Extension of Deadlines for Assignments

For students with conditions that are episodic in nature or that impact their ability to devote sufficient time to the assignment, strict assignment deadlines and punitive grading on late assignments can prevent them from demonstrating their full mastery of class content.

The purpose of a reasonable accommodation is to ensure students with disabilities are not disproportionately penalized for exacerbations in their condition. This conditions may be unpredictable and inevitable in spite of the student’s ongoing health and time management practices.

When Is This Authorized as an Accommodation?

This accommodation is granted to students who have documented disabilities with symptoms and/or medical necessities that are so severe they may render the student unable to complete assignments at the scheduled time. As with all accommodations, the students must send their Letter of Accommodation and must meet to discuss their Letter of Accommodation with the professor prior to the implementation of accommodations. The discussion can take place over email, Teams, Zoom, phone, etc.

Most students with chronic, episodic conditions intend to complete assignments within the scheduled deadline. However, due to their disability and the unpredictable nature of symptoms, students may face barriers to completing work on time regardless of the amount of time provided by the professor. For example, a student in your course could be on track to complete the assignment on time but then experience symptoms close to the deadline. This accommodation would allow for extensions in deadlines for assignments when the student’s disability affects their ability to meet a deadline.

This accommodation allows for extensions in deadlines for assignment policies to the extent that is reasonable (i.e., does not lower the essential requirements or learning outcomes of a course).

What Constitutes “Reasonable” With Regardto Extensions of Deadlines for Assignments?

The accommodation for Extension of Deadlines for Assignments should always be considered on an individual basis, allowing an intentional and critical analysis how the sequencing of assignments and their corresponding deadlines are essential to the class learning objectives and pedagogical components. While a late assignment policy may be incorporated into the grading scheme and syllabus, this accommodation is intended to modify any stated policies to allow some flexibility to account for the student’s disability-related need.

The accommodation should be provided unless the accommodation significantly compromises the integrity of the course as offered. If you believe assignment extensions are not possible, then instructors should consult with an access consultant to determine the reasonability of the request within the specific context of your class. The DRC will consult with instructors using the following questions to determine the reasonability:

• What does the class description and syllabus say about assignment deadlines or late work?
• How is the final class grade calculated? To what extent are assignments factored into the final grade? Are there any alternative grading schemes for assignments (i.e. one assignment grade may be dropped, etc.)?
• Are assignment deadline policies consistently applied? (i.e., Have any exceptions made to the policy for non-disabled students, such as for athletic travel or religious observances? If so, then these exceptions must also be granted to students with disabilities.)
• What is the purpose of the assignment? Is it necessary to have it completed before an exam? Before a discussion?
• Is the material being learned in the class sequential? Does each week’s material build on the material learned in the previous week(s)? (This may shorten the window of time in which an extension can reasonably be granted.)
• Are assignments used as class content when they are due? Are students required to actively participate in class discussions/activities based off of the assignment?
• Are answer sets released that would impact a student’s ability to request an extension? If so, how important is the timeliness of providing the answer sets to student learning and course sequencing?
• Are there other lab or class sections the student could attend to catch up on missed material?
• Does the assignment involve teamwork? Would failure to complete the assignment on time compromise the educational experience of other students in the class?

What Are Considerations When Implementing Assignment Extensions?

• Limits on singular assignments are reasonable; provide clear limits to define the extension. This is not a “free pass” for students to turn in late work. Agreed upon extensions should be specific and limited to a specific amount of time.
• The instructor’s class policy on late work (e.g., 10 points off a grade for each day late) will remain applicable even to students with extensions in deadlines for assignment accommodation if they fail to meet the agreed upon disability-related extension, or if they miss deadlines for other non-disability-related reasons.
• Students are never required to provide medical documentation to instructors to justify use of this accommodation.
• Accommodations are never retroactive; instructors are not obligated to adjust previous extensions prior to the Letter of Accommodation being received and a discussion/understanding being made between the student and instructor.

If you have any questions or concerns about the implementation of this accommodation, please contact the student’s access consultant or the DRC at drc@niu.edu or by calling 815-753-1303.