Students at APUS often request extensions. The follow reflects my particular approach
to extensions. These considerations are in addition to or overlap with and emphasize
the official stipulations of the university.
BEGIN WITH A PLAN: Your extension request must come with a date-by-date plan for the completion
of the course assignments. This is standard university policy and, for organizational
reasons, something I have begun to enforce more rigorously.
PARTICIPATION: I do not consider participation/discussion after the end of class. The point of
participation/discussion is the discussion. If it is after class is over, there is no
discussion. Under some circumstances I might make arrangements to have the student submit
some writing in lieu of the normal discusssions.
COMMUNICATE BY E-MAIL: I generally do not go back into classes that are over. So while you are
on an extension, communicate by e-mail, not through the discussion forums.
Also, if you are on an extension, notify me by e-mail each time you make a
submission.
FLEXIBILITY: Flexibility cuts both ways. When I grant an extension request, I expect to be
granted some flexibility as well. I may not submit a grade for the class until the extension
is officially over, even if your work is completed before then, for example. Assignments
submitted by students on extension are also at the bottom of my stack for grading.
