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How to Email Professor About Late Work

Last Updated: April 12, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed. and by wikiHow staff writer, Caroline Heiderscheit . Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 178,582 times.

With deadlines, jobs, activities, and relationships to juggle, managing your schedule as a student can be tough. If you’ve realized you’re going to miss a deadline (we’ve all been there), you might be wondering how to email your professor for an extension, to apologize, or to limit any late penalties. Don't worry, we've got you covered. Below, we'll walk you through how to email your professor, plus we'll give you some sample emails to inspire you, too. To learn how to email your professor about late work, read on!

Example Emails to Professors for a Late Assignment

Every now and then, it’s okay to miss a deadline. When this happens, send an email immediately and say something along the lines of, “I apologize for turning in this assignment late. Know that I take my work seriously, and I'll do my best to avoid this in the future. I would greatly appreciate an extension on this paper if possible.”

Tips For Late Work Emails

• Don’t say: “I’m just genuinely so, so sorry. I can’t believe I turned this in late, and you have no idea how long I prepped for this assignment. I really am so sorry that I missed the deadline, and you should know that I will do my best in the future, even when I have tech issues, to not let this happen again.”
• Instead say: “I apologize for turning in this assignment late. Know that I take my work seriously and I’ll do my best to avoid this in the future.”

• Don’t say: “Message from a student in Psych 104,” “Need an extension,” or “Hello from Randy Bernard!”
• Instead say: “Extension Request for Psych104, Paper 2: Randy Bernard”

• Use a formal greeting. “Dear Professor James,” and “Professor James,” are perfect. “Hey,” and “Hi,” are too informal and should be avoided.
• Same goes for your signoff—choose a formal phrase. “Best,” and “Sincerely,” are great picks.
• If you’re asking your professor for something, be sure to ask, not demand. Instead of saying “I need” an extension, say that an extension would be extremely helpful to you.
• Remember to use “Please” and “Thank you," too!

• This could hurt your relationship and increase penalties on your assignment.
• So instead, say you're sorry: “I apologize for my late assignment. I know you're busy, and I don’t want to waste your time.”
• “I’m sorry for this late paper, especially because it communicates a lack of care and concern for my grades that I don't feel is accurate.”

• “If I had an extra 48 hours to complete this assignment, I’d be able to fully explore and structure my insights for this term paper.”
• “I would greatly appreciate an extension on this project. With a little more time, I could turn in my very best work and learn even more from this assignment."

• “Last night, my dog had a bar of chocolate without me realizing. I’ve spent the entire evening with her at the vet.”
• "To be entirely honest, I've been dealing with some mental health issues that are seriously affecting my schoolwork."
• If you can, avoid lying. If you're granted an extension and the truth comes out later on, you could face major consequences.

• Don’t say: “Honestly, it was out of my hands entirely. I’m a victim of circumstance, and that’s why my assignment is late.”
• Instead say: “It's true that I didn’t plan for this to happen. That being said, if I’d started earlier, this wouldn’t have been an issue. So I know, ultimately, this is my fault. I take full responsibility.”

• “This isn’t like me, and in the future, I promise to do better.”
• “I take my schoolwork very seriously. If it weren’t for my dog’s illness, I would have made getting this assignment in my top priority.”

Sample Emails

Why You Should Email Your Professor About Late Work

• Policies around extensions differ from school to school, but by writing an A+ email, you can only help your chances.
• Generally, professors only give you an extension under extenuating circumstances, like a major accident. They're going to be less inclined to extend an assignment if you had competing priorities, like work.
• Professors are people too, and they want to help! Especially if you don’t have a history of late work, when you plead your case, they may be more forgiving than you’d expect.

• Especially if you had a major, unforeseen factor pop up in the final moments before submitting your assignment, you may be able to explain and limit your punishment.

• By offering a respectful and honest apology for your late assignment, you can improve your relationship with your professor, earn their respect, and possibly limit your late assignment’s penalties.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://dean.williams.edu/files/2010/09/Guide-to-Emailing-Professors-1.pdf
• ↑ https://advising.yalecollege.yale.edu/how-write-email-your-instructor
• ↑ https://studentaffairs.loyno.edu/health-counseling/university-counseling-center/news-ucc/emailing-your-professor-tips-tricks-health
• ↑ https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/how-to-ask-for-an-extension/
• ↑ https://www.makemyassignments.com/blog/how-to-complete-your-assignments-before-the-deadline/
• ↑ https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2019/09/23/tips-handling-missed-deadline-opinion

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Late Assignment Email: Examples and Professor Escape Tips

• by Joseph Kenas
• January 18, 2024
• Professors and Faculty

Late assignment emails are ways that students use to communicate to their professors on issues of late assignments. Here are top late assignment examples and tips to get away with a late assignment

Students getting late with assignments is a common thing in school today, and it is good to find a way to save face and earn a grade. And nothing hacks the situation better than an email to the professor.

These are not just normal emails and there are specifications that students need to follow when communicating to the lecturer on late assignments.

Be intentional when writing to your instructor. Therefore, before we delve into the examples of emails you can write to your professor when you are late, let us first check some of the reasons that may necessitate such action.

Why Write a Late Assignment Email to your Professor?

The following are some of the reasons why students write late assignment emails to their professors:

1. To Inform the Professor That you Will Submit the Assignment Late

Students who are unable to finish their assignments on time write to professors to inform them that their assignments will be late.

It is important to inform professors in advance that you will not submit your assignment as per the deadline rather than submitting it with no notice. 

2. Explaining why you will be Late

Some students are held up by unavoidable circumstances that hinder them from completing their assignments on time.

When the student is ill or his parents or guardians are, balancing time between taking care of parents, doing household chores, and doing their assignments is hard.

These students write to their instructors informing them that they may miss the assignment deadline

3. Requesting for An Extension

Students who can’t finish their assignments on time write to their instructors requesting additional time to complete their assignments.

This email should explain the reasons as to why they were unable to meet the set deadline, their assignment progress, and the time that they need to complete the assignment.

Students who request deadlines to have more time for conducting research and eventually submitting quality work are mostly known by professors and get their requests granted. 

4. Apologizing for Late Assignments

Professors hate it when students hand in their work late. It is, therefore, good if students write emails to their professors apologizing for late assignment submissions.

An apology email should be written in a sincere most manner. This can help avoid harsh penalties and earn leniency from your professor.

Professors are always understanding and will listen to your concerns provided you don’t have a record of being irresponsible. An apology email should have believable reasons as to why your assignment is late.

It should also have the apology directed to the instructor and a promise that you made a mistake and it will never be repeated. 

How to Write a Late Assignment Email

In our guide on how to write an email to a professor , we guided you on the steps to take and the reasons that can necessitate it. However, emails on lateness are different.

Late assignment emails have become common among students today. Most people are familiar with emails but not very good with writing late emails.

Below is how one should write a late assignment email to your professor.

On the “To” part write the email address of your professor.

Always confirm that you have the correct email address to avoid sending your email to a different person. 

On the subject part of the email write the reason why you are sending the email. The reasons can be?

• Application letter for late assignment submission. This can be due to the need for more time for research or if the student forgot submitting homework or did not remember when the assignment was due.
• Apology letter for late assignment submission. This is a direct apology to the professor for late assignment submissions, a regret for any inconvenience caused, and a promise to change.
• Request for a deadline extension. This is mostly written by students who have not done the assignment due to unavoidable circumstances.

Still, on the subject part, include your name and personal information that will help the professor identify you.

On the body part of your email explain why you are writing the email. Begin with a salutation that is “Dear sir/madam.”

Now explain yourself in simple terms and make the professor understand why you are submitting your assignment late. You can borrow an example from a list of excuses for a late assignment that I have created from my interactions with students.

End it with a polite closure. Most students use “sincere apologies and regards.” Insert your name or your school registration number at the end.

Examples of Late Assignment Emails

1. an example of a late submission apology.

2. Deadline Extension Email example

Tips when Writing a Late Assignment Email

There are several things you should do and not do when writing a late assignment email.

Keep it brief

Never write a long letter. Go straight to the point. Explain yourself in 6-7 sentences. Anything more than that will be too big. Remember the professor has limited time.

Use the Correct Email

Make sure that the email of your professor is correct. You can check it on the syllabus where they provide it or on the official website of the institution.

This is very crucial. You have done a mistake and you should address the professor in the right manner. Use the full name of the professor.

Also, use Dear sir/madam at the beginning. Mind the tome of the language you use. Be sorry. End your email with a complimentary close too.

Fill in the subject part of the email correctly

This is where you write what your email is all about. Use statements such as “late assignment submission” or “missed paper deadline. Write your name too and your personal information too for easy identification. 

• If you need a deadline extension, ask for permission to meet up and set another due date for your assignment.
• Always apologize for your lateness and express regrets for not completing your assignment on time. 

The Don’ts

Avoid a friendly language.

Even if you are friends with the professor write your email in an official language. If you use too much informal language, the teacher may ignore your email and this becomes a waste of time.

Avoid Long Emails

Do not write a lot of information. You are likely to distort the message. Some professors do not like such long emails because, in the first place, they know the disadvantages of late homework to the rest of the class.

When you lie and investigations reveal you lied, you will be in for severe penalties. Always be sincere with your explanation of what led to late submission.

Do not Shift Blames

Take responsibility for submitting the assignment late. Don’t blame the professor or the institution. 

What to Write to your Professor

In most cases, instructors provide you with a guide for sending assignments through emails. In these cases, follow the instructions fully.

When there are no instructions provided, on the subject part write the course name, course code, the title of the assignment, and your details.

On the body part of the professor begin with a proper email greeting and explain briefly what you have sent. Attach the assignment file and send.

Joseph is a freelance journalist and a part-time writer with a particular interest in the gig economy. He writes about schooling, college life, and changing trends in education. When not writing, Joseph is hiking or playing chess.

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How do you handle late work, and why?

A new quarter is beginning soon at my college and I am reevaluating my late-work policy. All the assignments and due dates are known at the beginning of the class, so there shouldn't be any reason for late work, but I realize that sometimes the unavoidable happens. Because of this I try to be somewhat flexible to meet my students needs, and encourage them to learn instead of quitting.

My current policy is to allow for 2 weeks past the due date, with a 50% penalty. I have this same policy for all of my classes (100-400 level). My current frustration is that several students are submitting assignments at 13.9 days late. (Note that I teach IT/Cybersecurity, so I really want students to do the labs and exercises to learn the content.)

What are your policies and why? Do they change depending on the class or level?

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Apology Letters

Apology Letter for Being Late in Submission – Sample Letter

In all organizations, adhering to deadlines for work submissions is crucial. The timely completion of tasks often has a significant impact, particularly in organizations that rely on financial donors and must submit comprehensive project reports. Commercial companies also place great importance on deadlines, with employees expected to meet them consistently. However, employees may occasionally fail to meet these deadlines due to tardiness or other factors.

If you find yourself submitting work late, it can create challenges in your workplace. However, there’s no need to panic, as you can address the situation by writing a sincere apology letter. In this letter, be sure to explain the reasons for your late submission. Utilizing a Sample Apology Letter for late submission as a guide can help clarify, streamline, and simplify the process of crafting a thoughtful and effective apology.

Apology Letter for Being Late in Submission

[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Email Address] [Phone Number] [Date]

[Recipient’s Name] [Recipient’s Job Title or Role] [Company/Organization Name] [Company/Organization Address] [City, State, ZIP Code]

Subject: Apology for Late Submission of [Project/Assignment/Report Name]

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

I am writing to extend my sincere apologies for the delay in submitting the [Project/Assignment/Report Name] that was due on [Original Due Date]. I understand the importance of meeting deadlines and the potential consequences of failing to do so. I recognize that my tardiness may have caused inconvenience to you and others involved, and for that, I am truly sorry.

The reason for the delay in submission was [Briefly explain the reason for the delay, e.g., unforeseen circumstances, personal issues, or technical difficulties]. Despite my best efforts to complete the [Project/Assignment/Report] on time, I was unable to do so due to these circumstances. I take full responsibility for not managing my time effectively and not communicating the potential delay earlier.

In order to rectify the situation, I have [Outline steps you have taken or will take to make amends, e.g., working extra hours, seeking help, or setting up a new timeline]. I assure you that I have learned from this experience, and I am committed to preventing similar situations from occurring in the future.

Please find the completed [Project/Assignment/Report] attached with this letter. I kindly request that you consider accepting my submission despite the delay. I am more than willing to make any necessary revisions or address any concerns you may have.

Once again, please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience my late submission may have caused. I greatly appreciate your understanding and patience in this matter, and I am committed to ensuring that it does not happen again.

Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at [Email Address] or [Phone Number]. I am available to discuss this matter further and address any issues that may arise.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[Your Name]

Sample apology letter for being late in submission of documents

An employee may write a letter to their employer apologizing for the late submission of documents, particularly if this delay has impacted the company’s performance. Offering an apology can help address the mistake and facilitate better understanding. Effective communication can prevent harsh judgments and foster a positive relationship with your supervisor. When composing this letter, consider the following key points:

• Begin and conclude your letter with an appropriate salutation.
• Clearly state the purpose of the letter.
• Offer a genuine and heartfelt apology.
• Express your hope for a favorable and understanding response.

Letter for late submission of documents

[April 2, 20xx]

Mr. John Lewis

ABZ Company

Dear Mr. Lewis,

I am writing to sincerely apologize for the late submission of my documents. The original deadline called for their submission last Monday. Unfortunately, an unforeseen emergency required my immediate attention, as my younger sister fell ill and needed urgent medical care.

I fully recognize that this delay may have caused inconvenience for you and the company, and I want to assure you that it was not my intention. I accept complete responsibility for my actions and promise to ensure that such a situation does not arise in the future.

I appreciate your understanding and consideration in this matter. If there is anything further I can do to help alleviate the inconvenience caused, please do not hesitate to let me know.

[Your Signature]

More Apology Letters for Late Submission of Documents

• Letter to the Principal for Late Submission of an Assignment
• For Late Submission of Business Documents
• For Late Submission of Application

Sample apology letter for being late in submission of assignment

When a student composes a letter to a teacher apologizing for the late submission of an assignment or homework, it is crucial to maintain a formal tone. Utilize polite and respectful language to convey your message effectively. The content of the letter should be persuasive enough to convince the recipient of your sincerity. Assure the teacher that you will not repeat this mistake in the future. Be cautious when providing a reason for the delay, ensuring it is truthful and won’t prompt the teacher to inquire further with your parents. Express your hope for understanding and affirm that you will submit the assignment promptly.

Apology letter for late submission of assignment

[May 7, 20xx]

[Mr. James Jones]

Dear Mr. Jones,

I am writing to sincerely apologize for the late submission of my assignment. Unfortunately, I was unable to submit it on time due to a sudden illness. I experienced a high fever, which required my parents to take me to the hospital for medical attention.

I understand the importance of meeting deadlines and assure you that I will submit the entire assignment before the revised due date.

I hope for your understanding and positive consideration in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]

[Daniel Dan]

More Sample Letters for Late Submission of Assignment / Homework

• For late homework
• For late submission of business assignment

Apology letter for late submission of thesis

[October 9, 20XX]

Palm University

Subject: Apology for Late Submission of My Thesis

Dear Mr. Scoop,

I am writing to apologize for the late submission of my thesis presentation, which was originally scheduled for September 8, 20XX. Unfortunately, I was unable to meet this deadline due to urgent family matters that required my immediate attention.

I understand that this delay has caused inconvenience in terms of scheduling and planning. Therefore, I kindly request your permission to continue with my thesis so that I can make up for the lost time. I have resolved the family issues that initially hindered my progress, and I am confident that there will be no further delays if given a second chance.

Please accept my sincere apology for this oversight. I eagerly await your consideration and hope to be granted the opportunity to proceed with my thesis.

Best regards,

Sample apology letter for being late in submission of project

This letter is addressed to the individual who assigned the work, which could be a supervisor in any professional setting. In the event that you fail or are delayed in submitting your project by the specified deadline, a sincere apology letter can help to mend the situation. Be honest in explaining the reasons for your tardiness and use polite, respectful language throughout the letter. This approach will make it less likely for your supervisor to judge you harshly. Furthermore, composing such a letter demonstrates your remorse for the mistake and your willingness to take responsibility for your actions.

Apology letter for late submission of project

[February 14, 2022]

To: The Senior Manager

Auro-Bold Line

THU Investments Company Ltd

Subject: Late Project Submission

I am writing to sincerely apologize for submitting the project several days past the deadline. This delay was caused by an unexpected emergency in our apartment, during which some vital research documents were destroyed. As a result, I had to recreate the project from scratch, which prevented me from completing it within the allotted time. I deeply regret this situation and kindly request your understanding. I assure you that I will take all necessary precautions to prevent such an occurrence in the future.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Apology letter for not submitting project on time

[Recipient’s Name]

[Recipient’s Position]

[Company/Organization Name]

[City, State, Zip]

Dear [Recipient’s Last Name],

I am writing to extend my sincerest apologies for the late submission of the project, which was due on [due date]. Unfortunately, I encountered an unforeseen circumstance on the day of submission that significantly delayed my delivery of the project.

While en route to submit the project, I found myself caught in an unusually heavy traffic jam that lasted for approximately four hours. This unexpected delay was the primary cause for my inability to submit the project on time. I understand the importance of meeting deadlines and the potential inconvenience my tardiness may have caused you and our team.

Please be assured that I have taken this incident as a learning experience and will make every effort to avoid such delays in the future. I am committed to improving my time management and planning skills to ensure that all future projects are submitted promptly and in accordance with established deadlines.

Once again, I kindly ask for your understanding and forgiveness for my late submission. I truly appreciate your patience and consideration in this matter.

Yours respectfully,

[Mary Mines]

More Apology Letters for Late Submission of Projects

• For Late Submission of a Business Project
• To the Principal/Teacher for Late Submission of Project

Letter of apology for late submission of requirements

[Your Address]

[Director or Management]

[Company Name]

[Company Address]

Dear [Sir / Madam],

Subject: Apology for Late Submission of Requirements

Please accept my sincere apologies for the delayed submission of the required documents. I was unable to submit them on [date] due to an unexpected emergency at home. I understand that this delay may have caused inconvenience for [Company Name], and I am aware that my tardiness has potentially impacted the company’s operations.

I had previously worked on the requirements list as agreed upon during our discussion on [date], which was communicated via [email/phone]. I deeply regret this unforeseen situation and assure you that I will take measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Enclosed with this letter, you will find the completed list of requirements. Please proceed with the execution of the necessary tasks at your earliest convenience. If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to contact me through my [email/phone].

Again, I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate your understanding.

[Your Full Name]

Apology letter for late submission of report

Project Manager

Dear [Sir/Madam],

Subject: Apology Letter for Late Submission of Report

I am writing to submit the enclosed report on [name of the project] that you requested on [date]. Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in submitting this report. I had completed the report and was prepared to submit it on time, but I received an email from your assistant (copied to you) requesting the addition of a project synopsis. This necessitated extra time for completion.

I had assumed that you were already aware of this change, given your position on the project panel. However, I apologize for not communicating this information to you in a timely manner. I understand that this delay may have caused difficulties in explaining the situation to the client. I assure you that this will not happen again in the future. Should a similar situation arise, I will ensure prompt communication with you.

Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

[Full Name]

More Apology Letters for Late Submission of Reports

• Letter Format for Late Submission of Report
• Sample Letter for Late Submission of Financial Report
• Explanation Letter For Late Submission of Reports

Apology letter for late submission of invoice

Subject: Apology for Late Submission of Invoice

I am writing to sincerely apologize for the late submission of the invoice related to [subject]. You were initially supposed to receive it by [date], but unfortunately, this did not occur. The delay was caused by an unforeseen event, specifically [cause of delay], which prevented me from submitting the invoice on time.

I fully understand that this delay may have caused inconvenience for your company, and I take responsibility for any disruptions it may have created. To prevent such an occurrence in the future, I have [action taken] to ensure that this issue will not happen again. I deeply regret the mistake and any trouble it may have caused.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at [email/phone] if you have any questions or concerns.

Once again, I apologize for the delay and hope that we can move forward from this incident.

Apology letter for late submission of quotation

Subject: Sincere Apology for the Delayed Quotation

Dear Mr. Richard,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to express my sincerest apologies for the delay in sending you the quotation, which was due on January 10th, 20XX. I understand that my tardiness in providing you with the necessary information has likely caused inconvenience to you and your planning team.

The primary reason for the delay was an unforeseen emergency involving my daughter. This urgent situation demanded my immediate attention and unfortunately took up the entirety of the two days during which I was unable to send the quotation. I realize that the timing of this event was unfortunate, and I deeply regret any inconvenience it may have caused you and your team.

I want to assure you that I have now sent the quotation to your email address, and I sincerely hope that you will still be able to consider it for your project discussion. Moving forward, I promise to be more diligent in meeting deadlines and maintaining clear communication to prevent such issues from occurring in the future.

Once again, please accept my heartfelt apologies for any difficulties my oversight may have caused. I am committed to providing you with the best possible service, and I am grateful for your understanding in this matter.

Apology letter for late submission of medical bills

Dear [Recipient],

Subject: Apology for Late Submission of Medical Bills

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to extend my sincerest apologies for the late payment of the medical bills related to [expense]. I acknowledge that these bills were due on your desk by [date]. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to meet this deadline.

Recently, I faced an unexpected emergency involving [mention issue], which demanded my immediate attention. As a result, the submission of the medical bills was unfortunately delayed. I understand that this delay may have caused some inconvenience for your institution, and for that, I am truly sorry.

Please rest assured that I have taken measures to prevent this type of situation from occurring in the future. I value your understanding and cooperation, and I assure you that such incidents will not happen again.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via [email/phone]. I am more than happy to address any issues that may have arisen due to this delay.

Once again, please accept my most sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. I appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter.

With heartfelt apologies,

Apology letter for late submission of certificates

[Your Address] [City, State, Zip Code] [Date]

[Recipient’s Name] [Recipient’s Job Title] [Company Name] [Company Address] [City, State, Zip Code]

Subject: Apology for Late Submission of Certificates

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to express my sincere apologies for the delay in submitting the required certificates, which were originally due on [date]. Unfortunately, they were not delivered to you until [date]. I deeply regret any inconvenience or complications this may have caused you and the company.

