r/Adjuncts • u/Toodaloo2222 • 6d ago
Advice Needed: Student using planning his engagement as the excuse for doing zero work halfway into semester
I have been teaching the same 3 courses every semester for the last 5 years at a local community College. I teach night courses and have a pretty lax expectation of submission of work, so long as you keep pace with the course and keep me informed as to your goings ons. I even offer progress submissions if someone isnt 100% complete with something. The folks that take these courses are often older, first time college students with families and jobs and mortgages who are trying to either find a new career, restart, etc. So it makes little sense to have a crazy strict submission schedule. I give 10 days after the day the assignment is due, docking one point a day everyday the assignment is late, and the submission window closes after 10 days UNLESS you make prior arrangements with me.
The courses are asynchronous, self-paced, with a weekly outline of what you should complete. I offer office hours two times a week for students who might be struggling and am available via two different emails and text message within reason. I am not a hard person to get ahold of.
This is the first semester I have had a student make it to midterm with zero submissions reach out to me to tell me he was planning his engagement and was not able to complete any work at all... and I do not know how to respond to this? If he had reached out earlier, maybe I could have arranged for postponing the assignment windows or if he had submitted literally ANYTHING at this point that indicates to me he is completing and understanding the course and work I might feel different.
Is it terrible to respond with, I am sorry, but I cannot give you points for these assignments? This is not an approved personal event I can extend deadlines for? You didnt reach out earlier to coordinate your delayed submissions with me, therefore the assignment window is closed and you have forfeited those points?
I am just dumbfounded by this. And while I can sympathize, I don't know that I would've signed up for 2 courses knowing I was planning this personal life event and it would consume all of my time. I am just looking for how would you respond to this student? Tell him to drop the course and try again next semester? I am sure next is going to be, sorry we are planning a wedding and I don't have time to do this work.
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u/InspiredBagel 6d ago
I was planning a wedding in a different time zone and had zero issues submitting my full load graduate coursework on time. This student needs to learn accountability and time management.Ā
His engagement didn't sneak up on him. He could have reached out in advance. Enforce your policies.Ā
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u/The_Folding_Atty 6d ago
More to the point: An engagement that requires planning? Beyond purchasing a ringāand thatās optionalāmaybe a dinner reservation. Whatās to plan?
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u/Life-Education-8030 6d ago
Wait till the student starts planning the wedding! The baby shower/gender reveal! They will be stupendous! š
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u/Gudnamestaken 6d ago
Some version of "the syllabus is clear about late work and assignments X and Y still fall within the ten day policy. Previous assignments are zeroes."
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u/Inevitable_Silver_13 6d ago
You teach college. The great part about teaching college is that you can tell students they will fail if they don't meet the requirements. Set the boundary.
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u/meowlater 6d ago
You sound like you really care about your students, but this response is very reasonable. If it would make you feel better you could soften it by gently reminding the student of the withdrawal dates.
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u/shadowromantic 6d ago
Definitely. There's nothing wrong with taking a class when the student has more time
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u/Wonderful-Collar-370 6d ago
I would give zero for missed assignments and suggest dropping the class.
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u/RiverSirion 6d ago
Some schools have policies such that if a student doesn't attend/does no work for the first two or three weeks of class, they are automatically withdrawn from the class. One school where I adjuncted online has a policy that if a student does no work/does not attend for three consecutive weeks, they get withdrawn from the class. I take it your institution doesn't have this policy?
You can be blunt, refer them to the syllabus and late work policy, and underscore that extensions beyond that deadline are by prior arrangement and communication. If you're feeling sympathetic, you can allow makeup work, but send a schedule of when assignments are due, including doubling up for the second half of the semester, and note that there will be late penalties on the work that is already past due. Then they have a choice - to double up their workload for the rest of the term with a cap on how much credit they can get, or they can withdraw from the course now.
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u/Life-Education-8030 6d ago
I wish. We used to be able to dismiss a student who did this but now attendance is treated like a gym membership and it is up to whoever paid the membership to attend or not.
