrar and English department administrators, no late work will be accepted in my classes after the last day of class — unless the assignment deadline listed on the course schedule is on or after the last day of class (if that is the case, then work can be accepted as late as one week after the assignment deadline listed on the course schedule).

      • If you have arranged for a medical or personal dispensation with your college registrar and English department administrators, then I will honour it (again, you do not have to tell me the reason or cause). As long as you handle the administrative necessities of arranging and receiving approval for a medical or personal dispensation to turn in work late, I’ll accept work whenever you get it in—but note that, even with a medical or personal dispensation, I will only accept late/extended work on assignments that have no in-person/real-time components. Assignments with in-person/real-time components, including attendance, participation, and real-time in-class questions, cannot under any circumstances be made up after term ends.