I understand that the timely submission of these certificates is crucial for the proper functioning of our processes and that their late arrival could have resulted in a significant loss of resources, as well as additional efforts to have them reviewed and processed.

Please be assured that I have taken the matter seriously and have implemented [action taken] to ensure that such an oversight does not occur again in the future. I am committed to making every effort to prevent any similar delays and to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and efficiency.

I hope that you will find it in your heart to accept my apologies and consider my submission, even though it is later than anticipated. Your understanding and forgiveness in this matter would be greatly appreciated, and I am confident that this incident will serve as a valuable learning experience for me.

Once again, please accept my most sincere apologies, and thank you for your time and consideration.

Apology letter for late submission of resume

[Recipient’s Name] [Title or Position] [Company Name] [Company Address] [City, State, Zip Code]

Dear [Recipient’s Sir/Madam],

Subject: Apology for Late Submission of Resume

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to sincerely apologize for the late submission of my resume for the [job title] position at [Company Name]. I understand that the deadline for submission was [date], and I regret not being able to send it in time.

Unfortunately, I encountered an unforeseen event, specifically [mention the event], which prevented me from submitting my resume as planned. Although I had completed the resume well in advance, this unexpected circumstance caused a significant delay in my ability to submit it promptly.

Please allow me to express my deepest regrets for any inconvenience this may have caused you and your team. I understand the importance of timely submissions, and I assure you that I will make every effort to prevent this from happening again in the future.

I kindly request your understanding and consideration in reviewing my late submission. If possible, I hope that my resume may still be considered for the [job title] position, as I am truly excited about the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name] and work alongside its esteemed team.

Once again, please accept my sincere apologies for the delay, and thank you for your understanding.

Apology letter to the boss for late submission of the assigned work

[April 18, 20XX]

Subject: Apology for Late Submission of Work

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to extend my sincerest apologies for the late submission of work that I was assigned on [date] pertaining to [subject]. While I understand that the deadline has passed, I hope it is still acceptable for me to submit the completed work. I recognize that this delay may have caused inconvenience and potential setbacks for [company’s name], and for that, I am truly sorry.

The primary reason for the delay in submission was due to [mention the cause in more detail, providing context]. This unexpected challenge led to a longer completion time than I had initially anticipated. In order to prevent any similar occurrences in the future, I have taken the following actions: [list specific actions taken to address the issue and ensure timely completion of future tasks].

Please accept my heartfelt apologies for any trouble this may have caused. I am committed to learning from this experience and will strive to meet all future deadlines in a timely manner. Thank you for your understanding and patience in this matter.

[Your Signature (if applicable)]

Sample apology letter for being late in submission of work

Submitting work on time is a crucial aspect of being a responsible employee or student. However, there may be times when unforeseen circumstances arise, resulting in late submissions. In such cases, it is important to take ownership of the mistake and apologize for any inconvenience caused. A letter of apology is an effective way to express remorse for late submissions, whether it’s from an employer to a client or a student to a teacher. When writing an apology letter, it is essential to use polite language and offer an explanation of what happened, as well as outlining steps you are taking to prevent similar delays in the future. By doing so, you show that you take the matter seriously and are committed to improving. A well-written apology letter can help maintain a positive relationship with the recipient, even in the face of a mistake.

Apology letter for late submission of work

Subject: Apology for Late Submission of Work Assignment

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to sincerely apologize for the late submission of the work assignment you had entrusted to me. I understand the importance of meeting deadlines, and I deeply regret any inconvenience my delay may have caused you.

Unfortunately, I have been dealing with some unexpected and challenging family matters back at home that have caused me significant stress. These circumstances have impacted my ability to focus on work and meet deadlines. Although I recognize that personal matters should not interfere with professional obligations, I must admit that I have struggled to maintain a balance in this particular instance.

Despite the challenges I am facing, I am fully committed to completing the assignment and delivering it to you as soon as possible. I kindly ask for your understanding and consideration in this matter. I assure you that I am taking the necessary steps to prevent this situation from recurring in the future. To that end, I plan to establish clearer boundaries between my work and personal life, ensuring that my responsibilities at work are met in a timely and efficient manner.

Once again, please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused by my late submission. I deeply appreciate your understanding and look forward to delivering a quality assignment in the very near future.

[Maurice Mike]

Late Submission Email to Professor

Subject: Request for Extension – [Your Name] – [Course Name] – [Assignment Name]

Dear Professor [Last Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to inform you that, unfortunately, I am unable to submit the [Assignment Name] for [Course Name] by the original deadline of [Due Date]. I kindly request your consideration for an extension to submit the assignment.

I have been experiencing [briefly describe the specific circumstances or issues that have caused the delay, e.g., personal/family emergencies, health issues, or unexpected work/school commitments]. These unforeseen challenges have significantly impacted my ability to complete the assignment on time. I have done my best to manage the situation, but the circumstances have been beyond my control.

I understand the importance of submitting work on time, and I am deeply sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. I have been working diligently on the assignment and am committed to submitting a high-quality work that meets your expectations. I kindly request a new deadline of [Proposed New Due Date] to allow me sufficient time to complete the assignment to the best of my ability. If granted, I assure you that I will prioritize this assignment and submit it on or before the proposed extended deadline.

Please let me know if you require any additional information or documentation to support my request. I understand that extensions are granted at your discretion and that you may have concerns about fairness to other students. I am truly grateful for your understanding and consideration in this matter.

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

[Your University ID]

[Course Name and Section]

Email for Late Submission of Project / Report

Sample of an apology email for late submission of a report.

Subject: Apology for Late Submission of Project/Report

Dear [Recipient Name],

I am writing to apologize for failing to submit my [project/report] within the outlined deadlines. I understand that my delay may have caused inconvenience to you and the organization, and for that, I express my sincerest apologies.

The delay was as a result of the loss of some data during our travel back from the study area. Tracing the data took me some weeks, and by the time I completed analyzing the results, time had lapsed. I take full responsibility for my actions and understand the impact of my delay on the project timeline.

I would like to assure you that I have learned from my mistake, and I will take all necessary measures to ensure that such a situation never happens again in the future. I will also appreciate any assistance that you may accord me.

Thank you for your understanding and consideration. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to make up for the inconvenience caused.

More Apology Emails for Late Submission

• Apology Email Format
• Email for Late Submission of Documents

How to Write an Apology Letter for Being Late in Submission

There are times when things happen that may lead a person not to meet the goals set in submitting work, assignment or reports. In such a case the best way to make up for this mistake is to write a note of apology for late submission. This should be done in a professional way. The note should also be simple and straight forward.

• Start straight by describing the mistake of failing to submit the work or the assignment. This explanation should be well dated. Include the dates on which you were supposed to submit the work and explain why you failed to do so.
• Admit the damage that was caused in the business or the organization because of your late submission.
• Accept that you are responsible for the damage that resulted from this fault.
• Give an explanation of what led to the late submission and let this be a genuine explanation.
• Promise that you will not repeat this mistake again by indicating that you have taken the necessary measures to make sure that it never happens again.
• Express your regret using the right statement. E.g. I deeply regret letting the company down.
• Explain the measures you have put in place to ease the damage already caused, like emailing an apology to the client who was inconvenienced by the delay.

Things to consider when writing an apology letter for late submission

When it comes to writing an apology letter for late submission, it’s important to consider a few key things in order to effectively communicate your regret and make amends for any inconvenience caused. Here are some things to keep in mind while writing such a letter:

• Start with a sincere apology: Begin your letter by expressing your sincere apology for the late submission. Be honest and straightforward about your mistake and acknowledge the impact it may have had on the recipient.
• Explain the reason for the delay: In the body of the letter, explain why the submission was delayed. Be specific and provide as much detail as possible to help the recipient understand the circumstances.
• Take responsibility: Accept responsibility for the delay and avoid making excuses or blaming others. Own up to your mistake and show that you are taking steps to prevent it from happening again in the future.
• Express regret and offer to make it right: Show empathy for any inconvenience caused and express your regret for the situation. Offer to make it right in any way possible, such as by providing additional information or completing the task as soon as possible.
• End on a positive note: Close your letter by thanking the recipient for their understanding and patience, and reiterating your commitment to ensuring timely submissions in the future.
• Proofread and revise: Before sending the letter, make sure to proofread it thoroughly for any errors or typos. You may also want to ask someone else to review it for you to ensure it is clear and effective.

No, a letter of apology is very different from a letter of justification. In a letter of apology, one party is offering the individual they wronged an olive branch. The letter of apology is where an individual, group or organization reaches out and makes an attempt at reconciliation. On the other hand, a letter of justification is written when a project cannot meet its milestone. Completing a project depends on many variables, and if one of those variables fails, then the project may be late. For instance, say you had a project where you needed to bake 6 Granny Smith apple pies. You depended on the apples to be delivered on April 5th. However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the supplier emailed you and said they won’t be available until the 10th. You’ve tried to contact other suppliers, but all have the same problem. Thus, you’d write a letter of justification to the one who ordered the pies, explaining to them the situation, and attaching documents to back up your letter.

There is no one right answer. Keep in mind that your insurance provider needs to do the best job possible on all claims in order to keep their employer satisfied. This means that whatever answer you provide must be as honest and truthful with regards to the incident and type of policy you have. No agent will put their job on the line for you, so be honest and truthful with your reason.

The old excuse of “The dog ate my homework”, simply won’t cut it, if it ever did in the first place. Still, life happens and often prevents you from completing an assignment on time. The first rule of thumb is to be as transparent as possible, be truthful and honest. However, there are times when even this is not possible, such as a reason involving a private family matter. In such cases, an alternate reason must be given. Too Many Assignments Given at One Time. This is a very real situation and happens to many students. Here, different instructors assign homework that happens to be due at the same time. If you have 3 teachers who’ve all given assignments due on December 10th, the student risks becoming frazzled and, in an attempt, to get them all done, delivers poor results on all three. Circumstances Beyond Their Control. Things happen, as they say, and when it does there is no way out of the situation. Circumstances beyond control may involve a personal illness, or illness of a family member. It could be a broken-down vehicle. It’s any circumstance where the student has zero control over what occurred. Keep in mind that you always want to be able to back up your excuse. For instance, if you’re sick, get a doctor’s note. If your PC fails you in the middle of an assignment, then grab your phone and take a video of the problem, upload it to Youtube.com and email it to your instructor. The Truth. Depending on how old you are, you’ll be in the educational system for quite a bit. So, why not tell the truth? If you decide to tell the truth, you’ll be developing a positive relationship with the teacher, and perhaps even the entire teaching staff. Being known as an upstanding student who pulls no punches, is a great way to establish a good connection teacher/student connection.

A delivery can mean different things depending on the situation. For instance, if you are working on a project, you are often expected to make “deliverables” on certain dates, or if you’re a company sending office supplies and accidentally miss a delivery. One involves physical goods, while the other involves delivering for a project. In either case, your best customer service skills are required. No matter the reason, your late delivery has probably caused them an inconvenience. Therefore, the best way to apologize is to send a letter of apology. In the letter, state your case and offer the customer a way to correct the situation. Perhaps offer them a discount on future deliveries, for instance. Most people have experienced such delays themselves, or perhaps caused a few, so you’ll often find many to be understanding of the situation.

This depends on the reason for the delayed submission. If you are a victim of circumstances beyond your control, or an illness, and do everything you can to redeem yourself, then you can use this situation to show you are a person of good character and integrity, by owning it and doing your best to correct it. However, it can also mean that you’re in over your head on the project or assignment and need to ask your instructor or manager for help. There’s no shame in asking for assistance if the assignment or project is beyond your abilities. It may also mean that you don’t believe in yourself enough to submit the assignment, that you feel that you can always do better. Then again, if you have a habit of staying out late and partying, then you’d come across as someone who has a low sense of responsibility, as you’re putting the nightlife ahead of your duties. So as you can see, this is a loaded question, as it is the reason for the delay and how you respond, which determines your character.

How to send your letter

There are several ways you can send your apology letter for late submission, depending on the situation and the preferences of the recipient. Here are some options:

• Email: If you have the email address of the recipient, you can send your letter as an email attachment or copy and paste the text of the letter directly into the body of the email. This is a fast and convenient option, but it may not be the most formal or personal.
• Postal mail: If you prefer a more formal and personal approach, you can send your letter via postal mail. Print out a hard copy of the letter, sign it, and mail it to the recipient’s address. This may take longer than email, but it can be a more thoughtful and meaningful gesture.
• Hand delivery: If the recipient is nearby, you may choose to hand deliver your letter in person. This can be a good option if you want to make a personal connection with the recipient and show your sincerity.

Whichever method you choose, make sure to include the recipient’s name and address (if applicable) and any other necessary contact information. If you are sending the letter via email, make sure to attach any relevant documents or files. And always be sure to double-check that the recipient’s information is correct before sending the letter.

Writing an apology letter for late submission can be a challenging task, but it’s an important one if you want to show that you value the recipient’s time and respect their expectations. By following the guidelines outlined in this guide, you can write a strong apology letter that expresses your regret, takes responsibility for the delay, and offers to make it right. Whether you choose to send the letter via email, postal mail, or hand delivery, remember to be sincere, empathetic, and professional in your approach. With a well-crafted apology letter, you can show that you are committed to improving your communication and follow-through in the future.

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How to Write an Email Requesting Your Professor to Accept a Late Assignment

In this blog post we will look at how you can write an email requesting a deadline extension, some tips and tricks to ensure you sound polite and professional and finally a sample email that you can just use. So let us jump in.

Shiva Prabhakaran

Requesting an extension as a student is something we all dread but if the situation demands it then you have to pull up your socks and do it.

And in this blog post we will look at how you can write an email requesting a deadline extension, some tips and tricks to ensure you sound polite and professional and finally a sample email that you can just use. So let us jump in.

Tips to Remember

Be polite with your wording since you do not want to upset your professor and also stay honest with your reasoning.

Take responsibility for being unable to submit assignments on time. There is no harm in stating your reason for delay and moving forward rather than shifting blame elsewhere.

Apologize for inconvenience caused due to the late submission of your assignment and clearly state that you are willing to make up for it.

Best Practices

Get to the point without a lot of fluff, your professor might actually appreciate the fact that you are straight with him about your academic concerns and weakness.

Clear state proposed dates to avoid any confusion and assure him that there will be no drop in the quality of submission.

Keep communication lines open so that your professor is able to contact in case of clarifications or change in planes.

Sample Late Assignment Acceptance Request Email

Subject: Requesting Assignment Submission Date Extension to [Date]

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

Hope this email finds you well. I am writing to possibly get an extension on my assignment submission date because [Briefly explain the challenges and the reason for the delay].

By my estimate, I should be able to submit the assignment by [New Proposed Date] while ensuring that the quality of the submission is not compromised.

I completely understand the importance of timely submission and regret being unable to meet that deadline. I apologize for the inconvenience and confusion my delay might have caused, and I will work hard to ensure that this is not repeated.

I am fully committed to holding to my new proposed deadline and striving towards a high-quality output that I am proud of. In the meantime, if you have any queries on the matter, feel free to let me know on [Your Email ID].

Thanks for your flexibility and consideration in this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

[Your Name]

Now that you have learned how to ask for an assignment submission extension via email, you should be a lot more confident about your email or communication capabilities. Thanks for reading.

Also FYI, if you are interested in improving your time management skills, you should consider downloading the Routine Productivity App .

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How to manage the 11:59 PM Deadline Comfortably

If you have ever had trouble submitting an assignment or received a penalty for minutes late submission, you understand how strict some professors can be. From losing an entire grade to losing a specific percentage of the grade or re-sitting a paper submitting an assignment (essay, discussion post, online quiz, homework, or research paper) can affect you as a student.

Late assignment submissions, albeit controversial, aim to make students learn the aspect of time management. Unfortunately, the immutable deadlines are sometimes biting lazy students, pushing them to begin working early and avoid even 1-minute late submissions.

Even though some educators might offer a grace period for a minimal time, some will apply a sliding scale late policy where they deduct a percentage of the score for each hour or day you are late with your assignments.

From the perspective of the professors, such policies ensure fairness for students who submitted their assignments earlier. We have tips and tricks to help you understand and manage minute late submissions to avoid being on the wrong side of the zero-tolerance late policy of your university.

What causes students to submit assignments late?

Different reasons can cause you to submit assignments late. We are addressing them here so that you are in the know and so that you can devise various strategies to avoid the associated late submission penalties.

Here are the top nine reasons students submit assignments late (you can use some when requesting a late submission from your professor or instructor):

1. Procrastination

Students sometimes find themselves missing submission due dates due to procrastination. Sometimes, procrastination can occur with the rigorous nature of studies and the fact that some students work and study. Furthermore, life outside of class, such as parties, festivals, movies, and meeting with friends, leaves one with little time to complete assignments on time. Having commitments and deciding to complete an assignment later can cause you actually to miss the deadline. Common ground is if you later learn that the assignment is demanding or complex or do not know what to write or hate writing essays.

2. Waiting for a response from a professor

Another reason students find themselves unable to meet submission deadlines is due to the late response from a professor. In most cases, especially when assignments are complicated, you can seek clarifications from your lecturer or professor. However, if your professor responds to your email late, the chances are that you will also submit the assignment late. We will see shortly how to manage such situations and avoid submitting your assignments late.

3. Lack of proper planning and time management

This happens mostly for working students. They often find themselves having too much on their schedule that they probably forget to complete and submit a school assignment early. For instance, if you are an undergraduate or MBA student working and studying, having assignments that require time at work can hamper your completion date for the assignments from school.

4. Writer's Block

Sometimes it is not about did I get the question right? or inadequate time management. Even with the right skills, time, and resources, you might still feel lazy to complete an assignment. With the fast-paced world around us, we get fatigued faster. Suppose you are one of those that like completing assignments last-minute; writers' block has probably messed you up before. We have tips to address this, as we shall see shortly.

5. Lack of knowledge about the assignment

Finally, lacking the knowledge to complete an assignment can make you submit it late. Sometimes, you will end up submitting a late assignment that is incomplete : two wrongs at a go. In addition, many classmates might not be willing to assist you with understanding the assignment.

6. Using shitty assignment help websites

Today, almost seven out of ten students use an assignment writing service. However, without choosing a reliable and legit service, you might run into problems with your submission deadlines. Mainly, this occurs due to the late submission of assignments by writers. Rogue writers are everywhere online, from Twitter to Reddit and now Facebook; they will approach you with sweet deals, and once you assign them to your homework and pay them to do it, they disappear on the internet. Putting too much trust in another person without a legit website to write your essay or assignment can mess you. We had a case where a client wanted to use our write my late assignment ASAP service because a previous writer from Twitter had held their paper ransom and requested more payment or expose them to their school and professor. Well, you can manage this by working with our custom assignment help website.

7. You just hate writing assignments

The assignment writing process is tedious and rigorous. For instance, when writing an essay, you begin by researching, then drafting an outline, and going all the way to proofreading and editing. As a result, if you hate writing homework, you might be slow and find yourself submitting an assignment late.

8. Unforeseeable Circumstances

Deadline violation often occurs when you face nasty circumstances that you cannot foresee as a human being. These circumstances include disasters, sickness, death, accidents, or injuries. Professors have a soft spot for accepting minutes late submissions if you face these issues, so you need not worry as long as you have proof. Sometimes it is your laptop that got either rained on, attacked by a virus, or stolen. Whatever happens to your computer or laptop, you probably do not have time to complete the assignment or begin doing it over and beat the deadline unless you are very fast.

9. Poor Internet

We have cases when you travel for the weekend, visit with others (friends or family), which can cause you to either forget submitting or, because you are in a hurry, to save the assignment on your laptop or phone and submit it later.

If you run into slow internet issues or poor coverage, you might find yourself turning in an assignment later than the 11:59 PM deadline or the deadline set by your professor.

Tips and Tricks to use to avoid minute-late submissions

To avoid submitting assignments after the deadline, missing full marks due to lateness, or earning a bad reputation, it is necessary to take precautions. Here are some tips and tricks that you can use to avoid turning in assignments later than the due date and time.

Do your assignment early enough

Even with one-minute lateness, submitting an assignment later incurs some loss as a student. Expressly, professors and lecturers set the dates on Canvas and Turnitin and set an automatic deduction once your work is late.

If you know that your deadline for a ten or 5-page paper is 11:59 Sunday or Wednesday, and you have been assigned the paper 3-5 days before the deadline, the best thing is to begin earlier.

Students who draft a research paper or essay plan often find it easier to complete assignments within the deadlines than those who do not. As soon as you are assigned a paper, make it a point to clarify anything unclear with the professor. This leaves you plenty of time to research, decide on a topic, write the first draft, edit, and submit the paper on time.

Write the fast draft early enough, then edit later as the deadline nears. Sometimes, submitting an assignment too early might be judged by the professor as a result of rushing the paper. Therefore, before you hit the submit button, ensure that everything is addressed per the instructions and the rubric.

Set your deadline early before the actual submission deadline

Apart from just beginning the paper early, another excellent strategy is to set your personal deadline for completing the paper early than the actual deadline. If an assignment is due in 5 days, set your deadline to 3 or 4 days. You can use the rest of the deadline to do other stuff or equally edit the paper thoroughly.

There is some deep joy and peace that comes with completing a paper. However, you can only experience the moment when you complete the paper.

Do not procrastinate editing and submitting the final draft.

Sometimes, students write the papers early enough and procrastinate editing and proofreading. Nevertheless, doing so might land you in trouble because you might experience unforeseeable circumstances. For instance, your laptop might crash, or you can fall too ill to complete the paper. However, if you have an unrefined paper, you can hire a proofreader or editor to paraphrase, edit, and polish your essay. It is, however, a great practice to completely do away with a paper before committing your time elsewhere. Instead, plan your time, have adequate rest, and allocate the time you have the highest concentration to completing your paper.

Have an accountability partner, group, or study buddy

Another great way to ensure that you complete assignments before deadlines entails having an accountability partner, study group, or a study buddy.

An accountability partner is an effective strategy that helps you set and achieve goals. It also helps you maintain the zeal to complete assignments, read course materials, and hone your writing/reading/research skills.

With a study group, you will have members who share interests. They will likely remind you about your unsubmitted assignments and keep you in check. They can also be helpful with research and sharing insights on how to approach an assignment.

Finally, a study buddy (a friend, classmate, or roommate) can help you maintain the morale of reading, studying, and completing assignments.

