On Dealing with Late Work
A late work policy that works for faculty and students
I’m teaching a new faculty orientation course this summer at Wilmington University. One of my students, who’s preparing to teach for the first time this coming fall, asked the following:
If you walk into any department meeting on your local campus and ask this question, you’d hear just as many distinct responses as there are people in the room. Late assignment policies are one of those seemingly innocuous parts of a syllabus, but your students’ wellbeing hinges on it. Late work policies are hotly debated, with punitive, unilateral policies serving as a proxy for fairness and the preservation of academic rigor.
I could go on about how fairness is a loaded concept that, when used to justify strict late work policies, actually reinforces educational inequity, but that’s another piece for another night. (This piece by Jenn Mallette, Associate Writing Professor at Boise State University, explains it quite well.)
I sympathize with faculty who bear heavy teaching loads and feel like they’re stuck choosing whether to protect their sanity or maximize students’ learning. But even the most overworked professor can make their assignment policy clearer, more transparent, and more open to invite student feedback on how to make the policy work for everyone.
Any late work policy should answer the following common questions from students:
Can I submit assignments past the deadline?
If I submit an assignment past the deadline, will I receive full credit, partial credit, or zero credit?
Will points be progressively deducted the later an assignment is submitted?
Are assignment extensions allowed? If so, how far in advance do I need to notify my instructor about my need for an extension?
If I’m not satisfied with my initial performance on an assignment, can I resubmit for a higher score and/or additional feedback?
Answering these questions up front is key, as some students, especially first-gen students who aren’t well-versed in the hidden curriculum, may make assumptions or misinterpret policies that don’t address these concerns explicitly.
I’ve included my assignment policy below. Feel free to take pieces of it, use it as a template, or use it wholesale if it aligns with how you plan to run your courses. For context, I teach one small course with 15-20 students each year, in addition to my traveling faculty development work. I allow my students to resubmit assignments for additional feedback and higher scores because it’s logistically feasible—and because it leads to stronger learning outcomes. I realize some faculty teach large sections, teach multiple sections at a time, and/or don’t have TAs to lean on. However, I’m hoping that the ethos behind this policy and the specificity with which it’s communicated can inspire faculty to scrap the punitive aspects of their late work policy and embody a more accessible, wellness-centered pedagogy, regardless of your teaching situation.
Assignment Policy
Each assignment in this course has a suggested due date designed to keep you on track with the flow of the course. The modules are carefully sequenced to support your learning, and sticking to the deadlines will help you fully engage with each topic before we move on to the next. Submitting work on time allows you to participate in class discussions, deliver and integrate peer feedback, alleviate end-of-semester stress, and build your understanding alongside your classmates. However, I understand that you have responsibilities that take precedence over this course. You can submit work past the deadline for full credit. However, I ask that you make a best-faith effort to submit assignments by the posted deadlines—even if your work feels incomplete.
Late and Missing Assignments
You’ll have the chance to revise and resubmit assignments later for additional feedback and a higher score, EXCEPT for the final project. I trust your judgment on whether it’s more helpful to delay the submission of your assignment to ensure you get the most out of it, or whether the feedback received from a not-quite finished assignment better serves your needs. If you’d like help making these decisions, please feel free to reach out via email or speak with me one-on-one.
Each assignment submission includes a space for you to briefly share any context you’d like me to know. If you anticipate being late on an assignment, you can notify me as a courtesy, but no prior notice or explanation is required. As we approach the halfway point of the course, I’ll check in with students who are missing assignments to give them support. I’ll do the same as we approach the end of the semester.
Helpful Reminders:
All assignments can be revised and resubmitted for full credit. No points will be deducted for late assignments.
If you’re feeling stuck—writer’s block, time management, not knowing where to begin—please come to office hours. I’m happy to help.
Feedback timeline:
For assignments submitted on time, feedback and grades will typically be given 1-2 weeks after submission.
For late and re-submitted assignments, feedback will be returned on a rolling basis throughout the course.
There will be a mid-course checkpoint, at which I will ensure all assignment grades are up to date.
All grades will be finalized by [insert date].
If you have questions about this policy, or suggestions for how it could better support your learning, please let me know.
I would deeply appreciate your feedback: What is this policy missing? What ideas does it give you for refining your own late work policy? What questions does it raise for you? Let me know in the comments below.
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