Like many of us, I relaxed my due dates as we struggled with the pandemic. Now that we have just passed the second anniversary of the national lockdown, I’m beginning to reflect on my choices. On the one hand, I can point to certain students who benefited from this more empathetic approach (not a word that is often used to describe me), but doesn’t the “real world” operate on deadlines? Some students will try to use the system to their advantage no matter the circumstances. And it seems other students are just expecting this approach as the new normal. What to do?
We are not alone at Denison. After two years of experiments with due dates, others reflect on what they learned. A recent article by Prof. Amy Hasinoff at CU – Denver explores whether late penalties do more harm than good. Our GLCA colleague Prof. Shelley Judge at Wooster, recognizing the anxiety that due dates can cause, developed a token system to make her approach to due dates more transparent and equitable. Maybe that will give you some ideas.
For me, the jury is still out. I have seen the pros and cons of my prior approach and my newly adjusted pandemic approach. Most likely, I will eventually land somewhere in the middle. But where ever I land, I have to make sure my system is transparent and accessible to all my students.
Have a system that is working for you? Please consider sharing with us.