Having either of the three can help you begin working on your assignments early enough to avoid the last-minute rush.

Email your professor for a deadline extension

If you are very sure you have done your best to complete a paper, but due to unavoidable circumstances, you cannot complete the paper on time, you can request your professor to accept a late submission. Note that with such a request, you must have proof. For instance, if your excuse is being sick or a family member died or fell ill, you should produce credible hospital evidence. In most cases, if the email is not answered soon enough, proceed to call your professor.

If you have already submitted an assignment later than the set deadline, email your professor to convince them not to hit you with the 10-25% deadline violation penalty. You should apologize and then explain the reasons for submitting the assignment late. Also, suggest how being rated poorly might affect your GPA and convince your professor that you will never submit a paper late again.

Play around with Turnitin Settings

If you want to make your professor not penalize you for late submission, you can tweak some settings on the Turnitin website. First, you can modify the assignment link from the control panel. First, select the Course Tools, then pick the assignment whose link you wish to edit. Next, select the link to the assignment and then select Edit Assignment. You can then comfortably change the deadline so that your submission deadline is within the deadline.

Another common trick you can use is submitting a corrupted Word or PDF file of the assignment. In this case, since your professor cannot open the file, they will write to you requesting the original uncorrupted file. You can use the time in between to complete your paper and wait for their call or email request.

Finally, you can also find a way to edit the submitted assignment by editing the content folder. In the case of Turnitin, you will find the link to the assignment and click on the Action Link tab to make the change.

Since these are not guaranteed tips to work because of ongoing updates, you should contact your professor because they are a person who has emotions. Alternatively, complete your papers early enough.

Work with a last-minute assignment service.

The ultimate trick to avoid minutes-late submission is hiring a fast essay writing service to write your last-minute paper. Gradecrest has experts who can write your last-minute essay faster. Our writers are experienced enough to write two pages within an hour or ten pages in 6-8 hours. Therefore, if you realize that the deadline is very close and you cannot complete your assignment, you can use our affordable academic writing services.

When someone is working on your paper, keep them on your toes, ask for progress, and involve yourself so that the final paper has much of your input and matches your writing style. Also, work with credible writing websites to avoid having papers that are traceable through Turnitin.

Understanding the 11:59 PM assignment submission deadline

11:59 PM, mainly on Sunday nights, is a dreaded time by many students. It is when all the discussion posts, assignments, essays, and most homework are due.

For Canvas, SafeAssign, and Turnitin, it is common to see the submission deadline set at 11:59 PM- a minute to midnight. If you do not take the precautions, we have highlighted above, the chances are that your 1-minute lateness might cost you a grade.

Submitting assignments at 11:59 means, you can submit your assignment at 11:59:59 PM. After the deadline, Turnitin, SafeAssign, or Canva automatically marks the submission as late.

Such lateness could be why you miss an A or B and get a poor grade for an otherwise easy paper. Therefore, complete your assignments on time, use writing services, plan your time, and consult with your instructor early enough to avoid late submission penalties.

You might incur risks when you submit an assignment later than 11:59 PM. First, you will face the consequences of being late. One of the consequences includes being undermarked. You can as well be requested to take a re-sit of the paper or lose the marks altogether. Either way, your final grade will be impacted by otherwise avoidable circumstances.

Note that 12-, 24-, or 1-hour late submissions are treated the same as 1-minute late submissions in terms of consequences.

Another risk of submitting an assignment late is facing technical hitches with the system. For example, your internet might act up, and also, because everyone is rushing to submit at the last minute, the chances are that the system gets overloaded and slow.

Before you close this Tab, ...

We have looked at some of the best strategies to avoid submitting your assignments late. However, if you are a frequent late assignment submitter, these tips and tricks can work well in your favor.

Related Reading: 

• What is the acceptable Turnitin similarity percentage for essays and assignments?

Above all, you can always spare some cash to hire an assignment writer to assist if you have little time on your hands. However, if you have adequate time, avoid procrastination and writer's block by planning early, setting your own deadlines, and consulting with your instructor early enough.

We have experts if you have an online exam and want someone who can write your short answers in real time. They can save you from violating the exam deadlines.

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

How to Send Email to the Professor About a Late Assignment

Table of contents

• 1.1 To show respect and inform the advisor that you will be late in returning the exercise
• 1.2 Apologizing for missing the deadline
• 1.3 Explaining the cause for tardiness
• 3 Late Assignment Letter Writing Tips
• 4 Examples of Late Assignment Letters

Convenient and easy time management is one of the students’ privileges. Meeting deadlines can be a headache, especially when you have a job, relationships, or a portion of new upcoming large tasks. At some point, you realize that 24 hours isn’t enough to deal with the planned schedule. If you feel like you’re going to miss a deadline, you might need to know some advice. Yet, there is no need to worry; reach out to your professor, clarify the situation, and notify him that you’ll be belated on some tasks. Even so, you might wonder how to compile the proper letter to your advisor, right? In the article, we’ll cover all the necessary aspects and teach you how to email a professor about a late assignment and beg pardon for being tardy. Don’t neglect it; it always comes in handy!

Why Do You Need to Write the Late Assignment Letter?

Often students don’t feel the urge to negotiate the issue and explain themselves. They are grown up and mature, so it seems unnecessary. However, there is a wide range of causes why you have to notify the teacher about being late on the task. Let’s revise some of them.

To show respect and inform the advisor that you will be late in returning the exercise

Writing to the teacher and explaining why you’ve missed the task might seem like an elementary school requirement. But, the need to apply to your lecturers is reasonable. Above all, it’s just a sign of intelligence and good manners. Also, it’s more rational to write to the advisor and inform him rather than miss the exercise without surplus notice.

Apologizing for missing the deadline

It is not a secret that professors get irritated by those learners who turn in their papers belated. Therefore, it would be an honorable intention to reach out by email to the professor about late assignment, apologizing for missing the due date. If you show your teacher that you’re sincerely sorry and provide a believable reason why it happened, the penalty might not be that harsh or absent at all. Don’t forget to mention that it was a one-time issue, and you won’t let it happen again.

Sometimes, you can’t predict whether the conditions will be pleasant for you and wonder how to email a professor about a late assignment. You may not have any chance to finish the given task, and the teacher won’t give you any extra time. In this case, you can pay for assignment to be done and turn it in before the deadline. The PapersOwl always creates unique papers, providing privacy and finishing the task exactly when you demand it. We all need a little help sometimes, so don’t be ashamed and apply to the website whenever you feel it’s necessary.

Explaining the cause for tardiness

We all are humans, after all, and tend to have complex life conditions. There are plenty of cases when something serious keeps learners from studying and completing exercises. At this rate, professors won’t be severe with you. They can listen and understand the conditions you’ve been through. You might get sick, or help your parents cure when they aren’t feeling well, etc. So, usually, those learners get in touch with their advisors and ask them to let them miss the specified date.

How to Write a Proper Late Assignment Email?

Making a late assignment email to professor seems complicated. You can’t predict if he will give you an extension for an assignment and let you finish with some extra time. Though, you must create a perfect letter by following certain steps to receive the best possible feedback.

The letter has to be written to your instructor. So, you need to start with the appeal. Consider that the tone of the letter is supposed to show respect, and the name of the advisor is mentioned properly, with the designation. If required, you can also copy the message and share it with the head of the faculty. Afterward, you need to come up with the subject; for example, use the “Apology for missed task submission”. Still, take into account that the topic depends on your particular issue.

Now you need to write the body of the letter. It is a helpful idea to start with an introduction and an apology. Then try to clarify the purpose of the appeal and quickly get to the point. Professors don’t like long reads with plenty of unnecessary words. Make sure you show that you’ve accepted your fault and will try your best not to repeat it.

Explain the causes to the teacher. Remember, you must be honest, and the circumstances of the missed deadline have to be valid. Don’t take the nice approach of the instructor for granted – he might turn your request down if he sees you deceiving him. There are some common problems that advisors are ready to consider and negotiate:

• family emergency
• unexpected Internet outage while online assignment writing saving
• laptop breakdown
• mixup with the time upon the due date
• not enough time to finish the work because of its complexity

If none of the proposed reasons worked out, you might apply to the Internet. There are a variety of websites that are ready to offer their help and do your assignment for you. Besides, if you choose a reliable service, the writers will do excellent research and get you a higher mark that will change your final results to the best.

If you or your family members have been through some health illness, you are free to attach any relevant proof. For example, medical reports or specific prescriptions. Those documents will confirm your inability to finish the tasks.

Come up with a conclusion. You can sincerely apologize again and assure the instructor that you’ll do your best not to repeat the same mistake in the future. Familiarizing yourself with time management for college students is a great way to ensure that. Remember that the closure of the writing is supposed to be delicate. You can also mention that you hope for the teacher’s understanding. In the end, indicate your name, signature, and other relevant data if necessary.

Late Assignment Letter Writing Tips

In addition to your appeal, you can use some advice. There is a chance that they would convince the instructor to agree to the extension and soften the penalties.

Be in charge of your actions. All of the teachers hate when students avoid the blame. The instructor has nothing to do with the fact that you couldn’t submit your papers on time. Moreover, accepting your fault will show them how mature and professional you are.

Be a bit more precise. Still, try not to overshare. If you’re dealing with any problems, such as mental issues or emergencies, indicate it in your letter. The truth will come up on the surface anyway, so it’s preferable to show that you were honest rather than always attending the lectures flashing from shame.

Remain polite. It’s highly recommended not to let your demons out. We all are allowed to feel emotions, but when apologizing, try not to be angry. Don’t forget to appeal with “Dear Professor Casey”, and use phrases like “Best regards” and “Sincerely”. Make sure you’re not demanding the extension, but kindly ask the teacher if he could let you have it.

Have a backup plan. Even if the advisor hasn’t answered you or you have no idea how to send an email about a late assignment, start doing the examination or thinking about the thesis.

Or put some effort into finding a professional service that provides the best accounting assignment help and specializes in various other topics so that you can use it as your backup plan. There you’ll find approachable rates and high-skilled writers. Besides, the teacher will be satisfied with the decently done homework.

Examples of Late Assignment Letters

Dear Professor (insert teacher’s name), I am (type your name), a student of the Faculty of (type the name of the faculty), of the Department of (type the name of the department). I’m emailing to express regret for missing the deadline for our weekly assignment. I value your time and care a lot about your class. The truth is, I have been extremely sick this week. My condition made it impossible to complete the work. I recognize that it is my fault that I haven’t notified you earlier, but I hoped I would get back on track within a few days and start focusing on homework when I’m feeling better. That was not clever of me, and I take full responsibility. You can see the note from my doctor in the attachments below. Again, I am so sorry for the discomfort. If you have any further questions for me, I will be glad to answer them. In case you would like to chat in person and discuss the issue, I’ll be available after classes starting next Monday. Sincere apology (indicate your name)

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Guide: How to Apologize for a Late Submission of an Assignment

Submitting an assignment late can be a stressful situation, but it’s important to take responsibility and apologize. Whether you need to apologize to a professor, boss, or colleague, this guide will provide you with tips and examples on how to say sorry for a late submission of an assignment. We’ll cover both formal and informal ways to apologize, focusing on a warm and sincere tone.

Table of Contents

Formal Apologies

When you need to apologize formally, it’s important to be respectful and professional. Use proper language and follow a polite structure for your apology. Here are some tips and examples:

1. Acknowledge the lateness clearly

Begin your apology by acknowledging that you are submitting the assignment late. This shows that you are aware of the situation and taking responsibility for it.

Dear [Professor/Supervisor’s Name], I am writing to apologize for the late submission of my assignment on [assignment title]. I understand that it was due on [due date], and I sincerely apologize for not meeting the deadline.

2. Show remorse and take responsibility

Express your regret and take full responsibility for the late submission. This shows that you acknowledge the impact of your actions and that you genuinely feel sorry for the inconvenience caused.

I apologize for the delay and any inconvenience it may have caused. It was an oversight on my part, and I take full responsibility for not managing my time effectively.

3. Provide a genuine reason (if applicable)

If there was a legitimate reason for the delay, briefly mention it. However, avoid making excuses or providing lengthy explanations. Keep it concise and focus on the resolution.

I encountered unexpected personal circumstances that required my immediate attention, which unfortunately hindered my progress on the assignment. However, I fully understand that this should not have affected my ability to meet the deadline.

4. Apologize directly and express commitment to improvement

Acknowledge the impact of your late submission and assure the recipient that you have learned from this experience and will take steps to avoid similar situations in the future.

Once again, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by my late submission. I have learned from this situation and will ensure better time management and organization in future assignments.

Informal Apologies

For situations where a more casual tone is appropriate, such as apologizing to a friend or classmate, you can adopt a less formal approach. However, it’s still important to express genuine remorse and take responsibility for your actions. Here’s how:

1. Begin with a friendly greeting

Address the recipient using a friendly and familiar tone, emphasizing your relationship or the context in which you know each other.

Hey [Friend’s Name],

2. Express regret and acknowledge the lateness

Apologize sincerely and mention that you are aware of the late submission. This demonstrates that you understand the inconvenience caused.

I wanted to say sorry for submitting the assignment late. I know it was due a few days ago, and I feel really bad about it.

3. Briefly explain the situation

If appropriate, offer a brief explanation for the delay while avoiding lengthy justifications.

I had a family emergency last week that required my immediate attention, and it caused me to fall behind on the assignment. However, I know that it’s still my responsibility to meet deadlines, and I apologize for not doing so.

4. Show commitment to improvement

Convey your determination to avoid future late submissions and emphasize the lesson learned from this experience.

I promise to be more organized and manage my time better in the future. I understand that it’s important to meet deadlines, and I don’t want to let you down again.

Regional Variations

While the basic principles of apologizing for a late submission remain the same across regions, there may be slight variations in language or cultural norms. It’s important to be aware of these differences when communicating with individuals from different backgrounds. However, for the purpose of this guide, we’ll focus on general tips that can be applied universally.

Apologizing for a late submission of an assignment is necessary to maintain professional relationships and demonstrate integrity. Remember to acknowledge the lateness clearly, express genuine remorse, and take full responsibility for your actions. Whether you need to apologize formally to a professor or informally to a friend, sincerity and commitment to improvement should shine through. By following the guidelines and using the examples provided in this guide, you’ll be able to apologize effectively and repair any damage caused by the late submission.

Related Guides:

• How to Apologize to Your Teacher for a Late Submission
• Guide: How to Say Sorry for Late Submission
• Guide: How to Say Sorry to Your Teacher for Late Submission
• How to Say “Assignment” in Spanish: Formal and Informal Ways
• How to Say Homework Assignment in Spanish: A Comprehensive Guide
• How to Say No to an Assignment
• How to Say No to an Assignment at Work
• How to Say Thank You for an Assignment

About The Author

Christian Mohammed

How to apologize for late work in college (with email template)

This is really thoughtful of you and an apology can go a really long way. If you write a good enough apology, maybe your professor won’t penalize you for turning it in late in the first place.

I can help you because I was a professor for 15 years and I received A LOT of late assignments from students. And I also got a lot of emails from students regarding their late work that included lots of excuses.

You don’t want to make a bad impression.

How do you politely apologize for a late submission

When a college student has to turn in work late, it is considerate for them to tell their professor why they’re submitting it late and apologize. I think it’s best that students follow my email template on how to explain their situation and say they’re sorry for submitting it late in the first place.

You might wonder if you even need to apologize in the first place. Yes, I think you should send a quick email to let your professor know you are sorry.

This is because your professor will think that you care about your education and their class. And as a former professor, I got a lot of late assignments and very few emails from students saying they’re sorry.

Email template saying you’re sorry for late work

Okay, this is an email template of how to ask your professor for forgiveness on your late assignment.

READ MORE : How to ask for an extension or makeup assignment

I taught college students for about 15 years. I have experience teaching online and in-person. I have a graduate degree. I have a passion for education. But I’ve also worked in the professional world (outside of education) too. And with my teaching and educational experience, I want to help students answer their most pressing questions. I want to give my wealth of knowledge to college students to help make their life easier.

My professor doesn’t give back our exams? (What to do?)

Do profs care about undergraduates (prof answers).

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How to Write an Application to Ask My Professor to Accept a Late Assignment?

Find sample late submission assignment letters here!

Late submission of assignments is something that many college students go through. Emergencies happen, students go through heartbreaks, work and study schedules clash, and student-athletes and artists get busy with their practice. Sometimes, students become tardy. Sometimes, they fall ill. Sometimes, they become careless and forget about an assignment. 

However, most students with genuine reasons for submitting an assignment late manage to get an extension from their professors – as they request it ‘before’ the deadline. Most teachers understand students’ predicaments. If they deem that a student has a valid reason for submitting an assignment late, they grant him or her an extension of 2-7 days.

The problem arises when you delay submitting an assignment even though you have NOT been granted an extension. In such a case, the professor may refuse to accept your assignment and award you an F (fail) grade in the assignment. Or they may accept the assignment and give you penalty marks.

In the age of online assignment submissions, almost 65% of college students submit their assignments at the last minute. And then, there are 10% of students who submit assignments late with predictable excuses like:

My laptop/device developed a technical glitch.

Professors hear these excuses as:

• I have been lazy and failed to do my homework on time.
• I am so tech-tardy that I failed to ask for online assignment help and find a way to do it on time.
• I am so lazy that I couldn’t even find a better and novel excuse for late assignment submission.

At GoAssignmentHelp , we often receive requests from students across the US to write effective and convincing applications for late assignment submissions or how to apologize for a late assignment.

You may also check out:   How To Ask For Assignment Extension With Request Letter Sample?

Different reasons why students submit assignments late (and sample late submission applications)

A study by Megal Nieberding and Andrew F. Heckler published in June 2021 found that students who procrastinate in writing assignments have lower course grades. The study also found that 90% of students do not delay completion of an assignment intentionally, and those who did were two to three times more likely to earn D or E grades.

Another study published by Mehmet Kokoc et al found that students’ online assignment submission behaviour does not change semester after semester. One can predict their end-of-term academic performance depending on their assignment submission behaviour at the beginning of the semester. GoAssignmentHelp’s assignment assistance experts aim to provide appropriate intervention to students on a timely basis.

How to apologize for a late assignment when you forget the submission deadline?

A 2015 research by Keith Gregory and Sue Morgan revealed that if an assignment has a long deadline, more students submit it late. In such cases, students tend to forget when they have to turn in the assignment. If you also forgot to do a task assigned by your professor long ago, you may write the following email for late assignment submission:

Dear [Sir or Ma’am],

I sincerely apologize for the late submission of my assignment [assignment number/topic/question]. I am so sorry for causing you inconvenience and hope that you wouldn’t have to change your schedule when you accept this assignment.

I [fell sick/had to attend my sister’s wedding/broke my leg/or any other excuse] and that’s why my assignment submission got delayed. This is my first mistake and I hope you could excuse me this time. I did not procrastinate intentionally and promise never to submit my assignment late again.

Please accept my assignment along with my heartfelt apology. I am attaching my completed assignment here.

Best Regards,

Attaching a doctor’s prescription to prove that you really had an accident or fell sick, or a signed letter from your parents to prove that you had a family emergency could increase your chances of getting your assignment accepted when you submit it late.

Late submission email to a professor when you have valid academic reasons

Sometimes, students need more time to research a topic some more to analyze it better and to provide a better piece of work. Students who ask teachers time to improve the quality and substance of their writing are rare – and often teachers’ favourites. The chances of their late assignments being accepted are quite high.

Here’s a sample apology email to the professor for late submission because you needed more time for research or analysis:

I am sorry for turning in my [thesis/essay/assignment] on [Topic] late. As I was working on my assignment, I found a few sources [list of sources] which I thought were critical to my research. It took more time than expected to examine them and use them while doing my research.

I understand that I should have approached you earlier to get an extension on the assignment submission deadline but I miscalculated the time I would need to complete my research work and write my assignment. I apologize for not planning my assignment work better but I assure you that I was late only because I wanted to do my best while writing it.

I hope you will be able to review my assignment without much inconvenience. I’ve spent a lot of time on it and am looking forward to your feedback and recommendations on it.

Warm Regards,

You may also want to seek assignment help from our assignment writing service experts to get high-quality answers and academic essays written within time to avoid such a situation.

How to apologize to a professor for a late assignment?

 An apology letter to the professor for late submission must include these three things:

• A Plausible, Believable Excuse:   Experienced professors know all the commonplace excuses students use to get out of tight spots when it comes to submitting assignments on time. But if you give a creative and credible excuse, the chances of it getting accepted increase.
• A Sincere Apology:  Teachers and professors have busy schedules. Apart from giving lectures in class, they have to prepare curriculum, class activities, prepare notes, and go through a pile of assignments, academic essays, dissertations and theses. Assignment submission deadlines are their way to make time to correct your assignment. When you submit an assignment late, you inconvenience them by disturbing their entire schedule. So, they are justified in feeling irritated. Hence, if you submit an assignment late, you owe them a sincere apology.
• A Promise of Being More Cautious in the Future:  You can never take a teacher’s acceptance of your apology for granted. With the late assignment email, you must always include a promise never to repeat that mistake. Remember, such apology letters or emails work their magic only once. If you repeat them too often, they lose their power.

Need help with an application for late submission of assignments?

You can use these samples to officially apologize for submitting assignments late. An apology letter or email also serves as a reminder to the instructor of the date on which you submitted the assignment. Assignment writers on our leading online assignment help platform help students across Canada , including those in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Quebec City, and more.

Besides these late assignment submission email samples, there are tons of different ways to apologize to the professor for a late assignment. If you are wondering how to write an email for a late assignment that works, get help from GoAssignmentHelp experts.

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Your instructor can add assignments to different areas of your course. You might access assignments from a link on the course menu called "Assignments." Or, your instructor might incorporate assignments into each week's content. Ask your instructor if you have questions about how your course is organized.

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Video: Assignments Overview shows you where to find and submit assignments.

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9 Reasons Why Teachers Should Accept Late Work: Balancing Discipline and Flexibility in Education

Who says I’m not? I never said all teachers need to accept late work for good reasons either. I’m just saying that there could be reasons why students turn in late assignments besides “they’re lazy”. I wasn’t trying to have a debate about what teachers should and shouldn’t do. — Danielle™️ (@_D_Eazyy) May 3, 2021

When Should a Teacher Accept Overdue Assignments?

