Late Assignment Policy

Guidelines for Late Assignment Submissions

Strayer University understands students may face illness or other exceptional circumstances that could impact their ability to attend class and complete course requirements.  The University encourages faculty to approach late work from a perspective of empathy and understanding.  Strayer University serves busy adult students who have many competing demands.  While academic pursuits must be a top priority for our students, faculty members are encouraged to provide reasonable accommodations for students who request an extension.  The information below provides an overview of the related policy and procedures students and faculty/staff should follow in this event.

Documented & Undocumented Exceptional Circumstances

1. A documented exceptional circumstance may include, but is not limited to:

   • A student's long-term (4 days or more) illness and/or hospitalization

   • Natural disasters (particularly those that lead to the loss of power/internet connection at the time of the assignment deadline)
   • Military deployment
   • Hospitalization and/or death of an immediate family member
2. An undocumented exceptional circumstance may include, but is not limited to:
   • Short-term (3 days or less) illness of the student or student's child
   • Unexpected circumstances related to a student's employment
   • Unexpected child or elder care          
     
     
     
     

Treatment of Late Assignments with Documented Exceptional Circumstances

1. A student may submit work after the due date and receive credit for the assignment if the student provides documentation supporting the exceptional circumstance directly to the course instructor.
2. Students with exceptional circumstances and supporting documentation provided to the course instructor will not receive a deduction of points for work submitted during the exceptional circumstance timeframe agreed upon between the instructor and student. 
3. Instructors who have been provided documentation for a late assignment due to an exceptional circumstance must allow students to make up all assignments, including discussion posts during the agreed upon time period for the documented exceptional circumstance..                  

Late Assignment with Undocumented Exceptional Circumstance

1. A student with an undocumented exceptional circumstance may submit work after the due date and may receive partial credit for the assignment.  It is the student's responsibility to communicate with the instructor about the late assignment in accordance with the Student Responsibilities section of this standard operating procedure.  If a student has not communicated with the professor about the late work, it is in the instructor's discretion, with such discretion applied by the professor consistently across all students enrolled in their sections and consistently among all their sections of the same course, whether to accept late work.
2. Information about expectations and grading for late assignments and undocumented exceptional circumstances will be made available to students by the instructor teaching the course.  Late work must be submitted by the deadlines given by the instructor, and in no event later than 11:59 PM ET on the last day of the quarter.
3. Students requiring extended time should contact their instructor and Dean.

Documented and Undocumented Late Submissions: It is the student's responsibility to: 

1.  Contact the Instructor:
   1. When a student misses a class (or is unable to sign in to an online class) due to illness or other exceptional circumstance, the student must contact the instructor and/or his or her Campus Dean as soon as possible. When the Campus Dean is contacted, the information must be relayed to the professor.
   2. If the student is unable to contact the instructor and/or his/her Campus Dean, a family member or friend of the student may inform the instructor or Campus Dean of the student’s illness or other exceptional circumstance. When the local campus is contacted, the information must be relayed to the instructor.
   3. NOTE: If the student becomes ill while on campus, the student may be asked by the instructor or Campus Dean to go home (please refer to the Security Policy in the Student Handbook).
2. Completing Missed Assignments (Note: Item a. below applies only to documented exceptional circumstances; the remaining items apply to both documented and undocumented exceptional circumstances): 

1. If the student meets the "Late assignment with Documented Exceptional Circumstances" requirement and wants to complete missed assignments with no point deduction, the student must provide the instructor and/or Campus Dean with documentation that supports the exceptional circumstances within two weeks of the conversation with the instructor and/or Campus Dean.  In the event the student misses more than two weeks and may not be able to successfully complete all missing assignments, he/she would work with the Campus Dean to discuss the appropriate available options.
2. For a student taking online classes, he/she should always attempt to keep up with the online course work and assignments, if at all possible.
3. The student will be responsible for all material missed during the period of absence. Students should also be aware of the Attendance procedures that defines what constitutes attendance.  The Attendance procedures can be found in the University Catalog.
4. The student must also complete any missed postings to discussion threads or complete equivalent writing assignments as dictated by the instructor in place of late discussion board entries for online classes.  Make-up work given by the faculty member shall be consistent with the Attendance procedures and may include any combination of exams, papers, and assignments.
5. Student and instructor should agree in writing on deadlines for submitting late assignments; however, all work must be completed by the end of the quarter.