Extensions on Assignments

Completing course assignments on time is an individual student responsibility and students should follow established assignment due date policies as provided. However, some students with a disability and/or medical/mental health condition may require occasional extensions for class assignments if their disability impacts their ability to attend class and/or turn in their assignments within the deadline provided.

Determining When Extensions on Assignments are Reasonable for an Accommodation

The following guidelines are used in considering whether following the Extension on Assignments policy/practice will fundamentally alter an essential part of the academic program/course:

• Are deadlines within the course a learning outcome for all students?
• Does the assignment include group work?
• Can the assignment be turned in an alternative way? (Instructor office mailbox, email submission, web upload, etc.)
• Is turning in the assignment at a certain time and place an essential function of the course?

If the accommodation is granted, Student Accessibility Services (SAS) will determine the number of days allowed for the extension. This accommodation information will be provided to the student on the student’s letter of accommodation they send to faculty.

Once an accommodation is approved by SAS, the accommodation will be provided unless the accommodation fundamentally alters an essential part of the course/program. 

Guidelines

The following guidelines are used by SAS in considering a student request for an extension on assignments as a reasonable accommodation:

• Is the accommodation reasonable in relation to the student’s documented disability and/or medical/mental health condition information provided?
• Would the granting of the accommodation fundamentally alter/waive essential academic requirements of the course/program? 
• Was the accommodation requested prior to each missed assignment?
• Is the assignment in question a group assignment? If so, the extension on the assignment would not apply.

If SAS determines that an extension on assignment will fundamentally alter a course, the accommodation will not be provided. Approved accommodations are in effect once the student has emailed the letter of accommodation to the instructor of each course. Accommodations are not retroactive.

Student Responsibilities

• It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor after approval of the accommodation and prior to use of the accommodation by sharing the Letter of Accommodation.
• Each time a student needs an extension on an assignment, the student must notify the instructor via their Spartan email and SAS via accessibility.services@ut.edu prior to the assignment deadline as indicated by the instructor.
• Student will contact SAS immediately with any questions or concerns.
• The student is required to meet the essential academic and technical standards of the program/course as defined by the academic catalog and course syllabus.

Instructor Responsibilities

• Instructor will maintain the essential standards/learning outcomes of the class per the course syllabus.
• Instructor will contact SAS with any questions, concerns, or if they feel that the use of the extensions on assignments accommodation has become excessive, is no longer reasonable, or does not meet the essential academic and technical standards of the program/course as defined by the academic catalog and course syllabus.
• Instructor will contact SAS immediately if it is believed that the requested extension would fundamentally alter the course/program.