In instances where a student presents a valid, documented excuse, such as a medical condition confirmed by a doctor’s note, extending the deadline without penalizing the student is a fair approach. This consideration should also extend to emergencies communicated by the student’s family, like bereavement or urgent travel, recognizing these as legitimate reasons for the delay.

Reasons Why Teachers Should Accept Late Work

1. encourages high-quality work.

This not only benefits the students in terms of grades but also enhances their learning experience and overall educational journey. High-quality work is a more accurate measure of a student’s understanding and skills, which is essential for their academic development and long-term success. Hence, allowing for late submissions can be an effective strategy for educators to encourage deeper engagement with course material, promote higher academic standards, and foster a more conducive learning environment.

2. Fosters a Supportive Learning Environment

This approach helps in reducing anxiety and stress associated with deadlines, which can often hinder learning. It also encourages students to continue working on assignments even after the deadline, fostering a growth mindset and resilience. Students in supportive environments are more likely to seek help, engage in class activities, and show improved academic performance. Additionally, a nurturing atmosphere helps in developing key soft skills like communication and time management, as students learn to negotiate deadlines and articulate their challenges.

3. Shows Compassion and Understanding

Demonstrating compassion and understanding in educational settings has a profound impact on student well-being and academic performance. The research underscores the importance of teacher empathy in student success. A study from the University of Cambridge found that students who felt understood and supported by their teachers had higher motivation and better academic outcomes. Accepting late work is a practical way to show empathy. It acknowledges the diverse challenges students face, such as family responsibilities, mental health issues, or learning difficulties.

4. Strengthens Student-Teacher Relationships

This increased communication leads to more personalized learning experiences, as teachers can better understand and cater to individual student needs. Moreover, when students see their teachers as allies in their educational journey, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated in their studies. This positive relationship not only improves academic outcomes but also enhances students’ self-esteem and social skills, which are critical for their overall development. As a result, fostering open and supportive teacher-student relationships contributes significantly to a holistic and effective educational experience.

Watch this insightful video on how fostering positive student-teacher relationships can significantly enhance student engagement and success, both academically and personally.

5. Teaches Flexibility and Adaptability

6. encourages creativity and new ideas.

Creativity and innovation are highly valued in both academic and professional settings. A study from Adobe titled “Creativity and Education: Why it Matters” reveals that 85% of educators believe that creativity is critical to students’ future career success. Strict deadlines can sometimes hinder the creative process, as students may not have enough time to explore and develop their ideas fully.

Allowing for late submissions can give students the space they need to think more deeply and creatively about their assignments. This flexibility encourages them to take risks and experiment with new concepts, leading to more original and thoughtful work. When students know they have more time, they are more likely to delve into research, consider different perspectives, and refine their ideas.

This process not only results in higher-quality work but also fosters a culture of innovation and critical thinking in the classroom. By nurturing creativity through flexible deadlines, educators can help students develop the skills and confidence needed to generate unique ideas and solutions, which are essential in today’s dynamic world. This approach empowers students to become adaptable, creative thinkers, better prepared to navigate the challenges of the modern workforce, and contribute meaningfully to their communities and beyond.

7. Promotes Problem-Solving Skills

Problem-solving is a critical skill for academic and life success. The “Problem Solving in 21st Century Schools” report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) highlights that students who excel in problem-solving are more likely to achieve higher academic results.

Enhance your problem-solving skills for university success by watching this video on understanding the problem and developing effective strategies.

By navigating these challenges, students enhance their problem-solving abilities, becoming more self-reliant and capable of handling complex situations. This skill is invaluable not only in academic settings but also in personal and professional life, as it enables individuals to approach problems systematically and find effective solutions.

8. Ensures Continued Participation

Academic participation and engagement are crucial for student learning and achievement. Research from the National Education Association shows that student engagement is directly linked to higher academic achievement and better school attendance. Denying late submissions can negatively impact student motivation and participation, potentially leading to disengagement from the learning process.

When students are allowed to submit work late, it helps maintain their interest and involvement in the course. This approach also ensures that students do not miss out on essential learning experiences connected to the assignment. For instance, if a student is unable to submit an assignment on time due to personal issues, accepting the late work allows them to stay on track with the class and continue learning. It prevents them from feeling excluded or left behind, which is crucial for maintaining their confidence and motivation.

Boost student engagement by watching this video, which demonstrates effective active participation techniques that can transform your classroom into an interactive and dynamic learning environment.

9. Avoids Potential Tension with Parents and Administrators

For instance, a survey conducted by the National Association of Secondary School Principals found that one of the top sources of teacher-parent conflicts is related to student grades and assessment policies. By adopting a more flexible approach to late submissions, teachers can avoid potential disputes and maintain a positive relationship with both parents and administrators.

This perspective also recognizes potential limitations. It can be argued that awarding the same grade to students who meet deadlines and those who don’t could be seen as unfair and might send an inappropriate message about responsibility. Moreover, there are additional arguments supporting the stance against accepting late work. In certain situations, upholding strict deadlines may be more beneficial, balancing the need to teach time management and accountability.

Reasons Why Teachers Should Not Accept Late Work

The question of whether to accept late work is a matter of debate among educators. Some argue against it for several reasons, emphasizing the importance of adhering to deadlines, teaching responsibility, and maintaining fairness and consistency in classroom management.

1. Deadlines Promote Self-Management Skills

The ability to plan and execute tasks within a set timeframe fosters responsibility and prepares students for the realities of a professional environment, where deadlines are often rigid and critical for success. Moreover, the practice of meeting deadlines instills a work ethic that values efficiency and productivity, qualities highly sought after in many fields.

However, flexibility in deadlines can accommodate diverse learning styles and personal challenges, promoting inclusivity and understanding.

2. Avoid Developing a Bad Habit

Procrastination not only impacts the quality of work but also increases stress levels, as students rush to complete assignments at the last minute. By enforcing deadlines, educators encourage students to develop healthier study habits and a proactive approach to their tasks. This strict approach teaches students the importance of planning and working consistently towards goals, rather than relying on last-minute efforts. Cultivating these positive habits early on is crucial for their future success in higher education and professional life, where time management is key.

3. Fairness and Consistency

This perception can negatively impact the learning environment, leading to decreased motivation and engagement among students who adhere to the rules. Consistent enforcement of deadlines also helps in establishing clear expectations for all students, providing them with a structured and predictable learning environment. Such consistency in rules and expectations is crucial for effective classroom management and helps in building a positive teacher-student relationship. It reinforces the idea that rules are to be taken seriously, preparing students for real-world scenarios where rules and deadlines are often non-negotiable.

4. Prepares Students for the Real World

The real world often requires adaptability and the ability to negotiate deadlines, skills also worth developing.

5. Inconvenience for the Teacher

Accepting late work can create significant logistical challenges for teachers. Teachers typically have a structured schedule for grading and providing feedback, which is disrupted when students submit work late. This disruption can lead to a backlog of ungraded assignments, making it difficult for teachers to manage their workload efficiently. Additionally, late submissions can hinder the teacher’s ability to assess students’ progress accurately and provide timely feedback, which is crucial for the learning process.

Effective Strategies for Managing Late Student Work in the Classroom

In this section of the article, various strategies for handling late submissions are discussed, offering a blend of discipline and flexibility. Strategies include penalty systems with homework passes, engaging parents through notification of late submissions, and the option for students to request extensions. It also covers the acceptance of late work without feedback for a limited time, assigning a separate grade for work habits, and implementing floating deadlines or accepting work in progress. Each method aims to support student learning while maintaining classroom management.

Adopting these methods can create a learning environment that values time management while also accommodating individual student needs.

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Late Assignments: Tips From Educators on Managing Them

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Today’s post finishes up a two-part series on how different teachers handle late student work.

‘Taking Late Work Can Be Challenging’

Ann Stiltner is a high school special education and reading teacher in Connecticut with more than 20 years of experience in education. She shares her passion and love for working in the classroom at her blog from Room A212 (www.annstiltner.com/blog). Follow her on Twitter @fromrooma212:

Being a special education teacher means most of my students have the IEP modification of extra time, which generally translates to time and a half. For a test a teacher gives a class one hour to do, my student would have 1½ hours. For a project the class had one week to complete, my student would have 11 days. However, even with this extra time, some of my spec. ed. students are not able to complete the work. With diagnoses such as ADHD, LD (Learning Disabilities), or anxiety, they find maintaining focus and accessing one-on-one support difficult to fit into these time constraints. Their motivation is unpredictable based on their mood, family challenges, or social drama.

Due to these factors, I have adopted a policy where I accept work from both regular and special education students at any time for full credit or I take points off for each day late depending on the circumstances and if that will motivate a student to finish.

I realize that taking late work can be challenging for teachers of 100-plus students. It means constantly updating your grade book and keeping track of papers. Some teachers don’t accept late work because they think a firm cutoff teaches students the importance of meeting deadlines. Even though I agree this is an important skill, I fear that some students won’t learn that lesson from a policy of not accepting work late. These students prefer to give up and forget about the assignment in order to feel a sense of control and protect themselves from failure. Getting a zero on an assignment does not make them rethink their decision to not do the work, since a zero to them doesn’t mean the same as it does to us teachers. To them, a zero is the grade they think they deserve based on their past experiences.

I have found a time limit gives students a reason to give up and not try. This is learned helplessness in action. My working definition of learned helplessness is a person’s lack of effort due to previous experiences which have taught them that making even the smallest effort won’t make a difference.

For many students, trying involves a large investment of cognitive effort and a huge risk to put themselves out there. They are not ready to set themselves up for what, they are sure, will make them feel like a failure and especially not in a setting where they might be bullied, yelled at, or insulted. If they do not feel safe and supported, they will not risk being teased by their classmates. This is the thinking behind my policy to accept late work at any time. I do not want my conditions and requirements to be used as an excuse for why they do not engage in my lesson and do the work.

This same philosophy explains why I provide supplies like writing utensils or computer chargers. I consciously decide not to create barriers for a student to complete work. I do not want to rob them of a chance to engage with the material, learn something new, experience deep thinking and feed their curiosity by dictating conditions that they can blame for not engaging in the work. Accepting an assignment late gives them time to get motivated or set up one-to-one support so they can focus on the work when they are ready. I do not want to distract students with rules concerning time limits, pen vs. pencil, or on paper vs. on computer.

Don’t get me wrong: I do have classroom rules and expectations. I want the focus in my class to be on what is most essential—learning. This approach means the student—and their parents—will have a hard time holding me responsible for their grade. The responsibility falls on the student and their choices. This open policy allows me to create rapport when I explain my belief in their ability to do the work and my dedication to provide them the support and necessary modifications to be successful. If and when a student is ready to engage in the work, make an effort and take a risk, I am ready.

‘A Balanced Approach’

Ruth Okoye, Ed.D., is a 30-year veteran educator. She has taught in private and public school settings and is passionate about literacy, educational technology, and ed-tech coaching. She currently serves as the K-12 director at a nonprofit organization:

As an ed-tech coach working with fellow educators in their journey of professional growth, handling assignment submissions beyond the designated due date is a nuanced process that reflects both practicality and a deep understanding of individual circumstances. The approach I adopt recognizes the unique challenges that my learners who are teachers face in their daily lives, and it aims to create an inclusive learning environment that supports their development while acknowledging the diverse contexts in which they operate.

My policy on due dates is rooted in the realization that a one-size-fits-all approach fails to account for the myriad of responsibilities and situations that learners encounter. Rather than rigidly adhering to stringent deadlines, I advocate a balanced approach that considers the academic integrity of assignments and the need for flexibility.

To strike this balance, I establish a preferred due date for assignments, considering the majority of learners and allowing them ample time to complete their work. This desired deadline also has a more concrete counterpart—a hard deadline—that offers a reasonable time frame for those genuinely committed to finishing their tasks. This dual-deadline structure allows proactive learners to demonstrate their dedication while acknowledging the potential challenges others may face.

For example, in a book study, there would be weekly assignments. The posted due dates would give the learners three weeks to get each assignment done. I would establish a hard deadline for all assignments two weeks after the study is completed. I’ve found that for a six- to eight-week book study, that allows ample time for a learner to deal with an external complication and then get back on track.

Of course, the purpose of the assignment plays a significant role in determining the flexibility of the due date. For instance, tasks geared toward in-class reflection, like exit tickets, maintain their original deadline as they serve an immediate and time-sensitive purpose. On the other hand, assignments designed to assess learners’ application of covered material need a more lenient approach, allowing participants the time to digest the content and apply it effectively.

I also believe in allowing learners ample time to attempt tasks and even granting multiple opportunities for submission. This practice is grounded in the understanding that the learning process is not linear, and different individuals require varying duration to internalize and implement new concepts. By granting extensions and multiple tries, I encourage a growth mindset and empower learners to engage more deeply with the subject.

One of the cornerstones of my policy is the recognition that external factors beyond the learning experience can impact a learner’s ability to meet deadlines. Illness, family emergencies, or resource constraints can hinder progress, and rigid due dates should not serve as barriers to measuring their ability to apply course concepts. Instead of penalizing them for circumstances beyond their control, I aim to evaluate their understanding of the material and capacity to use it effectively, irrespective of external hindrances.

So you can see, my approach to handling late submissions from learners revolves around flexibility, empathy, and practicality. By acknowledging the diverse challenges teachers face and tailoring due dates to the purpose of assignments, I create an environment that fosters deep learning, personal growth, and a commitment to the subject matter. This policy recognizes the unique circumstances of each learner. It underscores the overarching goal of professional learning—to nurture and support the development of capable and resilient professionals in education.

What Is the Goal?

Jessica Fernandez is a full-time high school teacher and instructional coach near Chicago who specializes in teaching multilingual English learners and in supporting colleagues to make small language shifts that will benefit all learners:

Fortunately, my high school freshman English PLC has decided to have two categories: formative (anything at all that is practice), which is weighted 10 percent, and summative, which is weighted 90 percent. Since the purpose of formative tasks is to practice a skill they will later demonstrate, late work is accepted until we complete the summative demonstration for that skill. Afterward, there’s not so much of a point, plus it would drive us crazy and make work-life balance tough.

The goal, after all, is to give frequent and prompt feedback so kids can improve before their final summative demonstration. Late points are more of what we used to call “habits of work”; important soft skills, yes, but for our purposes, if the kid practiced for their summative skill demonstration, I’m happy, and I’m not scoring them on timeliness. Who knows what they had going on? I’ve gotten grace, and 10 percent won’t make or break their grade anyway.

Thanks to Ann, Ruth, and Jessica for contributing their thoughts!

Today’s post responded to this question:

How do you handle students turning in work after the due date, and why do you apply that policy?

In Part One , Chandra Shaw, Stephen Katzel, and Kelly Owens contributed their ideas.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email . And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 12 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work

August 4, 2019

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Most of my 9-week grading periods ended the same way: Me and one or two students, sitting in my quiet, empty classroom together, with me sitting at the computer, the students nearby in desks, methodically working through piles of make-up assignments. They would be focused, more focused than I’d seen them in months, and the speed with which they got through the piles was stunning. 

As they finished each assignment I took it, checked it for accuracy, then entered their scores—taking 50 percent off for being late—into my grading program. With every entry, I’d watch as their class grade went up and up: from a 37 percent to a 41, then to 45, then to 51, and eventually to something in the 60s or even low 70s, a number that constituted passing, at which point the process would end and we’d part ways, full of resolve that next marking period would be different.

And the whole time I thought to myself, This is pointless . They aren’t learning anything at all. But I wasn’t sure what else to do.

For as long as teachers have assigned tasks in exchange for grades, late work has been a problem. What do we do when a student turns in work late? Do we give some kind of consequence or accept assignments at any time with no penalty? Do we set up some kind of system that keeps students motivated while still holding them accountable? Is there a way to manage all of this without driving ourselves crazy?

To find answers, I went to Twitter and asked teachers to share what works for them. What follows is a summary of their responses. I wish I could give individual credit to each person who offered ideas, but that would take way too long, and I really want you to get these suggestions now! If you’ve been unsatisfied with your own approach to late work, you should find some fresh ideas here.

First, a Few Questions About Your Grades

Before we get into the ways teachers manage late work, let’s back up a bit and consider whether your overall program of assignments and grading is in a healthy place. Here are some questions to think about:  

• What do your grades represent? How much of your grades are truly based on academic growth, and how much are based mostly on compliance? If they lean more toward compliance, then what you’re doing when you try to manage late work is basically a lot of administrative paper pushing, rather than teaching your content. Although it’s important for kids to learn how to manage deadlines, do you really want an A in your course to primarily reflect the ability to follow instructions? If your grades are too compliance-based, consider how you might shift things so they more accurately represent learning. (For a deeper discussion of this issue, read How Accurate Are Your Grades? )
• Are you grading too many things? If you spend a lot of time chasing down missing assignments in order to get more scores in your gradebook, it could be that you’re grading too much. Some teachers only enter grades for major, summative tasks, like projects, major writing assignments, or exams. Everything else is considered formative and is either ungraded or given a very low point value for completion, not graded for accuracy; it’s practice . For teachers who are used to collecting lots of grades over a marking period, this will be a big shift, and if you work in a school where you’re expected to enter grades into your system frequently, that shift will be even more difficult. Convincing your students that ungraded practice is worthwhile because it will help their performance on the big things will be another hurdle. With all of that said, reducing the number of scored items will make your grades more meaningful and cut way down on the time you spend grading and managing late work.
• What assumptions do you make when students don’t turn in work? I’m embarrassed to admit that when I first started teaching, I assumed most students with missing work were just unmotivated. Although this might be true for a small portion of students, I no longer see this as the most likely reason. Students may have issues with executive function and could use some help developing systems for managing their time and responsibilities. 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 don’t have access to the same resources once they leave school for the day. Punitive policies that are meant to “motivate” students don’t take any of these other issues into consideration, so if your late work penalties don’t seem to be working, it’s likely that the root cause is something other than a lack of motivation.
• What kind of grading system is realistic for you ? Any system you put in place requires YOU to stay on top of grading. It would be much harder to assign penalties, send home reminders, or track lateness if you are behind on marking papers by a week, two weeks, even a month. So whatever you do, create a plan that you can actually keep up with.

Possible Solutions

1. penalties.

Many teachers give some sort of penalty to students for late work. The thinking behind this 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. When work is turned in weeks or even months late, it can lose its value as a learning opportunity because it is no longer aligned with what’s happening in class. On top of that, teachers can end up with massive piles of assignments to grade in the last few days of a marking period. This not only places a heavy burden on teachers, it is far from an ideal condition for giving students the good quality feedback they should be getting on these assignments.

Several types of penalties are most common:

Point Deductions In many cases, teachers simply reduce the grade as a result of the lateness. Some teachers will take off a certain number of points per day until they reach a cutoff date after which the work will no longer be accepted. One teacher who responded said he takes off 10 percent for up to three days late, then 30 percent for work submitted up to a week late; he says most students turn their work in before the first three days are over. Others have 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, builds in some accountability for lateness, and prevents the teacher from having to do a lot of mathematical juggling with a more complex system. 

Parent Contact Some teachers keep track of late work and contact parents if it is not turned in. This treats the late work as more of a conduct issue; the parent contact may be in addition to or instead of taking points away. 

No Feedback, No Re-Dos The real value of homework and other smaller assignments should be the opportunity for feedback: Students do an assignment, they get timely teacher feedback, and they use that feedback to improve. In many cases, teachers allow students to re-do and resubmit assignments based on that feedback. So a logical consequence of late work could be the loss of that opportunity: Several teachers mentioned that their policy is to 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. 

2. A Separate Work Habits Grade

In a lot of schools, especially those that use standards-based grading, a student’s grade on an assignment is a pure representation of their academic mastery; it does not reflect compliance in any way. So in these classrooms, if a student turns in good work, it’s going to get a good grade even if it’s handed in a month late. 

But students still need to learn how to manage their time. For that reason, many schools assign a separate grade for work habits. This might measure factors like adherence to deadlines, neatness, and following non-academic guidelines like font sizes or using the correct heading on a paper. 

• Although most teachers whose schools use this type of system will admit that students and parents don’t take the work habits grade as seriously as the academic grade, they report being satisfied that student grades only reflect mastery of the content.
• One school calls their work habits grade a “behavior” grade, and although it doesn’t impact GPA, students who don’t have a certain behavior grade can’t make honor roll, despite their actual GPA.
• Several teachers mentioned looking for patterns and using the separate grade as a basis for conferences with parents, counselors, or other stakeholders. For most students, there’s probably a strong correlation between work habits and academic achievement, so separating the two could help students see that connection.
• Some learning management systems will flag assignments as late without necessarily taking points off. Although this does not automatically translate to a work habits grade, it indicates the lateness to students and parents without misrepresenting the academic achievement.

3. Homework 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.

• Most teachers only offer these passes to replace low-point assignments, not major ones, and they generally only offer 1 to 3 passes per marking period. Homework passes can usually only recover 5 to 10 percent of a student’s overall course grade. 
• Other teachers have a policy of allowing students to drop one or two of their lowest scores in the gradebook. Again, this is typically done for smaller assignments and has the same net effect as a homework pass by allowing everyone to have a bad day or two.
• One teacher gives “Next Class Passes” which allow students one extra day to turn in work. At the end of every marking period she gives extra credit points to students who still have unused passes. She says that since she started doing this, she has had the lowest rate ever of late work. 

4. Extension Requests

Quite a few teachers require students to submit a written request for a deadline extension rather than taking points off. With a system like this, every student turns something in on the due date, whether it’s the assignment itself or an extension request.

• 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. 
• Having students submit their requests via Google Forms reduces the need for paper and routes all requests to a single spreadsheet, which makes it easier for teachers to keep track of work that is late or needs to be regraded.  
• Other teachers use a similar system for times when students want to resubmit work for a new grade. 

5. Floating Deadlines

Rather than choosing a single deadline for an assignment, some teachers assign a range of dates for students to submit work. This flexibility allows students to plan their work around other life activities and responsibilities.

• Some teachers offer an incentive to turn in work in the early part of the time frame, such as extra credit or faster feedback, and this helps to spread out the submissions more evenly. 
• Another variation on this approach is to assign a batch of work for a whole week and ask students to get it in by Friday. This way, students get to manage when they get it done. 
• Other names mentioned for this strategy were flexible deadlines , soft deadlines , and due windows .