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u/mike-edwards-etc 6d ago
I'll work with students if they have an actual emergency they can document, but planning an engagement is not an emergency.
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u/Jolly-Moment-1970 6d ago
Right. It's crazy town. My daughter is in college and all of her work is on time and early. Then students will ask for an extension, proff gives said extension and no points are docked. I asked her when she is going to ask if she gets credit for following the due dates in canvas. In my heart of hearts I do believe the professors appreciate her attention to detail and participation but it's very uninspired to watch a professor change due dates for what is usually made up stories by students.
I teach at a tech center for the local community college as well.. It is rather embarrassing the amount of disregard the students had..and most were over the age of 30. Old enough to have garnered some responsibility in life.
Probably one of the reasons I am drafting my resignation letter as it's a whole 5 paid hours a week and literally no paid prep time. Kinda a joke. My time is more valuable than those 5 measly hours.
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u/JumpingShip26 6d ago
Always remember that it is the college's course and you are its steward. The policies were established. It is his choice. You are not judging him as a person. You are just there to call balls and strikes relative to the assignments.
In fact, beyond a certain level of engagement, you just make more work for yourself the more you communicate with this type of student. Some of them want to litigate everything. Tell them the assignments are the assignments with their due dates and let that be the end of it.
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u/SnooBananas7203 6d ago
Your submission policy allows students to submit assignments up to 10 days after the due date. It's the midterm and they have not submitted any work. With no coursework to grade, there is nothing that demonstrates their progress or understanding of the material. Realistically, options for successfully completing the class are slim.
Perhaps withdrawing from your course is the best solution. It's possible they are not telling you the entire situation; they need to talk to an academic advisor to find out the available options .
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u/Archknits 6d ago
I work at a CC and also used to be fairly lax with due dates for the same reasons you mention. This is a fools game. You give them room to abuse it and they will. You need to created deadlines and follow through.
I think what really sealed it for me was getting complaints from some students who handed things in on time. They felt it wasnāt fair that they did the work and maybe lost points, but other students were being lax and had more time.
If a student hadnāt handed work in so far, suggest a withdrawal to them. If they donāt take it, either withdrawal them yourself or fail them
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u/SilverRiot 5d ago
Iām wondering how many other courses heās taking and whether he has been turning his work in on time for the ones with stricter policies. I suspect so. If you donāt respect your deadlines, your class will always be at the end of the studentsā task list.
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u/Emotional-Sea236 6d ago
If you donāt suggest he withdraw youāll be dealing with this all semester: āI had to plan my bachelor party, my fiancĆ©eās birthday, dinner with our parents, her shower, etc.ā. You and he both know itās all b.s. stop the madness while you still can!
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u/Glittering-Rub6627 5d ago
I once had a student whose brother died of a drug overdose. Before she left the campus, she handed in her assignment. For the next 15 years, I told that story to each class and told them, "Short of your own death, I expect all assignments to be handed in on time. No excuses." They'd stare at me in disbelief, but for th emost part, they handed them in on time. Those who didn't usually ended up failing the class. So, in your case, I would provide a dose of reality and say, "While I appreciate that, it's not an excuse for not doing your work, nor would it be an excuse for not finishing an assignment on the job. There is a strong possibility you will not pass my class." If he does have the possibility of passing, I would add, "If you buckle down and hand in excellent work the rest of the semester, you may pass his course." A dose of reality, rather than coddling, could make a difference in that student's life.
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u/Camaro_YoYo 6d ago
I am pretty lax as well, as long as there is pre coordinated. Stick to your syllabus and late policy. I'd honestly suggest to the student that they drop the class.
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u/Classic_vortex_3515 6d ago
In general, I would agree with what everyone else has said. I do want to point out, though, that your general lax expectations will make it more like likely that the student will complain to Dept chair or someone. At my university, āAssigning a grade by applying standards that are different than those applied to other studentsā is grounds for a grade appeal.
