Late Work

Keeping up with the schedule of assignments for this course is important for two reasons. First, most of the assignments involve our shared mission to read, think, and write in community with one another. We build that community by doing our work at shared times. Second, the readings and assignments move quickly, and they will pile up fast if some are missed.

Therefore, I have built deadlines into the grades of many of the course assignments, especially those that contribute to our communal work. I also understand the need for flexibility and communication, so I encourage you to let me know as quickly as possible if you anticipate difficulties in completing an assignment.

In short, this is the policy: please submit assignments on time whenever possible, especially when they will become part of our conversation in class. If you need flexibility with a deadline, contact me in advance, and we will work together. So that you do not become overwhelmed by a backlog of late assignments, I will give credit only to assignments submitted within a week of the original deadline.

Students often struggle to meet deadlines for reasons other than lack of time to complete an assignment. Sometimes they suffer from "writer's block." Sometimes they have trouble getting started because they focus on their own expectations for the finished product and worry that they will fall short of their goals. I would much rather help students through these problems than accept late work.

If you feel overwhelmed by an assignment, see me right away. We will begin by focusing on the purpose of the assignment: to learn new material and improve your skills of writing and communication. With that purpose in mind, we will break the assignment down into manageable daily tasks. I find that focusing on learning in this way helps students feel less overwhelmed and more able to enjoy the learning process. They therefore become more likely to complete their work on time.

For the class's smaller assignments, the expectation of timely submission is already built into the grading criteria. For the larger projects and papers, I do expect timely submission and to have the kind of conversation described above if the deadline becomes a problem. In the case of substantial or repeated late submission of larger assignments, the lateness may affect the assignment grade by up to 20%, in line with the policy for grading the shorter assignments.

I respect the need for accommodations for disabilities. We will work with the Coordinator for Disability Resources to establish accommodations appropriate for this class.