6. Let Students Submit Work in Progress

Some digital platforms, like Google Classroom, allow students to “submit” assignments while they are still working on them. This allows teachers to see how far the student has gotten and address any problems that might be coming up. If your classroom is mostly paper-based, it’s certainly possible to do this kind of thing with paper as well, letting students turn in partially completed work to demonstrate that an effort has been made and show you where they might be stuck.

7. Give Late Work Full Credit

Some teachers accept all late work with no penalty. Most of them agree 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. 

• Some teachers fear this approach will cause more students to stop doing the work or delay submission until the end of a marking period, but teachers who like this approach say they were surprised by how little things changed when they stopped giving penalties: Most students continued 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 was that the teacher no longer had to spend time calculating deductions or determining whether students had valid excuses; the work was simply graded for mastery.
• To give students an incentive to actually turn the work in before the marking period is over, some teachers will put a temporary zero in the gradebook as a placeholder until the assignment is turned in, at which point the zero is replaced with a grade.
• Here’s a twist on the “no penalty” option: Some teachers don’t take points off for late work, but they limit the time frame when students can turn it in. Some will not accept late work after they have graded and returned an assignment; at that point it would be too easy for students to copy off of the returned papers. Others will only accept late work up until the assessment for the unit, because the work leading up to that is meant to prepare for that assessment. 

8. Other Preventative Measures

These strategies aren’t necessarily a way to manage late work as much as they are meant to prevent it in the first place.

• Include students in setting deadlines. When it comes to major assignments, have students help you determine due dates. They may have a better idea than you do about other big events that are happening and assignments that have been given in other classes.
• Stop assigning homework. Some teachers have stopped assigning homework entirely, recognizing that disparities at home make it an unfair measurement of academic mastery. Instead, all meaningful work is done in class, where the teacher can monitor progress and give feedback as needed. Long-term projects are done in class as well, so the teacher is aware of which students need more time and why. 
• Make homework optional or self-selected. Not all students need the same amount of practice. You may be able to get your students to assess their own need for additional practice and assign that practice to themselves. Although this may sound far-fetched, in some classes, like this self-paced classroom , it actually works, because students know they will be graded on a final assessment, they get good at determining when they need extra practice.

With so many different approaches to late work, what’s clear is that there are a lot of different schools of thought on grading and assessment, so it’s not a surprise that we don’t always land on the best solution on the first try. Experiment with different systems, talk to your colleagues, and be willing to try something new until you find something that works for you. 

Further Reading

20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half This free e-book is full of ideas that can help with grading in general.

On Your Mark: Challenging the Conventions of Grading and Reporting Thomas R. Guskey This book came highly recommended by a number of teachers.

Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School Starr Sackstein

Come back for more. Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You’ll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half , the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined—come on in.

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53 Comments

I teach high school science (mine is a course that does not have an “end of course” test so the stakes are not as high) and I teach mostly juniors and seniors. Last year I decided not to accept any late work whatsoever unless a student is absent the day it is assigned or due (or if they have an accomodation in a 504 or IEP – and I may have had one or two students with real/documented emergencies that I let turn in late.) This makes it so much easier on me because I don’t have to keep up with how many days/points to deduct – that’s a nightmare. It also forces them to be more responsible. They usually have had time to do it in class so there’s no reason for it to be late. Also, I was very frustrated with homework not being completed and I hated having to grade it and keep up with absent work. So I don’t “require” homework (and rarely assign it any more) but if students do ALL (no partial credit) of it they get a 100% (small point value grade), if they are absent or they don’t do it they are exempt. So it ends up being a sort of extra credit grade but it does not really penalize students who don’t do it. When students ask me for extra credit (which I don’t usually give), the first thing I ask is if they’ve done all the homework assigned. That usually shuts down any further discussion. I’ve decided I’m not going to spend tons of time chasing and calculating grades on small point values that do not make a big difference in an overall grade. 🙂

Do I understand correctly….

Homework is not required. If a student fully completes the HW, they will earn full points. If the student is absent or doesn’t do it, they are excused. Students who do complete the HW will benefit a little bit in their overall grade, but students who don’t compete the work will not be penalized. Did I understand it correctly?

Do you stipulate that a student must earn a certain % on the assignment to get the full points? What about a student who completed an assignment but completes the entire thing incorrectly? Still full credit? Or an opportunity to re-do?

Thank you in advance.

From reading this blog post I was thinking the same thing. When not penalizing students for homework do you have students who do turn it in getting extra points in class?

From what I have seen, if there is a benefit for turning in homework and students see this benefit more will try to accomplish what the homework is asking. So avoid penalization is okay, but make sure the ones turning it in are getting rewarded in some way.

The other question regarding what to do with students who may not be completing the assignments correctly, you could use this almost as a formative assessment. You could still give them the credit but use this as a time for you to focus on that student a little more and see where he/she isn’t understanding the content.

Our school has a system called Catch Up Cafe. Students with missing work report to a specific teacher during the first 15 minutes of lunch to work on missing work. Students upgrade to a Wednesday after school time if they have accumulated 4 or more missing assignments on any Monday. They do not have to serve if they can clear ALL missing work by the end of the day Wednesday. Since work is not dragging out for a long period of time, most teachers do not take off points.

How do you manage the logistics of who has missing and how many assignments are needed to be completed-to make sure they are attending the Catch up Cafe or Wednesday after school? How do you manage the communication with parents?

When a student has missing work it can be very difficult to see what he/she is missing. I always keep a running record of all of their assignments that quarter and if they miss that assigement I keep it blank to remind myself there was never a submission. Once I know that this student is missing this assignment I give them their own copy and write at the top late. So once they do turn it in I know that it’s late and makes grading it easier.

There are a lot of different programs that schools use but I’ve always kept a paper copy so I have a back-up.

I find that the worst part of tracking make-up work is keeping tabs on who was absent for a school activity, illness or other excused absence, and who just didn’t turn in the assignment. I obviously have to accept work turned in “late” due to an excused absence, but I can handle the truly late work however I wish. Any advice on simplifying tracking for this?

I tell my students to simply write “Absent (day/s)” at the top of the paper. I remind them of this fairly regularly. That way, if they were absent, it’s their responsibility to notify me, and it’s all together. If you create your own worksheets, etc., you could add a line to the top as an additional reminder.

It might be worth checking out Evernote .

In order to keep track of what type of missing assignments, I put a 0 in as a grade so students and parents know an assignment was never submitted. If a student was here on the due date and day assignment was given then it is a 0 in the grade book. If a student was absent the day the assignment was given or when it was due, I put a 00 in the grade book. This way I know if it was because of an absence or actual no work completed.

This is exactly what I do. Homework can only count 10% in our district. Claims that kids fail due to zeros for homework are specious.

This is SUCH a difficult issue and I have tried a few of the suggested ways in years past. My questions is… how do we properly prepare kids for college while still being mindful of the inequities at home? We need to be sure that we are giving kids opportunity, resources, and support, but at the same time if we don’t introduce them to some of the challenges they will be faced with in college (hours of studying and research and writing regardless of the hours you might have to spend working to pay that tuition), are we truly preparing them? I get the idea of mastery of content without penalty for late work and honestly that is typically what I go with, but I constantly struggle with this and now that I will be moving from middle to high school, I worry even more about the right way to handle late work and homework. I don’t want to hold students back in my class by being too much of a stickler about seemingly little things, but I don’t want to send them to college unprepared to experience a slap in the face, either. I don’t want to provide extra hurdles, but how do I best help them learn how to push through the hurdles and rigor if they aren’t held accountable? I always provide extra time after school, at lunch, etc., and have also experienced that end of term box checking of assignments in place of a true learning experience, but how do we teach them the importance of using resources, asking for help, allowing for mistakes while holding them to standards and learning work habits that will be helpful to them when they will be on their own? I just don’t know where the line is between helping students learn the value of good work habits and keeping them from experiencing certain challenges they need to understand in order to truly get ahead.

Thanks for sharing – I can tell how much you care for your students, wanting them to be confident independent learners. What I think I’m hearing is perhaps the struggle between that fine line of enabling and supporting. When supporting kids, whether academically or behaviorally, we’re doing something that assists or facilitates their growth. So, for example, a student that has anxiety or who doesn’t have the resources at home to complete an assignment, we can assist by giving that student extra time or an alternative place to complete the assignment. This doesn’t lower expectations, it just offers support to help them succeed.

Enabling on the other hand, puts systems in place that don’t involve consequences, which in turn allow the behaviors to continue. It involves excuses and solving problems for others. It may be about lowering expectations and letting people get by with patterns of behavior.

Late work is tricky. The article does mention the importance of time management, which is why separating academic grades from work habits is something a lot of schools are doing. Sometimes real life happens and kids need a “pass.” If whatever you’re doing seems to be helping to support a student rather than enabling patterns, then that might help you distinguish between that fine line. Hope this helps!

Thank you again for such a great post. Always high-quality, relevant, and helpful. I so appreciate you and the work you do!

So glad to hear you enjoyed the post, Liz! I’ll make sure Jenn sees this.

I thought that these points brought up about receiving late work were extremely helpful and I hope that every classroom understands how beneficial these strategies could be.

When reading the penalties section under point deductions it brought up the idea of taking points off slowly as time goes by. Currently in my classroom the only point deduction I take off is 30% of the total grade after it is received late. No matter how much time has gone by in that grading period it will have 30% off the total.

I’m curious if changing this technique to something that would increase the percentage off as time goes by will make students turn in their work on time.

My question to everyone is which grading technique would be more beneficial for the students? Do you believe that just taking off 30% for late work would help students more when turning in their work or do you think that as time goes by penalizing their final score will have students turn in their work more?

If anyone has any answers it would be extremely beneficial.

Thank you, Kirby

When I was in school my school did 1/3 of a grade each day it was like. So 1 day late A >A-. Two days late: A->>B+ so on and so forth. This worked really well for me because I knew that I could still receive a good grade if I worked hard on an assignment, even if it was a day or two late.

I dread it when I have missing work or unsubmitted work. I would try to get a last-minute effort to chase those needed pieces of work which could be done from those students housed in dorms on campus. It is better than not failing them for lacking to turn in graded submissions or taking scheduled quizzes. I dread this not for the students, sadly, but for likely call to explain why I did not keep physical evidence of students’ supposed learning. In my part of the globe, we have a yearly “quality assurance” audit by the country’s educational authorities or their representatives.

I am a pre-service teacher and I am in the process of developing my personal philosophies in education, including the topic of late work. I will be certified as a secondary social studies teacher and would like to teach in a high school. Your post brought my attention to some important insights about the subject. For example, before this post I had not thought to use feedback as a way to incentivize homework submission on time. This action coupled with the ability to re-do assignments is a great way to emphasize the importance of turning work in on time. I do have a follow-up question, how do you adequately manage grading re-do’s and feedback on all assignments? What kinds of organizational and time-management strategies do you use as a teacher? Further, how much homework do you assign when providing this as an option?

Additionally, have you administered or seen the no penalty and homework acceptance time limit in practice (for example, all homework must be turned in by the unit test)? I was curious if providing a deadline to accept all homework until the unit test may result in an access of papers I need to grade. From your experience, what practice(s) have you seen work well in the classroom?

My goal is to prepare students for life beyond high school and to support their intellectual, social, and emotional development during their high school learning experience. Similar to a previous commenter (Kate), I am also trying to define a balance between holding students accountable in order to best prepare them for their future lives and providing opportunities to raise their grade if they are willing to do the work.

Hey Jessica, you have some great questions. I’d recommend checking out the following blog posts from Jenn that will help you learn more about keeping track of assessments, differentiation, and other aspects of grading: Kiddom: Standards-based Grading Made Wonderful , Could You Teach Without Grades , Boost Your Assessment Power with GradeCam , and Four Research-Based Strategies Every Teacher Should be Using . I hope this helps you find answers to your questions!

Overall I found this article extremely helpful and it actually reinforced many ideas I already had about homework and deadlines. One of my favorite teachers I had in high school was always asking for our input on when we felt assignments should be due based on what extra curricular activities were taking place in a given time period. We were all extremely grateful for his consideration and worked that much harder on the given assignments.

While it is important to think about our own well-being when grading papers, I think it is just as important (if not more) to be conscious of how much work students might have in other classes or what students schedules are like outside of school. If we really want students to do their best work, we need to give them enough time to do the work. This will in turn, help them care more about the subject matter and help them dive deeper. Obviously there still needs to be deadlines, but it does not hurt to give students some autonomy and say in the classroom.

Thanks for your comment Zach. I appreciate your point about considering students’ involvement in extracurricular activities and other responsibilities they may have outside the school day. It’s definitely an important consideration. The only homework my son seemed to have in 8th grade was for his history class. I agree that there’s a need for teachers to maintain more of a balance across classes when it comes to the amount of homework they give to students.

Thank you for an important, thought-provoking post! As a veteran teacher of 20+ years, I have some strong opinions about this topic. I have always questioned the model of ‘taking points off’ for late work. I do not see how this presents an accurate picture of what the student knows or can do. Shouldn’t he be able to prove his knowledge regardless of WHEN? Why does WHEN he shows you what he knows determine WHAT he knows?

Putting kids up against a common calendar with due dates and timelines, regardless of their ability to learn the material at the same rate is perhaps not fair. There are so many different situations facing our students – some students have challenges and difficulty with deadlines for a plethora of potential reasons, and some have nothing but support, structure, and time. When it comes to deadlines – Some students need more time. Other students may need less time. Shouldn’t all students have a chance to learn at a pace that is right for them? Shouldn’t we measure student success by demonstrations of learning instead of how much time it takes to turn in work? Shouldn’t students feel comfortable when it is time to show me what they’ve learned, and when they can demonstrate they’ve learned it, I want their grade to reflect that.

Of course we want to teach students how to manage their time. I am not advocating for a lax wishy-washy system that allows for students to ‘get to it when they get to it’. I do believe in promoting work-study habits, and using a separate system to assign a grade for responsibility, respect, management, etc is a potential solution. I understand that when introducing this type of system, it may be tough to get buy-in from parents and older students who have traditionally only looked at an academic grade because it is the only piece of the puzzle that impacts GPA. Adopting a separate work-study grading system would involve encouraging the entire school community – starting at the youngest level – to see its value. It would be crucial for the school to promote the importance of high level work-study habits right along side academic grades.

I teach a specials course to inner city middle schoolers at a charter school. All students have to take my class since it is one of the core pillars of the school’s culture and mission. Therefore it is a double edge sword. Some students and parents think it is irrelevant like an art or music class but will get upset to find out it isn’t just an easy A class. Other students and parents love it because they come to our charter school just to be in this class that isn’t offered anywhere else in the state, except at the college level.

As you may have already guessed, I see a lot of students who don’t do the work. So much that I no longer assign homework, which the majority would not be able to do independently anyways or may develop the wrong way of learning the material, due to the nature of the subject. So everything is done in the classroom together as a class. And then we grade together to reinforce the learning. This is why I absolutely do not accept missing work and there is no reason for late work. Absent students make up the work by staying after school upon their return or they can print it off of Google classroom at home and turn in by the end of the day of their return. Late and missing work is a big issue at our school. I’ve had whole classrooms not do the work even as I implemented the new routine. Students will sit there and mark their papers as we do it in the classroom but by the end they are not handing it in because they claim not to have anything to hand in. Or when they do it appears they were doing very little. I’d have to micromanage all 32 students every 5 minutes to make sure they were actually doing the work, which I believe core teachers do. But that sets a very bad precedent because I noticed our students expect to be handheld every minute or they claim they can’t do the work. I know this to be the case since before this class I was teaching a computer class and the students expected me to sit right next to them and give them step-by-step instructions of where to click on the screen. They simply could not follow along as I demonstrated on the Aquos board. So I do think part of the problem is the administrators’ encouraging poor work ethics. They’re too focused on meeting proficient standard to the point they want teachers to handhold students. They also want teachers to accept late and missing work all the way until the end of each quarter. Well that’s easy if you only have a few students but when you have classrooms full of them, that means trying to grade 300+ students multiplied by “x” amount of late/missing work the week before report card rolls out – to which we still have to write comments for C- or below students. Some of us teach all the grade levels 6-8th. And that has actually had negative effects because students no longer hold themselves accountable.

To be honest, I really do think this is why there is such a high turnover rate and teachers who started giving busy work only. In the inner city, administrators only care about putting out the illusion of proficiency while students and parents don’t want any accountability for their performance. As soon as a student fails because they have to actually try to learn (which is a risk for failing), the parent comes in screaming.

Yea, being an Art teacher you lost me at “ irrelevant like an art or music .”

I teach middle school in the inner city where missing and late work is a chronic issue so the suggestions and ideas above do not work. Students and parents have become complacent with failing grades so penalizing work isn’t going to motivate them to do better the next time. The secret to teaching in the inner city is to give them a way out without it becoming massive work for you. Because trust me, if you give them an inch they will always want a mile at your expense. Depending on which subject you teach, it might be easier to just do everything in class. That way it becomes an all or nothing grade. They either did or didn’t do the work. No excuses, no chasing down half the school through number of calls to disconnected phone numbers and out of date emails, no explaining to parents why Johnny has to stay after school to finish assignments when mom needs him home to babysit or because she works second shift and can’t pick him up, etc. Students have no reason for late work or for missing work when they were supposed to do it right there in class. Absent students can catch up with work when they return.

Milton, I agree with all of what you are saying and have experienced. Not to say that that is for all students I have had, but it is a slow progression as to what is happening with students and parents as years go by. I understand that there are areas outside of the classroom we cannot control and some students do not have certain necessities needed to help them but they need to start learning what can they do to help themselves. I make sure the students know they can come and talk to me if needing help or extra time, tutor after school and even a phone number to contact along with email if needing to ask questions or get help. But parents and students do not use these opportunities given until the week before school ends and are now wanting their student to pass and what can be done. It is frustrating and sad. I let students and parents know my expectation up front and if they do not take the opportunity to talk to me then the grade they earned is the result.

I am a special education resource teacher and late work/missing work happens quite a lot. After reading this article, I want to try a few different things to help minimize this issue. However, I am not the one making the grades or putting the grades in. I am just giving the work to the students in small group settings and giving them more access to the resources they need to help them be successful on these assignments based on their current IEP. I use a make-up folder, and usually I will pull these students to work on their work during a different time than when I regularly pull them. That way they do not miss the delivery of instruction they get from me and it does not punish my other students either if there is make-up work that needs to be completed. I try to give my students ample time to complete their work, so there is no excuse for them not to complete it. If they are absent, then I pull them at a time that they can make it up.

I too agree with that there’s a need for teachers to maintain more of a balance across classes when it comes to the amount of homework they give to students.

I had a few teachers who were willing to tolerate lateness in favor of getting it/understanding the material. Lastly, my favorite teacher was the one who gave me many chances to do rewrites of a ‘bad essay’ and gave me as much time as needed (of course still within like the semester or even month but I never took more than two weeks) because he wanted me to do well. I ended up with a 4 in AP exam though so that’s good.

Late work has a whole new meaning with virtual learning. I am drowning in late work (via Google Classroom). I don’t want to penalize students for late work as every home situation is different. I grade and provide feedback timely (to those who submitted on time). However, I am being penalized every weekend and evening as I try to grade and provide feedback during this time. I would love some ideas.

Hi Susan! I’m in the same place–I have students who (after numerous reminders) still haven’t submitted work due days…weeks ago, and I’m either taking time to remind them again or give feedback on “old” work over my nights and weekends. So, while it’s not specific to online learning, Jenn’s A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work is a post I’ve been trying to put into practice the last few days. I hope this helps!

Graded assignment flexibility is essential to the process of learning in general but especially in our new world of digital divide

It is difficult to determine who is doing the work at home. Follow up videos on seesaw help to see if the student has gained the knowledge or is being given the answers.

This is some good information. This is a difficult subject.

I love the idea of a catch-up cafe! I think I will try to implement this in my school. It’s in the same place every day, yes? And the teachers take turns monitoring? I’m just trying to get a handle on the logistics – I know those will be the first questions I get.

I really enjoyed this post. I think it provides a lot of perspective on a topic that teachers get way too strict about. I just wonder: wouldn’t it be inevitable for students to become lazy and care less about their understanding if there wasn’t any homework (or even if it was optional)? I know students don’t like it, and it can get redundant if they understand the content, but it truly is good practice.

Hi Shannon,

Glad the post helped! Homework is one of those hot educational topics, but I can’t say I’ve personally come across a situation or found any research where kids become lazy or unmotivated if not assigned homework. In fact, research indicates that homework doesn’t really have much impact on learning until high school. I just think that if homework is going to be assigned, it needs to be intentional and purposeful. (If students have already mastered a skill, I’m not sure how homework would provide them much benefit.) Here’s an article that I think is worth checking out. See what you think.

I like how you brought up how homework needs to be given with the understanding that not all kids have the same resources at home. Some kids don’t have computers or their parents won’t let them use it. There is no way of knowing this so teachers should give homework that requires barely any utensils or technology.

I think having students help determine the due dates for major assignments is a great idea. This works well with online schools too. Remote jobs are the future so helping students learn how to set their own due dates and to get homework done from home will prepare them for the future.

This year I am trying something new. After reading this article, I noticed that I have used a combination of some of these strategies to combat late work and encourage students to turn work in on time. I only record a letter grade in the grade book: A, B, C, D, F. If a student turns in an assignment late, I flag it as late, but it does not affect their “grade”.

If a student wants to redo an assignment, they must turn something in. If they miss the due date, they can still turn it in, but lose the opportunity to redo the assignment. Students will meet with me one last time before they turn it in to get final feedback.

At the end of the grading period, I conference with the student about their final grade, looking at how many times they have handed work in on-time or late. This will determine if the student has earned an A or an A+ .

I really appreciate how your post incorporates a lot of suggestions for the way that teachers can think about and grade homework. Thank you for mentioning how different students have different resources available as well. As teachers, we need to be aware of the different resources our students have and tailor our approach to homework to match. I like the idea of grading homework based on completion and accepting late work for full credit at any time (substituting a zero in the grade book until it is turned in). This is definitely a strategy that I’ll be using!

So glad the article was helpful for you! I will be sure to pass on your comments to Jenn.

I also have been teaching for a long time and I have found that providing an END OF WEEK (Friday at 11:59) due date for assignments allows students to get the work completed by that time. It helps with athletes, and others involved in extra curricular activities. I feel this is fair. I give my tests/quizzes on the days assigned and the supplemental work on Fridays.