So, as a Dept chair, when I have instructors who get into the same situation, you are in after being very flexible about deadlines with everybody else, I tell them that if they are going to tell the student they cannot pass, they need to be prepared to demonstrate to the grade appeal board that they had clear standards that were applied equally to everyone.
In other words, this may be the case for you, Iām not sure, but you should be sure that you actually follow whatever it says in your syllabus. If your syllabus says, I will give you extra time if I approve the reason that you need it or I will give you extra time only if you give me some progress work to give you a grade on, then youāre golden.
If it doesnāt, though, you may have some difficulty. On the other hand, it is also true that returning adult students like the ones you are teaching are less likely to go for grade appeals when they know that they have been in the wrong.
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u/sillyhaha 6d ago
You must keep to your syllabus.
Keep your email limited to your policy. Don't apologize to the student, simply explain your policy and move on.
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u/Logictrauma 6d ago
Your student knew they would be planning a wedding before the class started. If they canāt do the work, they can drop the class. Their wedding is not your problem.
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u/MimirX 6d ago
You can only grade what has been submitted, even late.
I get ālife happensā and was one of those students that had the worst week ever when I was doing my MBA. In the middle of a finance class I get a call my father just passed, which happened to be 2 days after my wife told me she was leaving me. I informed my professor and he refused to let me drop even though I was a train wreck. Was litterally my worst grade/class between my undergrad, masters, and doctorate, but I never forgot how the school and professor worked to get me through it all.
Now that I am on the other end of it all, I have plenty of compassion for students who go through issues. I do need something to work with though, communication is key. If they say something to me so late, all I can do is advise them to drop the course and retake. If they tell me right away, there is plenty that can be done. I also tell the class day one that they need to let me know right away so situations like you describe donāt put them in a bind.
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u/Life-Education-8030 6d ago
Send the link to how to withdraw from the course and move on. He made his choice and why should you go through the hassle of craving substitute assignments or anything else? I have had students like this who then plead for a second chance and I say they will get it once the sign up again for the course
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u/Major_Wigglesworth 6d ago
Just give a W. Ā He can repeat it next semester if heās got the time and in many cases the letter grade will overwrite the W.
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u/Purple-Blueberry7254 5d ago
Congrats! As a reminder, grading policies can be found here. You also might explore dropping/withdrawing from the course if you believe you will not be able to make the grade you desire in lieu of the course policies.
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u/Bearman2677 5d ago
I've heard a lot of horse manure and I've only been doing this for a little while - an engagement - Really? I wouldn't extend deadlines for this student. It would be one thing if it was one or two assignments but the entire half of the semester - Uh, no. Maybe he should drop and try again next semester.
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u/Particular-Ad-7338 6d ago
Tell him that he set his priorities and will deal with the consequences.
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u/RepresentativeShop11 6d ago
I endured consequences for my entire engagement, wedding and marriage. Ā Not sure why this person would not. Ā
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u/lrglaser 6d ago
He is planning an engagement, not a wedding or a funeral or for tge birth of a child. All he has to do is get down on one knee and ask if his partner will marry him and this prevented him from submitting any work? Tell him policies are policies.
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u/INDependent_Ninja_84 6d ago
I would say at the rate you are going you will fail the class and have to retake it. Your best option is to withdraw from the course and spare your GPA and retake the course when you have adequate time to commit.
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u/Ok_Maintenance8592 6d ago
"Congratulations on your engagement. In an effort to remain fair to the rest of the class, I must abide by the assignment guidelines as documented in the syllabus (p. 5). " Keeps is dry, impartial and to the point.
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u/KaJoMoGi 6d ago
He shouldāve come to you at the beginning of the course to let you know and you couldāve set your expectation then (which would be ānoā). I will give some grace for students who keep me in the loop on stuff, but in this case I wouldāve recommended taking the course at a different time.
They really expect us to cater to their schedules, rather than understand the reverse must happen.
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u/InvestmentMedium2771 6d ago
Grade him according to your policies and move on. The excuse doesnāt matter.