I personally, as a special education teach, would allow my SPED students extra time to complete the work they have missed. This is in alignment with their IEP accommodations. I would work with each one independently and have remediation with the content that they are having difficulty. This setting would be in a small group and separate classroom.

I really like the idea of a work habits grade. I struggle with students who turn things in late regularly earning the same grade as those who always turn things in on time. A work habits grade could really motivate some learners.

I’ve been in education for 37 years and in all manner of positions. I share this only to also say that things have changed quite a bit. When I started teaching I only had one, maybe two students in a class of 34 elementary students that would not have homework or classwork finished. Now, I have two classes of about 15 each. One group is often half the class on a regular basis not having homework or not finishing classwork on a regular basis- so far. Additionally parents will pull students out to go to amusement parks, etc and expect all work to be made up and at full credit. I believe that the idea of homework is clearly twofold- to teach accountability and to reengage a learner. Classwork is critical to working with the content and, learning objective. We can all grade various ways; however, at some point, the learner has to step up. Learning is not passive, nor is it all on the teacher. I have been called “mean” because I make students do their work in class, refocusing them, etc. I find that is my duty. Late work should be simply dealt with consistently and with understanding to circumstance IMO. You were out or it was late because mom and dad were upset, ok versus we went to Disney for three days and I was too tired. hmm- used to be easy with excused/unexcused absences, now there is no difference. Late with no absence? That can be a problem and I reach out to home and handle it individually at my level.

Hi Jennifer! I really like your sharing about this topic! Late work is a problem that every teacher encounters. Thank you for your consideration of this issue and the many wise ideas you have provided. Your ideas also remind me to reflect on whether my overall program of assignments and grading is in a healthy place. I was inspired by the preventative measures you listed in this post. I want to try to include my students in setting deadlines, especially for some big projects. Students will feel respected by teachers and will be more willing to complete the assignments before deadlines! As you mentioned, some teachers have made homework optional or self-selected, or even stopped assigning homework. I partially agree with that opinion. I indeed try to reduce the amount of students’ homework or even stop assigning homework sometime, but doing related practice in class instead. I believe that the purpose of homework is to aid pupils in mastering the knowledge; it is not a necessary thing.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Yang. Jenn will be glad to know that you found the post inspiring!

Thanks so much for all your insights on giving assignments or homework. All are very helpful as I prepare to return to work after an extended medical leave. It is good to refresh! Anything we require of our students should be purposeful and meaningful to them, so they will give their best to meet whatever deadlines we set. I also like asking our students when is the best time they can turn work in; this is meeting them halfway. And if one strategy does not work, there are more to try; just read this post. Thanks a bunch!!

Jenn will be glad to know the post was helpful for you, Jo!

My colleagues and I at Sand Creek International in Colorado Springs, Colorado, enjoyed reading your post “A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work.” It gave us a lot to think about. We are the middle school teachers in a K-8 school and our district policy has been to accept late work all the way to the end of each quarter with no more than a 10% penalty for being late. We decided to examine this policy and discuss the pros and cons of it. Spending the time discussing these pros and cons really helped us examine our own philosophies on the point of student work and ultimately led to some changes we are empowered to make as well as a request for a change only our district level personnel can approve.

Pros of a Lenient Late Work Policy -More students eventually complete the work we want all students to complete This led us to be more intentional about work we are assigning for a grade and being more selective about what is counted towards a student’s grade. As was mentioned in your post, this was about a shift from “compliance” to “student growth” in what we were choosing to grade. -More students passing classes Students heading into high school don’t need to already be labeled as “failing” students and adopting a view of themselves that sets them up for struggle in high school. Students playing a sport also have the pressure of remaining eligible for their competitions. If they got zeros for late works, many would lose the ability to play their sport, which we think would be a detriment to their mental health. -Allows a focus on equity in grading policies We are aware many students face challenges outside of the classroom that make focusing on schoolwork difficult. A lenient late work policy doesn’t punish students who are facing these sorts of challenges.

Cons of a Lenient Late Work Policy -Teachers aren’t able to give timely feedback or adjust instruction When assignments are turned in late, often the topic of the assignment has already appeared on a test and if the student didn’t understand it, the opportunity to help that student before a test has already passed. -Students are learning bad habits when they aren’t taught that deadlines have importance As students head into high school and beyond, and eventually the workforce, we worry we are setting them up for failure if they haven’t learned that not meeting a deadline has consequences. Middle school is an ideal time to help students learn how to prioritize their time, organize their work, and develop a strong work ethic. Instead, the message they are sent with an overly lenient late work policy is that there are no real consequences to not meeting your obligations.

Changes We Have the Power to Make at the School Level -Be selective in what counts as a grade — make it more about growth than compliance -Guide students in developing executive function skills, like prioritizing work, creating their time management systems, task trackers, etc. -Require students to turn in something on the due date — even if that “something” is a request for a deadline extension -Be explicit with students about why turning in work on time is important for them to be able to get timely feedback on assignments that will help them prepare for assessments -Possibly offer extra credit for work turned in on time or other positive incentives -Possibly offer one “free” pass on an assignment per class per quarter or a drop the lowest grade pass -Required attendance at Yeti Den (after school work time) for missing work

Changes that Would Need District Approval -10% penalty for up to a certain number of days and then 25% off and then at some point, district’s policy of 50% minimum on work turned in kicks in — no more full credit for really late work. -Missing work considered in athletics eligibility -Missing work triggers automatic emails to parents from Infinite Campus gradebook just like unexcused absences do

Mary, thanks for taking the time to share your thinking! Jenn will be so glad to know that the post helped spark this conversation among your colleagues.

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Should Teachers Accept Late Work? (A Full Guide With Reasons For and Against)

Late submission of assignments is a routine issue faced by teachers. It’s not uncommon for students to struggle with time management, personal obligations, or unforeseen circumstances that lead to missed deadlines. Educators are divided on the best approach to dealing with late work, and while some say it’s unacceptable, others believe that a more lenient stance is better in the long run. Which of these arguments holds more merit?

This article explores whether teachers should accept late work, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of such a practice. By examining different perspectives and considering the impact on students’ learning outcomes, you will gain insight into this contentious issue and craft an approach that doesn’t do a disservice to you or your students.

Table of Contents

When Should a Teacher Accept Overdue Assignments?

For example, if they ask to submit their work later due to health-related issues and can present a medical note from a doctor, it will be unreasonable to refuse their request.

Or, if you are contacted by the student’s parents about a family matter, like the death of a loved one or the need to travel urgently, you should accept this as a genuine reason and grant the student some extra time to submit their work.

However, what happens if a student’s justification is unprovable, or they don’t want to explain why they’ve missed the deadline?

Reasons For Accepting Late Work

Tolerating late work is not a sign of weakness or bad teaching practice as it does have some potential benefits, especially in the long run. Here are reasons to support why teachers should accept late submissions from students.

Better Quality Work

Though teaching the importance of time management and responsibility is undoubtedly a big part of setting an assignment, students producing good-quality work is even more significant in the grand scheme of things.

Work that is rushed to meet a deadline will likely be below expectations and not accurately portray a student’s skills and abilities .

That’s why most teachers agree that giving students an extra day or two can be the difference between receiving a sub-par submission to one that is of a good standard.

Moreover, if a student knows that they can’t meet the deadline and that the teacher will not show any leniency in this regard, they probably won’t even bother at all.

Helps Build a Supporting Learning Environment

Perhaps the most meaningful benefit of accepting late work is the positive learning environment it promotes. 

When teachers show leniency toward missed deadlines, they create an atmosphere of support and encouragement, which are fundamental characteristics that help students to develop and improve.

Students also feel more comfortable seeking assistance and clarification, knowing their teacher is approachable and helpful. By promoting open dialogue, we can better understand the reasons behind late submissions and offer appropriate support and guidance.

On the other hand, a no-tolerance policy for late submissions will instill fear and pessimism, having a detrimental effect on progress.

Demonstrates Compassion and Understanding

In connection with building a supportive learning environment, teachers should accept late work to show and encourage the ideals of compassion and understanding. 

Students, though young, are people with real problems and challenges, just like the rest of us. Therefore, showing some sympathy and consideration can go a long way as they grow into well-adjusted adults and become considerate members of society.

Remember that you never fully know what students are going through in and outside of school, so giving them the benefit of the doubt with late submissions can avoid adding further stress to their lives.

Enhances Student-Teacher Relationship

We all remember our favorite teacher(s) . They made learning fun and accessible, took the time to get to know each student, and supported and encouraged us. Conclusively, the teaching and learning experience is a whole lot better with strong student-teacher relationships.

Secondly, it can lead to enhanced communication and more meaningful interactions. If students can rely on their teachers to be understanding about missed deadlines, the parties will be more honest with each other.

Consequently, the teacher’s leniency can strengthen mutual trust and respect, which will undoubtedly help create a better classroom community and lead to better academic outcomes.

Promotes Flexibility and Adaptability

The choice to accept late work can become a learning opportunity for students because it teaches them to adjust their plans and adapt to unexpected situations.

For example, a student with genuine intentions to complete an assignment on time may encounter computer issues, like their laptop not working or not having a reliable internet connection.

Accepting late work cultivates flexibility, which in turn encourages students to be versatile and resilient. This adaptability extends beyond academics and prepares students for the obstacles they may encounter in their personal and professional lives.

Greater Opportunity for Creativity and New Ideas

Deadlines are inescapable and serve important functions. Knowing when something has to be submitted puts the onus on the individual, who can then take measured steps to meet the requirements.

That is why when students are given the opportunity to submit late work, they are more likely to explore alternative approaches and think imaginatively to complete their assignments.

For example, if a student gets a spark of innovation the night before the assignment is due, they may be reluctant to use or build on it due to limited time. However, if they know the deadline is somewhat flexible, the student will be more motivated and inspired to pursue the new idea.

Develops Problem-Solving

Similar to the importance of being adaptable, accepting late work encourages students to develop their problem-solving skills when finding solutions to overcome challenges.

They learn to identify the underlying issues that caused the late submission and can work on strategies to prevent similar situations in the future.

Essentially, teachers can help students develop their self-management capabilities in a meaningful way, empowering them to be more responsible and independent.

This problem-solving mindset is a valuable skill that prepares students for the demands and expectations they will face beyond the classroom.

Does Not Limit Participation

It is not rare for students to feel dejected and lose interest in their studies after having their work dismissed. Consequently, their participation in class and the quality of their work take a turn for the worse.

In addition, it is worth noting that content covered in lessons are often closely connected, with topics overlapping and prior knowledge being built on constantly with new information.

Not only does a strict policy on late submissions directly affect the grade and motivation of students, but the resulting constraints on their participation will place them at a greater disadvantage.

To prevent this downward spiral, teachers should strive to maximize student participation, even if it means accepting late submissions.

Avoid Potential Tension With Parents and Administrators

Unfortunately, this is not the reality, and frictions between teachers and administrators/parents occasionally occur.

One area where differences of opinion come to light is grading. Teachers may set clear expectations and guidelines regarding assessment and grades, but this does not make them immune to scrutiny.

To save yourself the trouble of dealing with irate parents or administrators, it might be better to take a more lenient approach to missed deadlines.

The reasons above recommend why teachers should accept late work. This standpoint is supported by Dana Cole, a fellow teacher who explains her point of view about embracing compassion and flexibility in the video below:

However, this school of thinking has its limits too. One would rightfully argue that grading a student who didn’t meet the deadline the same as one who did is unfair and transmits the wrong message to young minds.

Besides this, there are other reasons why not accepting late work may sometimes be the better option.

Reasons Against Accepting Late Work

Is it always a good idea to accept late work? Some educators say no, and here’s why:

Deadlines Promote Self-Management Skills

Setting and adhering to deadlines are an integral part of the learning process. By sticking to deadlines, students grasp how to manage themselves better.

First, they develop essential time management skills as they learn to prioritize work, break the task into manageable chunks, plan ahead, and complete assignments promptly. Students will not have the incentive to organize their time most effectively if there is no deadline or it is loosely implemented.

Next, the ability to adhere to deadlines is a good indicator of someone’s level of discipline. If students demonstrate the effort and commitment to submit assignments on time, then they can replicate this resolve in other aspects of their lives. For instance, disciplined students are more likely to accomplish their goals due to the increased focus and control they have developed with practice.

Deadlines can also instill a sense of responsibility. By setting and sticking to an assignment submission date, teachers are empowering students to fulfill their obligations. This sense of responsibility helps to create a more productive learning environment where students understand their role and can focus on meeting expectations.

Hence, deadlines serve a vital role in the promotion of essential self-management skills, so they should be adhered to.

Avoid Developing a Bad Habit

Otherwise, students cannot be blamed for displaying counterproductive habits like procrastination and an inability to manage their time effectively.

For example, when teachers are relaxed about submissions, students will likely delay completing assignments until the last minute and put less effort into their studies. Consequently, the work produced (if any) is of a lower standard and will not reflect their true potential.

Furthermore, giving one student a pass for missing a deadline may encourage others to follow suit. Not only one class but other classes taught by the teacher would start submitting their assignments late.

And without any form of consequence for missing deadlines, a cycle of late submissions will quickly perpetuate. It’s best to nip it in the bud before it becomes a bigger issue.

Once is a mistake. Twice is a pattern. Three times is a habit.

Fairness and Consistency

Students place a great deal of importance on fairness and justice. So if deadlines are extended for some but not others, it can lead to resentment and demotivation. Hence, accepting late work can create a perception of favoritism or unfairness among students.

By not accepting late work under any circumstance (except in rare cases), teachers ensure a level playing field for all, reinforcing the principles of impartiality and equity in the classroom.

Consistency is also a key element of effective classroom management . Teachers should establish clear rules and expectations for all students and uphold these standards as best as possible.

Showing empathy and understanding is one thing, but a teacher who sticks to their word and is consistent will receive more respect and cooperation from students.

For instance, if a teacher sets a deadline but doesn’t stand by it, their students are less likely to be convinced or assured about anything else that teacher says. This could include setting future deadlines or even the instructions given in the classroom.

Upholding the expectations consistently, on the other hand, helps to build trust and credibility while minimizing any confusion, anxiety, or stress students may experience.

Prepares Students for the Real World

Punctuality is a virtue that extends beyond academic settings, and students must understand that deadlines are a common occurrence even outside of school. So, by making sure that work gets handed in on time, teachers better prepare students for life beyond the classroom. This includes a number of elements.

First, deadlines set by a teacher mimic the time constraints and standards that students will encounter in their future careers. Every workplace expects professionalism, reliability, and commitment from its workforce, and students can start developing these traits by meeting deadlines in school.

Teachers also help students build the discipline needed to excel in higher education and their careers. And by allowing students to experience the consequences of their actions, they learn accountability and the importance of fulfilling commitments (as discussed above).

Furthermore, the value of punctuality is taught as students recognize that meeting deadlines is a sign of respect for others’ time, which is a characteristic that will serve them well when building relationships.

On the contrary, accepting late work can undermine the importance of these traits, and students who are accustomed to submitting work late may struggle to adapt to a professional setting.

While in school, turning in an assignment late might result in a lower grade at worse. Later in life, it can lead to tensions with others, impacts on health, missed job opportunities, or even getting fired .

Inconvenience for the Teacher

It is well-known that a teacher’s day is busy with a long list of duties that need to be fulfilled. High up on that list is the responsibility to assess and provide timely feedback to students. This is only made harder for the teacher when students submit their work late.

Most teachers allocate specific times for grading. So, if an assignment is handed in after the teacher is done grading other students, it creates a backlog for the teacher and may mean that the late assignment goes unmarked.

Fundamentally, delayed assessment, or not assessing at all, will impede the timely progression of the curriculum and disrupt the flow of teaching and learning.

By enforcing deadlines, such inconvenience can be solved and enable teachers to accurately assess students’ progress and provide prompt feedback.

Your willingness to give your students the benefit of the doubt should always have its limits, most of the time for their own good. As a teacher, you have a responsibility to help students grow into not only knowledgeable but also well-adjusted adults.

Enabling students who perpetually turn in their work late or grade them similarly to their classmates who made an effort to meet the deadlines can send a detrimental message that will hold them back later on in life.

That’s why still enforcing some assignment guidelines is essential in teaching students the importance of time management and taking responsibility. However, there is a way to do that without derailing their academic journey.

How To Best Deal with Late Work

Extreme approaches are rarely effective, so you’ll want to strike a balance between providing second chances and holding students accountable for their actions, i.e., finding a middle ground that can encourage your students to make an effort while still stressing the importance of good time management can go a long way.

In general, the most practical option would be to accept late work within a reasonable window of time. So, if students fail to meet the initial deadline for whatever reason, they still have an opportunity to turn in their work. But when that window passes, it’s time to move on.

Another factor to consider is the implementation of any late penalties. When it comes to illness or other extreme circumstances, taking an understanding approach should be the obvious action. But for students who repeatedly demonstrate poor self-management and a lack of motivation, some form of consequence can serve as a reminder of the expectations.

My suggestion would be to create a system in which an X-day delay translates into an X-point deduction.

For example, if the work gets turned in 1-2 days late, there’ll be an automatic five or 10-point deduction on the assignment. That way, the students can still get a good grade if they produce good-quality work while also learning a lesson on the importance of self-management skills.

Moreover, this type of system can push students to input more effort. Let’s say a student recognizes they won’t be able to turn in their work on time. That means they’ll be extra motivated to submit an excellent assignment since they know they’ll be starting at a 5-point deficit.

Though there are currently no concrete studies to support such arguments, many teachers (including myself) have first-hand experience of how work submitted late can often exceed expectations. Whether that’s because of fewer time constraints or the incentive to do better due to having fewer points available is up for discussion.

Another advantage of this approach is that it helps you grade your students based on their actual assimilation of the subject, not arbitrary timelines.

Principally, to avoid confusion and frustration, teachers should establish clear expectations regarding assignment deadlines from the beginning. By clearly communicating due dates, late submission policies, and any potential penalties, students can plan their time accordingly and understand the consequences of submitting work late.

Whichever approach you choose, enforcing it consistently is fundamental.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question, “ Should teachers accept late work ,” and your response to the situation will depend on your teaching style and circumstances. However, it usually pays to be reasonably flexible with timelines and allow students to turn in their work rather than have them not bother at all.

You can still develop a system where turning assignments in X days late leads to an X-point reduction. That way, you’ll keep your students motivated to complete assignments while influencing them to make more responsible choices in the future.

Thanks for reading the article - we hope that your teaching query has been answered with helpful information and insightful advice. Feel free to share this article with friends and let’s help the Teacher How community grow!

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What would be the best way to convince a professor to waive late submission penalties?

I am a grad level student and I am completing my last course this semester. The professor is reducing our grade by 20%/day if we submit our assignment late. It is a lot. For example, my grade is 18/20 and he reduced it by 4 because I submitted it a day late. My total GPA is A+. It is a significant amount of grade that he is taking off. This will ruin my grade.

I understand that a late submission is not good. Having said that, I have always been trying my best to submit them on time. His assignments were more difficult than what he was teaching us during lectures and I always need to study extra books and material to solve problems.

I was thinking of sending an email and asking for him to waive the penalties. Especially now due to COVID it is somehow cruel to enforce these penalties.

Reason for late submission: Due to my research internship, I have been working part-time in a company in another city (not the city that the university is located). So it was pretty hard for me to keep up with the deadline. Before COVID, I had to even commute in between cities to attend classes and that drained me.

Edited: I wrote this letter, please feel free to edit or add more details.

Dear zyx, I am writing regarding the late-submission penalties. Due to my research internship and displacement, It was pretty hard for me to keep up with the deadlines. During this time I had to commute in between cities and I had only slid to follow up the course and solve assignments that I can save them for submitting my assignments earlier. Not accessing the in-person classes made me spend hours studying other references to solve my assignments. So I was wondering if you could please waive late submission penalties? Best regards, XYZ

• Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat . –  eykanal Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 15:49
• 1 "...I had only slid to follow up the course and solve assignments that I can save them for submitting my assignments earlier." The meaning of this particular statement isn't very clear, so you would want to rewrite it. –  Panzercrisis Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 23:14

8 Answers 8

Professors will say no by default to all such requests, but a lot of the time they secretly want to say yes, so you need to help them help you by providing all the relevant context, being logical and reasonable, and generally convince them that you are worthy of their attention and understanding.

Here is my attempt at a draft email.

Dear Professor xyz, my name is ZYX, I’m a student in your Programming for Programmers class. I submitted the first class project one day late on February 17 and as a result you imposed a 20% late submission penalty, which reduced my project grade from 18/20 to 14/20. I know that this penalty is in the course policies and accept that there is a good reason for such penalties and that you have the right to decide such things. But I wonder if you considered that such a high penalty may be unreasonably harsh? I am an excellent student and have worked very hard to maintain an overall GPA of A+ in the program. Because of the penalty it seems almost certain that my final grade for the class will end up lower than what my performance would merit without the penalty, which in turn would lower my overall GPA and future academic and career chances. The consequences seem disproportionate relative to the one time mistake of submitting an assignment late by just one day. I therefore want to ask respectfully if you might consider waiving or at least reducing the penalty for this late submission. I do sincerely apologize for the late submission, and for not contacting you in advance of the deadline to request an extension (something that in hindsight I obviously should have done when I realized I was going to be late). Normally I am very good at keeping up with my workload, but back in February, because of a research internship I was doing at [name of company], which required me to commute back and forth between [name of city 1] and [name of city 2] and took up a lot of my time and energy, my commitments ended up piling up in an unexpected way, which caused me to fall a little behind and miss the deadline. I nonetheless worked diligently to catch up and ended up managing to submit what I think you’ll agree is a high quality project the next day. Thanks for your consideration. I hope you understand my anxiety and do not think less of me for making this request. In this difficult period when students like me are facing an uncertain job market and other unusual difficulties related to the COVID-19 crisis, we could use a bit of leniency. Regards, ZYX

• 46 This line jarred for me " But I wonder if you considered that such a high penalty may be unreasonably harsh? " - It seems a bit confrontational. Perhaps something like "I was hoping there might be some scope for leeway " –  Valorum Commented Apr 16, 2020 at 20:10
• 12 @Valorum yes, it’s clear that I’ve forgotten how to speak like a true grad student . –  Dan Romik Commented Apr 16, 2020 at 20:31
• 9 I wonder if mentioning that this will bring down OP's GPA would be a plus. Some professors might stop reading there and assume OP cares more about grades than learning and dismiss the request. –  The Hagen Commented Apr 16, 2020 at 22:06
• 7 @DanRomik - To me if feels like you're questioning his judgement. "Hey, don't you think you're being capricious and stupid?" –  Valorum Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 6:49
• 5 This wouldn't move me much. However if there was a hint of asking whether there is a possibility of doing an extra assignment or doing something more in order to regain the lost score, I'd be more inclined to bend the rules. I mean, If I was the student, I'd try to argue if I could do another assignment to get the score. If the professor was to waive completely he'd be doing wrong to all the other students. But letting a student have a do-over upon request would be within tolerable moral limits, IMHO. –  Stian Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 7:59

I'm going to guess that you won't be able to convince them, no matter what you say. I think the rule that they imposed is very strict, but not unreasonable. They may have done so as a goad to get you to work early and often on assignments, rather than to let things go to the last moment. They may have done it simply to aid their own workflow in grading and giving feedback.

You can ask, and give the reasons. State them honestly. You can ask for an exception. You'd be more likely to get a one time exception than a general change in policy. But the prof would be doing you a favor in that case and you'd have to recognize it as such.

But, you made your own decisions to take on a workload that may have been to heavy for the conditions. Since those decisions were yours to make, it isn't the responsibility of others, including this prof, to get you out of the consequences.

I was once in a similar situation and wound up needing to drop a course to get back to a more reasonable work load. It required a favor from the dean who was, fortunately, inclined to grant it.

• 1 it was only a day late, –  nikki Commented Apr 16, 2020 at 13:35
• 23 @programmer Feels to me that the policy is pretty explicitly designed to cover cases that are "only a day late" - since you were only a day late you get -20%, if you were three days late you would get -60% off. I'm not saying it's a particularly lenient policy, but I feel "it was only a day" will not impress this specific professor much. –  xLeitix Commented Apr 16, 2020 at 14:59

I'm going to go against the flow here and say it's likely not worth drafting a letter to your professor asking for a reduced penalty:

• However you phrase it, it easily comes across as "needy" to me and so may negatively impact the professor's opinion of you;
• Your circumstances aren't exceptional (essentially boiling down to "I was busy so didn't have enough time");
• 20% per day actually seems rather lenient to me (we had a strict 0% policy for any late submission without an exceptional excuse.)

I've received a few requests like this from students in the past - the answer was almost always "no", and for better or worse, it made them seem desperate and/or lazy. (Of course, exceptions for situations such as "my father passed", "I was admitted to hospital", etc.)

Where you might receive more leeway is if you contact the professor well in advance of the deadline, demonstrate that you're working on the problem, say that you'll struggle to finish in time and ask if there's anything that can be done. This puts across the impression of "I'm trying but really struggling, what should I do?" rather than "I didn't work hard enough and submitted late, could you maybe get rid of that penalty pretty please?" - and most reasonable professors would want to help you out in the first situation.

• 3 You seem to miss the point that this professor is not you. Many profs accept the requests (especially since Covid is an exceptional suggestion) and you do not really point out why it could be a disadvantage to write such a letter. From your answer, it seems like the only thing lost when writing a letter is a small amount of time. Also, the one who judges if the circumstances are exceptional is the prof, not we on the Internet (as we do not have enough information on the situation). –  user111388 Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 11:08

I think you have a unique "opportunity" with the pandemic: True reason for being late or not, it is an extraordinary situation. Your professor may feel they can make an exception this semester without violating sacred principles.

One thing which would convince me was if the whole class/course would write a polite request that late penalties were suspended under these extraordinary circumstances. I don't know how many students are in your course, and if anybody else was late. But I would try to contact everybody (including punctual submitters!) and write a common letter detailing the problems which you all faced and stating that you all scrambled, and some simply had it easier with setting up home office, commuting etc.

Including everybody would make it more palatable to the professor because they might conceive a waiver as an unjust advantage of those who could not manage their time well. If everybody is OK with that it's easier to relax their principles just once under these extraordinary circumstances.

You need to get out in front of things. Acceptable reasons for a waiving of late penalties after the fact are usually limited to personal illness, serious illness or death in the family, or some other serious unexpected incident.

Other work commitments, commuting, picking up children from school, time for studying, etc. are expected situations for students. It is completely unreasonable to ask after the fact for a waiver of your late penalties for any of these reasons. You haven't failed your assignment, so let this 20% penalty teach you about your own personal capacities.

Now asking before the assignment is due is another matter. If you are having trouble keeping up, especially with unprecedented events like the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools will have rules allowing for extensions. So get in front of this: consider all of your subjects and their assessments. If there are any that are bunched together (for example if you have a week with 3 major things due in it) then it's quite plausible that you can get an extension for one or more. You should ask both your lecturers and your school's dean of studies/student department/etc, so that they can coordinate extensions between different subjects. Or you may be able to withdraw from a subject without academic penalty. But there's no guarantee that flexibility will be granted to you. Your problems aren't unexpected.

Your professor has good reasons for their late submission penalties.

Employment demands timely delivery, even when the work is tough. Lateness has real consequences, projects and relationships can be ruined. Sometimes negotiation is possibly; other times it is not.

Exploiting current events for personal gain may pay off, but not without cost. Other avenues should be sought, overtime considered.

An unanticipated or uncommon personal situation might merit delayed delivery. For instance, a prestigious, honourable activity on-top of a usual workload.

A combination of current events and a personal situation might also merit delay.

In the words of George Davis, Tell It Like It Is .

• @programmer Please read How should I phrase an important question that I need to ask a professor? –  Nobody Commented Apr 16, 2020 at 11:26
• 7 I think the appeal to academic policy as preparation for employment is particularly weak here. In many careers, a delay in a deliverable will be noticed or even anticipated long before the deadline, which can be shifted to accomodate, as deadlines are rarely as immutable as academia presents them to be. Let alone the simple fact that employment rarely involves the requirement to find both energy and free time at home to complete significant amounts of work, as most work is done during dedicated paid time. While it is a reason for late submission penalties, I wouldn't call it a good reason. –  Klaycon Commented Apr 16, 2020 at 20:38
• @Klaycon Spot on! I'd fully anticipated your comment. That's why I wrote: projects and relationships can be ruined and that sometimes negotiation is possibly ; other times it is not . As for employment rarely involves the requirement to find both energy and free time at home to complete significant amounts of work , that really depends on your job. Many will strongly disagree with you. Similarly for dedicated paid time , many work well beyond contracted hours. –  user2768 Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 7:15
• 2 @user2768: Please note that in many couuntries,working beyond contracted hours is against the law and not something people should be taught as a good thing. –  user111388 Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 16:29
• @user111388 I didn't suggest breaking the law. Regardless, contracted hours may be unbounded for practical purposes. Specifically for academia: I've never known a academic to record nor cap their hours. –  user2768 Commented Apr 20, 2020 at 10:43

It may be that the professor has no discretion to waive the late penalty. At my institution we have an "extenuating circumstances" panel that does have the discretion to waive late penalties if the student can give reasonable evidence of an "extenuating circumstances" that are beyond their control or ability to foresee (such as health problems) that adequately explains the late submission. There are good reasons for this, such as to ensure consistency and fairness, but also students may have deeply personal circumstances that they would not want to be shared more widely than absolutely necessary. Having a small panel that evaluates requests (in this case for a retrospective extension) limits the number of people that need to know about such circumstances, which may make students less reticent to apply.

So don't contact the professor until you have investigated the regulations and found out how these things are handled at your institution.

The penalty is set for some good reason, or at least the professor who set it must think so. However, the penalty is reasonable because of some assumptions work, and those assumptions are likely to work for all students, because if they weren't, the professor would have changed the deadline for all students after some of them asked in time.

Therefore, if you are going to request a change for you and not for the other students, you need to explain why the assumptions on which the penalty is based don't hold for you, and just telling that you are a good student is not going to do the word.

Furthermore, you are asking for an extension when the deadline has already passed. Then, in addition to give a good reason you need to explain why that reason was unforeseeable.

And last but not least, such a hard penalty seems a reaction with the professor not wanting students being late with excuses, probably as a reaction to past experiences. That means that the excuse needs to be very good and very well documented.

And Covid-19 alone doesn't seem to be a good excuse, but documented days of hospitalisation may be, or being unexpectedly confined without a computer or a pencil too.

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Turn in an assignment

This article is for students.

You turn in your work online in Classroom. Depending on the type of assignment and attachments, you’ll find  Turn in or Mark as Done .

Any assignment turned in or marked done after the due date is recorded as late.

Important: 

• You can only submit an assignment before the due date.
• If you need to edit an assignment you submitted, unsubmit the assignment before the due date, make your changes, and resubmit.
• Attach one or more files to your assignment.
• Upload photos from a camera roll.
• Open and work on files you own in Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drawings and then attach them to your assignment.

Turn in an Assignment Using Google Classroom (Web)

Go to classroom.google.com  and click Sign In.

Sign in with your Google Account. For example,  [email protected] or [email protected] .  Learn more .

• Select the attachment or enter the URL for a link and click Add .

• Click the file and enter your information.

The status of the assignment changes to Turned in .

Important : If you get an error message when you click Turn in , let your instructor know.

Turn in a quiz

• Click the form and answer the questions.
• Click Submit . If the form is the only work for the assignment, the status of the assignment changes to Turned in .
• If there's more work to do for the assignment, click Open assignment .

Turn in an assignment with an assigned doc

If your teacher attached a document with your name in the title, it’s your personal copy to review and edit. As you work, your teacher can review your progress before you click Turn in . 

• Click the image with your name to open the assigned file.
• Enter your work.
• On the document or in Classroom, click Turn in and confirm.

Important: If you get an error message when you click Turn in , let your instructor know.

Mark an assignment as done

Important: Any assignment turned in or marked done after the due date is recorded as late, even if you previously submitted the work before the due date.

Unsubmit an assignment

Want to make changes to an assignment that you already turned in? Just unsubmit the work, make the changes, and turn it in again.

Important: Any assignment turned in or marked done after the due date is marked late, even if you previously submitted the work before the due date. If you unsubmit an assignment, be sure to resubmit it before the due date.

• Click Unsubmit and confirm. Note : This assignment is now unsubmitted. Turn it in again before the due date.

Related articles

• Find your work for a class
• How attachments are shared in Classroom
• Work with a doc assigned to you
• Google Docs Help Center
• Use a screen reader with Classroom on your computer

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What Happens If You Submit Coursework Late?

Everything you need to know about late submissions.

There’s nothing worse than working really hard on a piece of coursework and accidentally missing the deadline, especially if you’re just a few minutes late. Universities have strict rules around coursework deadlines and turnitin submissions and if you do submit a piece of coursework late, you will have to deal with the penalties, which can be really scary if the coursework makes up a large part of your degree.

Whether you’ve actually submitted a piece of coursework late, or you just want to know what to expect in case you ever find yourself in that situation, here’s what you need to know about late submissions.

What’s the reason for the late submission?

Ok, so you’ve known about this piece of coursework for weeks but when it comes to the deadline, you’re late. There could be a few reasons why you’re submitting coursework late, and some of them are more acceptable than others.

Universities are pretty strict when it comes to deadlines, but let’s say there were genuine factors that prevented you from handing your work in on time. For example, your wifi cut out meaning you missed the deadline by a minute, or there was traffic on the way to hand in your coursework in person, or there’s been a genuine emergency involving you or a family member. These reasons are obviously, much more valid than you just simply woke up late, forgot the time, or hadn’t finished your coursework in time.

If you do have a genuine reason for late submission, you’re going to need some form of evidence to back up your claims and some lecturers may be more forgiving than others. In-person late submissions may be accepted, but turnitin normally shuts off from accepting submissions after the deadline, which could land you in trouble.

Lecturers have probably heard every excuse in the book when it comes to late coursework, but if you do have a genuine and valid reason it’s best to talk to them straight away to explain what happened. If you don’t have a genuine reason, you can still attempt to hand in your coursework late, but you will have to face the penalties.

In-person vs. online submission rules

The golden rule of coursework, check whether it needs to be submitted in person as well as online.

Unfortunately, if you submit your coursework online but fail to do it in person and visa versa, many universities will still consider this as a late submission and may automatically fail you. Some universities aren’t too bothered about in-person submissions anymore and only want you to do it online, whereas others want both a physical and digital copy. This is normally because the digital copy submitted on turnitin is scanned for plagiarism , and the physical copy may be marked and annotated and given back to you afterwards.

Online and in-person submissions may have different rules and be due at different times, so on submission day you’re going to want to make sure you’re prepared. If you do need to do a in-person submission, it’s probably best to print it out the day before (lecturers won’t care if you ran out of printing credits or the printers weren’t working) on the day, and to get to the submission desk bright and early to avoid oversleeping or traffic.

If you need to submit online, it’s best not to leave it until the last minute. You can normally submit coursework as soon as it’s done, so as soon as you’ve completed a piece and you’re happy with it, upload it before you forget. Yes, your wifi could genuinely cut out 30 seconds before the deadline, but your lecturers will just ask you why you left it until the last minute or didn’t go to the library to use the public and more reliable wifi there.

Triple check deadline dates and times

You might have multiple pieces of coursework due in the same week that all require physical and digital submissions, so the only way to make sure you’re sticking to deadlines is to triple check.

Unfortunately, it is easy to accidentally mess up the days or misread the time but as easy as it is, universities probably aren’t going to be very lenient if you miss a deadline purely because you thought it was due at 1pm and it was actually 12pm. Being a student is all about being accountable for yourself, and if you do mix up the deadline date it will be your own fault even if it is a super easy mistake. So, we can’t stress enough double and triple check your deadlines! Write them on post it notes on your wall, set timers on your phone an hour before, and don’t leave it until the last half an hour to try and get everything done.

Speak to your tutors or university

If you do submit a piece of coursework late, the first thing you need to do is email your tutors or go and speak to them in person. If you’re too late to submit via turnitin, you need to email them as soon as possible to let them know what’s happened and with a copy of your work in case they’re willing to accept it late and they will be able to advise on next steps.

Sometimes, genuine emergencies can come up last minute which are definitely more important than a coursework deadline. If on the day before, or the day of your submission something comes up, for example a family member is rushed to hospital, email your tutors as soon as possible before the deadline to let them know what’s happening and to ask for an extension. Your tutors are much more likely to be lenient about late submissions if you’ve already told them in advance that it’s going to be late.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your coursework and don’t think you’ll make the deadline or are really struggling with your mental health, try and let them know a few days in advance and request a possible deadline. Your tutors want you to do well and if they know there’s something going on, they will be much more likely to grant an extension or hold off on penalties for late submission if you’ve given them a heads up in advance.

What’s the penalty for late submission?

Unfortunately, late submissions are treated quite seriously by universities. The penalty will depend on your university, your reason for late submission and by how late you were at submitting, eg. were you one minute late to your in-person hand in or are you 4 hours late? It’s best to check on your universities website to find out the exact penalties for late submission, but some universities will deduct marks.

Your work could be reduced by anywhere from 5-10%, or if you’re really late capped at the pass mark, so you won’t receive a grade higher than 40. You might also fail the whole module. Penalties and mark deductions are normally based on how late you submitted your work, so if you leave it a few days you’re much more likely to have your work capped at a pass mark, but if you’re only a few minutes behind your mark might just be reduced by 5%. This is why it’s best to let your tutors know as soon as possible that you need an extension or that your coursework is going to be late, as the longer you leave it to submit the more severe the penalty will be.

Your tutors and Students’ Union should be able to help you out and offer advice on what to do based on your personal circumstances if you do submit a piece of coursework late.

For more uni advice, check out how to avoid plagiarism here.

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Methods for Managing Late Work

Examining the reasoning behind your assessments can help shape your approach to tardy work, says Jennifer Gonzalez.

When she was teaching, Jennifer Gonzalez used to plod through a “pointless” exercise at the end of the term: allowing a few students to complete late assignments and then docking their scores by 50 percent for tardiness. In her recent blog post , she reflects on why that practice didn’t help her students and offers suggestions from other educators on how cope with late work. 

The first step, Gonzalez says, is to examine your assessment procedures as a whole. Ask, “What do your grades represent?” The emphasis should be on learning and growth, not compliance. “If your grades are too compliance-based,” Gonzalez says, “consider how you might shift things so they more accurately represent learning.” Look also at the quantity of what you grade, she advises. Many assignments function as practice, not assessment. Shift to fewer graded assignments, she says, even if it is a challenge to “convince your students that ungraded practice is worthwhile because it will help their performance on the big things.” 

The final step for evaluating your grading system is asking yourself, “What do I assume late work means?” Gonzalez confesses, “I’m embarrassed to admit that when I first started teaching, I assumed most students with missing work were just unmotivated.” But lack of motivation is rarely the cause; many students don’t complete homework because they don’t have the resources of their peers. 

The most important factor in your grading system? Creating a plan you can actually keep up with, Gonzalez says. Once you establish a system, you can develop a strategy for late work. She offers a range of possible options, curated from other teachers through social media, ranging from penalties to the elimination of deadlines. 

Many teachers still opt for penalties, and there’s a reason: “When work is turned in weeks or even months late, it can lose its value as a learning opportunity because it is no longer aligned with what’s happening in class.” If you choose penalization for tardy assignments, a reduction in points can motivate students to complete the work, even if it is late. “This policy still rewards students for on-time work without completely de-motivating those who are late, builds in some accountability for lateness, and prevents the teacher from having to do a lot of mathematical juggling with a more complex system.”

Other teachers implement a policy that rewards students who turn things in on time by allowing them to resubmit their assignments for improved grades; if the work is late the student can’t retake the assessment for more points or receive feedback. 

Punitive policies don't always work as motivators, Gonzalez says, because sometimes the reason for late work isn't related to a lack of motivation. As a result, many teachers are abandoning the practice. "Students may have issues with executive function and could use some help developing systems for managing their time and responsibilities. They may struggle with anxiety. Or they may not have the resources—like time, space, and technology—to consistently complete work at home," she writes. 

Separate Mastery From Deadlines

Some teachers use a separate assessment  to “measure factors like adherence to deadlines, neatness, and following non-academic guidelines like font sizes or using the correct heading on a paper.” Completing assignments on-time, in other words, is part of a separate evaluation from the mastery assessment--and students receive grades for both. 

“Although most teachers whose schools use this type of system will admit that students and parents don’t take the work habits grade as seriously as the academic grade,” Gonzalez writes, “they report being satisfied that student grades only reflect mastery of the content.” Because better work habits can yield better academic results, having this type of “work habits” score can be used to show students the importance of staying on top of deadlines.

Issue Selective ‘Passes’ or Use Floating Deadlines

Another popular option for late work is to anticipate it and offer a pass the student can elect to use instead. “Most teachers only offer these passes to replace low-point assignments, not major ones, and they generally only offer 1 to 3 passes per marking period.” A “next day pass” serves a similar purpose; students can use them to extend the deadline by a day. One teacher reports that the introduction of the pass gave her “the lowest rate ever of late work.” Some teachers use extension requests so students can anticipate when they might be late and write a proposal about why their tardiness should be excused. 

A floating deadline can help avoid the question of how to address late work altogether. Giving students a flexible range of dates when they can submit work allows them to take ownership in their work. “Some teachers offer an incentive to turn in work in the early part of the time frame, such as extra credit or faster feedback, and this helps to spread out the submissions more evenly,” Gonzalez writes. A variation on the flexible deadline allows students to turn in work that’s in process. Teachers then have the chance to review work and give feedback before the final grade. Students can also take responsibility by weighing in on when work should be due. “They may have a better idea than you do about other big events that are happening and assignments that have been given in other classes.”

What is the best policy on late work? The system that actually works for you. Gonzalez encourages teachers to experiment with different approaches and settle on the process that suits you and your students.

Howard Aldrich

Kenan professor of sociology, dept of sociology @ unc chapel hill.

Assignments: better late than never?

A few days ago, a colleague came to me for teaching advice. On his syllabus, he had written that he did not accept late assignments. One of the students, a young woman who was struggling in the class, had turned in a paper that was woefully incomplete and he told her that it did not meet the assignment requirements. However, rather than rejecting it outright, he took account of her struggles and accepted that she hadn’t decided to order essay online cheap to get it finished, telling her that if she turned in a finished version by the end of the week that completely met the basic requirements of the assignment, he would give her partial credit. At the end of the week, she turned the paper in again, but it was still well short of what he would accept as meeting minimal requirements.

Get that assignment in on time or else!

He asked what I thought he should do. He told me that the assignment counted 15% of her grade, and thus giving her a zero on the assignment would immediately knock her down at least a grade and a half, before taking account of her other less-than-stellar work in the course. But, because he had announced that he didn’t accept late papers and then had recanted on that rule by inviting her to submit a revised version, he felt he had to give her some credit.

After suggesting that yes, it made sense to give her some credit, under the circumstances, I went on to make a more general point about putting strict rules and regulations in a syllabus. At least this way, it would be printed for all the world to see, and nothing beats having it in a hard copy when you want to make a point. An old colleague of mine, who loved using a syllabus for his classes, told me that I should consider using a printing service like Printivity to display all of the information when it came to the year and what the students would be expecting. It’s one of the only ways to make sure that they have been sent a clear message. So, I should definitely consider putting rules and regulations in this type of format. I reminded him that in my syllabi, I never say that I will not accept late assignments. I have no list of punishments or points that will be taken off if assignments are turned in late. My friend, Joe Lowman, and I have had many conversations about this & I’ve benefited greatly from his wisdom. Indeed, when it comes to such matters, I usually find myself asking, “what would Joe do?”

On the first day of class, students often ask me, what are your penalties for late assignments? I tell them I don’t expect late assignments, as all the due dates for assignments are in the syllabus they’ve just been handed. In that case, why would any assignments be late? I find this logic impeccable, but some aren’t satisfied with this answer and persist in questioning me. All I will say is that if they find themselves having difficulty, prior to an assignment being due, they need to talk with me and I will try to help them. I never speculate about what I might do with the late assignment, preferring to deal with each of them on its own merits.