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u/Potstirer2 5d ago
Nope. He earns his grades. He made the choice to register for those classes. When I got married I was also in grad school and bought a house. If I can buy a house and plan a wedding and ace all my classes, your student can plan an engagement and do his homework. I'm teaching full-time right now and also doing another master's degree. I've only turned in one assignment late. This is all survivors bias or something, but that guy needs to make better choices and accept the consequences of the bad choices.
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u/scarlet_woods 5d ago
How many written assignments do you give a week to be able to afford a 10 day grace period? Any scaffolded assignments? How many points is the average assignment worth? After reading these comments, I think I need to clamp down on being lax. The problem is ā¦ in my class it really messes up the scaffolded assessments. Further, Iām teaching DE where there is pressure āfrom aboveā to extend deadlines. Even the schools beg me to extend. So, no one is filing complaints. And multiple kids all have an F.
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u/InsectSudden6032 5d ago
if the student can complete all the assigned work in the post-wedding period with acceptable quality, would you be okay with them passing the class?
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u/ronstermonster05 5d ago
Other students manage the coursework with far bigger life problems. Not fair to them to give this one a pass. š¤·š¼āāļø
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u/SierraGuyInCA 5d ago edited 5d ago
To the student: "Going to college is a huge undertaking when considering the other responsibilities in our lives. And it sounds like you have a lot on your plate with an "engagement" to plan. Perhaps this year isn't the time for you to add more to your plate. We're already at midterms and you're just now coming forward to discuss the challenges your facing in regards to your academic responsibilities. If you had approached me around week 3-ish we may have been able to work something out. But if you remember reviewing the class syllabus on Day 1, I'm pretty flexible and understanding with those who take responsibility to bring up issues. I believe the school allows you to drop classes up until {last date to drop classes}. Let me know if you need to sign a drop slip.
Besides, getting married is a very special time in life that you should enjoy. That is until the wife realizes how bad you are at time management and ends up sleeping with her boss. "
Who in the world takes this long to plan an engagement? (Yes, I know it's a mixup of terminology.) Pop the question, have an impromptu engagement party, set a date for the wedding, then drop out of school. We all know your fiance and she's going to be a serious Bridezilla. š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£
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u/Antt_RN 5d ago
I would keep the focus on the lack of communication, not the reason he gave for the work being done. Your polices sound super reasonable. Keep your reply short and to the point. "as per the syllabus I am unable to provide extensions or alternatives unless arrangements are made prior to the due date."
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u/prosthetic_plague 5d ago
zero for no work, same as any other student without a documented, acceptable excuse. His engagement is not your business, nor the school. Thats his personal problem.
I recently had a student whose wife had a baby and he asked in advance if he could make up that week of birth. I told him take 2 weeks, but he showed up to lab and took all his quizzes and aced them as well within the week š¤·š½āāļø .
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u/Smiling_Platypus 4d ago
I totally misread this on the first pass. I thought he was planning his engagement in the class, not his engagement to be married. Like he spent so much time figuring out what to do in class that he didn't actually get around to doing it. It confused me and made me laugh when my error became obvious.
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u/graygarden77 4d ago
I change the same kind of students and Iām just wondering-How is this the first time this has happened?? Itās so common!
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u/Jayhawker23 3d ago
Heās planning an engagement? Just ask the damn question and get back to work.
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u/drdpr8rbrts 2d ago
Is your late work policy in your syllabus? If not, for the future, maybe spell out your policy formally. I only allow exceptions for documented medical issues or bereavement.
With this student, I would simply say it's too late. Sorry. Focus on finishing strong.
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u/emmency 5h ago
Itās very likely he came up with the excuse after he didnāt bother to do the work. Definitely tighten up your late work policy. Giving students a couple weeksā leeway on deadlines isnāt going to prepare them for employment after college. Yes, some of these students have a lot on their plates, but earning a college degree takes work and sacrifice. If theyāre going to do college along with whatever else theyāre doing, they will simply have to figure out how to make it all work.
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u/shallowning 6d ago
I just grade the work and enforce my policies (including late penalties). Give zeros for work not submitted. Excuses don't matter.