I do this to avoid being put in the situation of my colleague: announcing a hard and fast rule which extenuating circumstances may well require me to break. Over my 45 years of teaching, I have heard about plenty of emergencies, some of which were devastating to the students involved. What would I do if a student told me about a family emergency which gave them no choice but to rush home? I would feel really heartless in telling a student that I was very sorry about the accident and I hoped the victims would recover, but I stood firmly by my policy.

My colleagues are typically astonished when I tell them about this policy. Typically, they raise two objections. First, won’t I get a lot of late assignments? Second, if I do accept late assignments, isn’t that unfair to the students who turn their assignments on time? My answer is “no” to both objections, as I will explain.

First , in my syllabus and on my webpage, every assignment is clearly described with its due date. I use Sakai, which sends out automated notices, reminding students of due dates. The assignment is also noted on the website’s course calendar. For larger assignments, such as term papers, I have multiple milestones that students must meet: reporting their chosen topic, submitting a one paragraph description of their theme, a preliminary listing of references, a rough draft, and so forth. These milestones give me many opportunities to intervene when students show signs of falling behind. I also take a very active role in keeping track of how students are doing, sending emails to students who miss class and asking students to come in and talk with me about assignments, if they have difficulties.

When students approach me about the possibility of a late assignment, and what I would do, the first thing I always say is, “What is interfering with your turning in an assignment on time?” I don’t say, “Remember the penalties.” If, after working with them, it is clear that they will not get the assignment in on time, the next conversation I have with them goes something like this:

Student: “okay, when can I turn the paper in?”

Me: “when do you think you will have it finished?”

Student: “well, will I be penalized?”

Me: “you realize that the reason I ask for assignments to be turned in on time is so I have enough time to read them properly, so I can be sure that I will give each assignment its proper due. Late assignments make that more difficult. However, I will grade it as fairly as I can.”

Student: “okay, I’ll turn it in on Monday.” [ Students almost always pick a date earlier than I would have chosen, if I had picked the date! ]

Cooperative learning means you’re always coming up roses!

One of the consequences of this approach is that I almost never get late assignments! And, my syllabus is not cluttered up with pointless draconian rules that I have no intention of enforcing.

Second , what about the “fairness” issue? Isn’t it unfair to the conscientious students, who get their work in on time, to allow some students to turn assignments in late? I have three responses to this alleged violation of some perceived moral principle. (In what philosophical system is taking account of extenuating circumstances equivalent to a moral failure?)

(1) for students having problems getting assignments in on time, extra time almost never makes a difference in the quality of what they do. The best students in a class are not the ones asking for extensions.

(2) students who get assignments in on time can put that assignment behind them and get on with their lives. By contrast, students who are struggling to complete a late assignment will find they have to forgo other things that they would’ve enjoyed doing, with their assignment-free peers, but instead they are stuck indoors, completing an assignment. Being allowed to turn something in late is no free pass to scholastic heaven. It is a burden.

(3) my goal in assessing my student’s work is to try to figure out what they have learned in my class, and knocking off points from a student’s score because a paper was a day or two late completely muddies the meaning of a grade. I’m not teaching “discipline,” I’m teaching sociology. I want to give students every opportunity to show me what they’ve learned, and if this requires me, every few semesters, to accept a late assignment, I’m quite willing to do so.

Interested in learning more about what to do about late assignments? See this post.

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42 thoughts on “ assignments: better late than never ”.

I’ve been teaching at four-year colleges in the New York area for more than 20 years. I tell students they may hand in assignments late, but if they do, I may not read them and I may not grade them. I tell students I will only possibly read and grade late assignments if I feel I need them to assign a final grade to the student. I don’t believe in “penalizing” a student by downgrading a late assignment….I believe an “A” paper is an “A” paper whether it’s handed in on time or a month late. The opposite is like saying a grilled bronzino with vegetables is “worth” !8.00 if served during the “early-bird” time, but it’s worth 28.00 if served after. Makes no sense!

More accurately, it’s like not having my bronzino served after waiting at the table for an hour, at which point I would leave, taking my appetite and my money to another restaurant. After enough tardy bronzinos, that restaurant would struggle to stay in business.

John, I wonder if that’s the right analogy. Are instructors the ‘customers’ who are waiting for a tasty dish we order but has been prepared by someone else? Maybe George should have used a less fragile example — a cold sandwich? But I guess you’d still want it when you were hungry. However, here is where the analogy really breaks down. As instructors, we’re co-producers of the assignment b/c we provided the initial resources, including the recipe, and the prep instructions. We’re not just sitting back & waiting for 3rd parties we don’t know to serve us. We’re much more actively involved. Thanks for the thought-provoking comment!

That sounds so logical. I still got penalised as a student, for missing the deadline because I was horribly sick from chemotherapy and brain surgery. Lol teacher did not want to be unfair to other students… well, get brain cancer first and then let’s talk about fair.

I wanted to submit my final essay at school today which is going to be due in 2 business day.however the whole campus is claused because of thinks giving. I didn’t know that the campus would be claused the day after thanksgiving and all my documents are saved on the campus’s computers. Is there any way to help me out ?

In planning ahead, think of this motto: “something is either early or it’s late.” No such thing as “on time.” If you plan your life as if you can always submit stuff “on time,” bad stuff will happen, sooner or later. In this case, you’ll have to throw yourself on the mercy of your instructor, claiming ignorance of school policy. Good luck.

My attitude toward late penalties has changed considerably since I first started teaching nearly 20 years ago. After taking some workshops on learner diversity and First Peoples Principles of Learning ( http://www.fnesc.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/PUB-LFP-POSTER-Principles-of-Learning-First-Peoples-poster-11×17.pdf ), this last semester I finally eliminated all mention of late penalties from my syllabi. I wanted to see what would happen. And you know what happened? Exactly what you described! I’m done with late penalties.

Thank you for articulating all this so well in your post.

Melinda, I’m so glad to hear this! Thanks for having the courage to drop the late penalty clause. Glad to hear it made no difference.

what about? Learning involves recognizing the consequences of one’s actions. ( http://www.fnesc.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/PUB-LFP-POSTER-Principles-of-Learning-First-Peoples-poster-11×17.pdf ),

It is true that people must learn that their actions have consequences, but that is a very generic kind of learning. People must also learn to recognize the contingencies that affect the conditions under which they apply one rule rather than another. For instructors, I would say that “actions have consequences” is something that parents should teach their children, rather than waiting until the kids get to college. By then, they know that general rule. What instructors need to consider are the conditions under which a harsh penalty is appropriate & when it is not.

I think many students (like myself) face appropriate consequences as the panic over their late assignments. I know that asking for an extension is always my last resort, regardless of the course policy on late work.

I’m working on my masters degree, I’m a family nurse practitioner student. One of my classmates and I turned our papers about 20-30 minutes after deadline (midnight). I simply thought that my instructor is not going to read this paper at midnight anyway and my classmate couldn’t do it because her computer was updating. We both got zeros on our papers. I want to talk to my instructor about giving us at least some credit, but I don’t know how I can convince her. I would appreciate an advice from you.

Yulia, sorry to hear of your troubles. First and most important: what is your instructors stated policy? Was it written in the syllabus that late papers were not accepted? If that is the case, then your instructor will argue that you knew the rules and she can’t make an exception. That’s when you can use the arguments that I raise in my blog post. Second, if there was no stated policy, then I think you have a stronger case for at least having the instructor accept the paper and grade it and then perhaps deduct something from the grade because it was “late.” There’s a big difference between getting a zero on a paper and a C or even a B.in the case of no stated policy, I would make the argument that you did the assignment and the instructor should grade it, for otherwise you’re in the same boat as somebody who didn’t do the assignment at all. That doesn’t seem fair. Third, you could send the link for my blog post to your instructor, to give them advance warning of the argument you will make.

Here is an excellent post on getting rid of late assignment penalties from Tom Schimmer: “Enough with the Late Penalties.” https://tomschimmer.com/2011/02/21/enough-with-the-late-penalties/

I read your article with great interest, but from my experience, I must disagree with a lot of your points.

I teach college English composition courses. My syllabus is ironclad and I thoroughly cover everything in the syllabus on the first day of the semester. I don’t accept late work unless there is a death in the family, or they have a medical reason for missing class. Students are required to upload their assignments via Sakai. They are always given a fair amount of time for each writing assignment, so they’re never rushed to finish a project.

I don’t budge on not taking late work for several reasons. Deadlines are deadlines. Students are supposed to learn the responsibility of becoming an adult and part of that is getting tasks done on time. Punctuality shows initiative, and what so many fail to teach students at the college level these days is time management. Yes, being a college student is a major adjustment. It’s a balancing act. They need to learn how to schedule the proper amount of time for each project. Most don’t. We should not reward procrastination, which is what most students minor in. =)

Deadlines are important in the real world. To apply for graduate school, a student must submit an application on time, as well as get letters of recommendation, apply for grants, etc. After graduation, the same holds true. If submitting an application for a particular job is expected by a certain date, the student needs to realize that the “day after” is too late. Often, for employers, they are looking for future workers who are punctual and have the ability to get their work done by the deadline.

Allowing a student X number of days beyond the deadline is unfair to those who did their work on time. What’s the point of even giving a due date, if it’s going to be dismissed afterwards? I’ve also discovered that students hold a higher level of respect for the instructors/professors who set standards and keep them.

Point 2, you state: “By contrast, students who are struggling to complete a late assignment will find they have to forgo other things that they would’ve enjoyed doing, with their assignment-free peers, but instead they are stuck indoors, completing an assignment.” Most students I have are never ‘assignment-free peers’. They start working on another assignment. The ones who turned their work in on time had to forgo other things they would’ve enjoyed, and from my experience, the ‘struggling’ students forwent doing their assignments by doing something they enjoyed instead. Procrastination is commonplace, and cellphone addiction is a conversation for another day. Sadly, the distractions prevent students from focusing on the more important objectives.

Again, I enjoyed reading your article and your view. Very enlightening to see a different perspective. For me, it would never work. Keep up the great work!

Sam, thank you for your thoughtful disagreement with my points. Your comments reminded me that I probably didn’t put enough context into my argument so that him readers could see the setting in which I was able to use these techniques.

My policy regarding late assignments is not a stand-alone policy, divorced from the overall framework in which the course is organized. The course is embedded in a much bigger philosophy of teaching and learning that enables me to use this specific policy, along with many others. The larger perspective can be glimpsed, I think, by looking at my other blog posts and the many papers and postings I’ve made on teaching and learning over the past decades. (See my “Teaching Resources” webpage.)

The first thing to note is that I get almost no requests for permission to turn in assignments late. From day one, I behave as if I don’t expect late assignments and I emphasize ways in which students can complete their assignments on time. (For those sociologists reading this, I truly believe in the “social construction of reality.”) If, early in the semester a question ever does come up about late assignments – – which is extremely rare – – my reaction always is to say that the course is organized so as to make it possible for people to do their work on time. I ask people to let me know as soon as possible if they are having difficulties and to come and see me. If students persist and ask “yes, but what penalties will I get if I’m late?” I just reply, in mock surprise, “Are you aware today that you’ll be late for something a month or two from now?” And then, in so many words, I tell them that will cross that bridge when we come to it. And the path almost all students follow hardly ever takes them across that bridge.

Second, my now retired colleague, Joe Lowman, who wrote a very good book on college teaching(Mastering the Techniques of Teaching), used the same policy during his 40 years of teaching in the Psychology Department here, and with the same results that I have experienced.

Third, you make an excellent point regarding students needing to learn about deadlines and time management, and I spend time on that in class. My syllabus and calendar, on Sakai, are structured to emphasize punctuality and timeliness. For example, see my blog post on using small wins in creating milestones for students.

Fourth, I take the deadlines extremely seriously, which is why I spend so much time creating milestones to make certain that students will be prepared to meet the deadlines.

Fifth, in almost 50 years of teaching, I don’t recall a student ever saying to me that they felt cheated or treated unfairly because another student received a little extra time to complete an assignment. (Recall again that in my classes, I almost never get late assignments, and so this may not be a very fair test.) I try to build a culture of trust in which I hope students assume that I will use my discretion in a just way.

Six, I wholeheartedly agree with you regarding cell phone addiction and the presence of other distractions in the lives of our undergraduates. I wish I had an answer to that question! I can tell you that I don’t allow cell phone use or laptop use in my classes. Students keep them off unless I direct them to be turned on for use in classroom assignments. Some students even seem relieved to be unburdened of that distraction for 50 or 75 minutes!

Thanks again for your thoughtful comments and for an alternative perspective on my proposals.

Repeat on of the learning principles Learning involves recognizing the consequences of one’s actions. When you create an assignment and you establish a deadline to complete the assignment, what is the consequence for not doing it on time? What if that student that has been trained that late papers are just fine becomes a doctor and it is late for an important surgery of your family member? What if that student that has been trained that late papers are just fine, is late in one maneuver and crashes the airplane with you inside or your family members? There are cases that are exceptional cases in which late assignments can be accepted without penalty, but to make that a rule is dangerous.

Actually, nothing I do is ever strictly rule-governed. Life is full of too many contingencies! Instructors have a huge amount of power over their students & they need to learn to exercise it in a nuanced & humane way.

I think even the laziest college students who truly take advantage of their ability to submit late work are capable of understanding that life and death scenarios should be treated more urgently than an essay.

Dear Anna: thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Yes, I agree: students are adults & should be allowed to weigh the life consequences of their decisions without being burdened by rigid rules.

In my experience, the working world, especially people working for the government, was comprised of painfully mediocre people whose best talent was being on time for everything.

Kimberly, not sure how to reply. Are you saying that some people are so obsessed with being on time that they neglect more important things?

Awesome read. Thank you for sharing.

I am in arts university as a sculptor major and nearly every assignment I have handed in to date has been late. I feel absolutely sick about it because I am here to do my best – it is not my first time at university and I take it very seriously. It makes me wonder if this is my best and if so, how can I ever succeed in life? Most of my profs are accommodating because I have a documented learning disability, I am respectful of them and do my best to take risks, utilize their feedback and submit the best piece of work I can. Others seem to think I think I’m too special to hand things in on time like everyone else. I guess my question is… If I would have failed without the willingness of my profs to accept late work thus far, is this then a message to me that I shouldn’t be here? What’s your stance on students who chronically fail to meet deadlines despite working flat out to meet them? Where do they belong? Any advice?

The same kinds of people who are accommmodating you in college will be there, in the world beyond college, and you should expect the same from them. Every person must find their niche in the world, or carve one out, and you are not more or less “special” than anyone else. I would say that if you feel you belong, you belong. It sounds like you have many people who see you as someone they want to work with & see succeed.

Just a lurker reading your compassionate response, and it honestly moved me to tears. I am a BScN nursing student, three quarters of the way through my degree, and working at full scope as an ESN. I have a previous degree in psychology, and completed IB in highschool at age 16. I have a struggled with late assignments throughout my academic career and I believe I probably will for the rest of my life when it comes to handing in written work. I, too, have a diagnosed learning disability as well as chronic health challenges that plague me. I suffer from PTSD, I struggle financially (I survive off of Canada’s student loan program), and many of my friends and family are dead. For those reasons I miss half of my lectures and I do much of my learning on my own through textbooks and recorded lectures from other universities. I am a gifted student, I can at least recognize that now, and my papers and exams are always in the 90s despite my poor attendance (though now I’m in a highly competitive program they’re more often in the 80s). I know that I am a passionate learner with a lot to offer in the real world and my clinical work with patients is impeccable. However, I don’t think I’ve handed a paper/assignment in on time once this entire program. I lose an average of 15% per course based solely on missed deadlines despite my genuine grades being quite high. I believe that’s fair, because it speaks to my weaknesses overall. But what you said about “if you feel you belong, then you belong” really struck a chord with me. I’ve always felt like a black sheep among impossibly functional academic elites. It took me so many years to recognize my strengths for what they were and to be able to envision a future for myself where I could meaningfully contribute to society. It’s professors like you, who saw beyond my organizational difficulties and gave me opportunities to really shine and showcase my talents, that have allowed me to grow with confidence into the competent professional that I feel I am now. Thank you so, so much!

Alexandra, thanks so much for taking the time to write such a full response! I appreciate your affirmation of the approach I suggested. Good luck in your chosen profession.

I stumbled here as a student feeling discouraged about failing to complete an assignment on time — again. I chronically rely on the mercy of professors. As a person who is eager to learn, does the reading, shows up every day and pays careful attention, I appreciate what your philosophy. I can attest that pushing to get work done while knowing most others were able to complete it on time does not feel like a “free pass.” It feels terrible.

I can’t help posting a response to the comments regarding teaching students about the “real world.” I am 35, with 18 years behind me as a punctual and hardworking employee. Students are not employees, and we come to college with different levels of preparation and difficulties to overcome. And unlike a job, when I fall behind in school the only person who suffers is me.

This week I blew it on two papers (after spending far too much time struggling with the first one, I had little time left for the second). I was granted an extension on the first, and turned in an excellent (per the professor) paper three days late. For the second, I obeyed the strict policy in the syllabus and turned in a dreadfully incomplete paper after a desperate all-nighter. My grade is likely destroyed, and I feel humiliated and dejected.

As a grown-up, I know I am responsible for running out of time. I accept the consequences, but I don’t feel I or anyone else gained anything by them.

Jess, your last sentence points to what I see as the hollow reasoning behind penalizing late papers: what lesson is being taught? Who benefits from the penalty? Surely not other students, as they have never told me that my accepting “late” papers is unfair.

Same boat as you. I am now 37 in a masters program. Would be an A+ student in my undergrad except for handing things in late. But I am still doing it. Been in therapy for over 10 years. Working through my issues but it isn’t easy and it just feels so shitty to be asking for professors mercy constantly. The author really has it correct when he describes the burden of being a late submitter.

I am another student in their 30’s, returning to work after over a decade in the “real world”. One of the biggest issues I’ve seen is that professors assume the worst of their students while also relying on them to support their ego.

As an adult, I have real world issues that sometimes need to be prioritized over my assignments because I am simply not the most important thing in my world and sometimes need to show up for other people. Despite my best efforts I do sometimes turn in assignments late or miss class. The few times I’ve tried to explain, professors stop me three sentences in and say “I don’t want to get involved”. I realized very quickly that they were expecting something silly and became very uncomfortable with basic, grown up issues that all adults should feel comfortable discussing.

By only offering flexibility with explanations, the professor holds all the power and can quickly close the lines of communication. I have had to accept zeros on exams and labs despite previous notice of a court summons (not even for something my fault!), and I’ve accepted that even though I’ve never gotten lower than a 93 on an exam, show up to class on time, and complete most assignments on time, I am simply not trusted as a competent adult by all of my professors.

The culture of mistrust towards undergraduates needs to stop. The slippery slopes in the comments above simply aren’t true, and having come from the “real world” into academia, I can now see very clearly why my younger colleagues would often sit on tasks and not communicate if there was an issue or question. If I had gone to college first, I likely would have picked up the same work habits!

The truth is, the strict deadline clauses do not promote personal growth and is an exercise of power, not a lesson in accountability. The real world is harsh, but it is significantly more forgiving than academia.

Hi “Greenstick”! Thanks for yet another example of the absurdity of rigid rules regarding “late” assignments. Instructors can grow into better humans if they learn to recognize the importance of students as individuals, not as “the student who must follow the rules regardless.”

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I look forward to seeing more from you.

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And students should question it. We are not in class or attend school to only accept the status quo or not ask why – or what comes at us. We are to question and question some more. The “no late assignment rule” is inhumane and ableist.

Dear Gregory: Thanks for your note. Good point: question authority was what I was taught, back in the 1960s, and that is still a good motto to live by! Your point about the no late assignment rule being abelist is also well taken.

I’m generally a good student with decent grades, but sometimes (esp in the end of the semester when there’s 3 to 4 deadlines a week) I just get so burnt out and can’t write a word even I have a detailed outline ready. I hand in stuff late for perhaps 1 or 2 times and feel terrible about that because I tried my best but its not enough. It’s true that punishing student harshly for late submission won’t encourage punctuality. It would only make me feel worse and less motivated to hand in higher quality work. I would probably just submit whatever incomplete draft I happen to have next time after receiving a deduction in grade for late work.

Izzy, thanks for pointing out the emotional costs of penalties. I’m curious to learn: when you notice that you’ve going to be late, do you approach your instructor & explain the situation? Many instructors don’t realize the issues students are facing & are surprised when they learn about them. Sometimes, it is just a matter of opening up to your instructor & explaining what’s happening. You may not have to “request” an extension” — they may simply offer it to you. Try it!

It has been fascinating and educational to read your post and the thoughtful and divergent responses. I have a similar policy for substantial assignments — like papers and projects. However, I have a different type of assignment that I am dealing with now. One (though not the only) goal of this type of assignment is to ensure that students have done the reading and thought about it before class discussion. (The course is a freshman seminar that is a general education requirement.) In this case, not handing the assignment in on time means not being prepared for class, so it matters beyond the quality of the work or the individual student. To clarify, these are small, but not inconsequential, assignments that range from selecting quotations from the reading and posing questions about the reading to writing a first-attempt analysis of a quotation from the reading (~300 words). I would be interested to know how you or others treat this type of assignment.

What are your thoughts on someone who has a medical issue who asks the prof for extra time and it is granted and then loses points for the late submission – though this was never articulated and she tells the rest of the class they may submit late?

I would say that you should first find out what her reasons were, if any, and if you find them unsatisfactory, take the issue to the department chair & then to the Dean, if need be. If an instructor is going to impose a late penalty, that should be clear from the outset. It is unfair to give someone extra time & then penalize them for accepting the offer.

I’m on year three of teaching an online course for graduate students, most of whom are working as well. I originally used the same late assignment policy as the ground version of the course, which was No Late Assignments Accepted. Last year, I had multiple students with emergencies who reached out to me. Of course, I wanted to be compassionate and ended up accepting late assignments.

I’m updating my syllabus right now and found your post while searching for examples flexible due date policies. After reading your post, I’m thinking of just simplifying my late assignment policy to “due dates are posted. Contact me as soon as possible if there’s an issue.” Even with some version of flexible due dates, there’s still going to be emergencies and some students will ask, but others won’t think to do so and will just not turn in assignment or drop the course, and that doesn’t help anyone.

I’m going to think on this a bit more. Thank you for this perspective.

I like your new, simpler statement about assignments. You’re right: the ‘smart’ students ask about what to do if they can’t meet a date, but others just try to power through or don’t do the assignment. So, your new policy is a big improvement.

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