DS's professor saying assignment submitted at 11:59pm is late

[Anonymous]

He can politely thank the professor for his response, neutrally explain that he interpreted 11:59 as "before midnight" and state that he regrets his misunderstanding.

I definitely have two kids who will turn things in at 11:50-something for an assignment with a midnight deadline - I don't know why posters think that this is a rare occurrence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your college student! Man. I'd make my high schooler handle this on their own.

I'm a high school teacher. Unfortunately, there are many parents like OP who would email me (cc'ing the principal) as a first strategy, never thinking of asking the student to approach first. This is the kind of parent who believes they must take care of all problems for their child. My university professor friend reports that she has some parents contact her every year now.

I don't know how this kind of child will function after college.

DC was asking mom for advice, not asking mom to call his professor. Geesh. What is it with people on this site??? Do you expect your DC to not ever ask your opinion or advice on anything after their 18th bday, as a PP said? What a parent you are.

[Anonymous]

I thought I would side with the professor on this one based on the title but it is the professor who screwed up, not the students. Any reasonable person would think a submission at 11:59 was ok. If the deadline is "Tuesday" you think you can submit on Tuesday without penalty. You don't think you have to submit on Monday to avoid a penalty.

The professor's using 11:59 as the deadline suggested that students had through the last minute of the last day to submit their work on time. The new day started precisely at midnight. The professor set the computerized clock incorrectly. If he wanted 12:59 to be late then he should have said the deadline was 11:58 (which would have been idiotic but at least would have given students a warning that something fishy was going on).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a chronic illness that requires me to spend 50% of my existence in the bathroom. I understand chronic illnesses can be rough. But let me tell you now, it never made a difference between me submitting something at 11:59 and 11:59:01.

If his illness was the reason for the delay, it still shouldn’t have come down to a game of minutes.
Professors don’t budge on stuff. It’s how they turn teenagers into adults. It’s unfortunate, but he will recover from this grade dip.

Thank you for this.

As I said, DS takes full responsibility for submitting last minute as he failed to ask for more time. He doesn't blame his illness for the delay.

The only reason why he is considering appealing the professor's decision is that if the deadline is 11:59pm, should something that is submitted at 11:59 be late?

I’m another poster with chronic illness. If your son’s condition did not cause the delay, he should not mention it in his appeal. As someone with an “invisible” illness (RA) that impacts my productivity, I’m harmed when people falsely claim they need accommodation for their illness. This increases the suspicion of professors and supervisors that people without visible impairment are taking advantage or faking entirely. I had to fight for extended time during an RA flare up because a professor had a bad experience with a student who (the professor claimed) used his extended time under false pretenses. Focus on the confusion over the deadline time.

[Anonymous]

Great life lesson for your son - even now deciding how to handle it.

“What do you think is the best way to handle this situation?”

[Anonymous]

If the facts are as you state, then yes, take this as far up the ladder as possible, of you see fit. On time is on time. These are troubled, crazy times, too.

[Anonymous]

Academic here. Sounds like the professor is using Blackboard or some other online assignment system as the arbiter. Not a bad idea - hold everyone to a single standard. I've assigned papers due before midnight on a certain day, and had lots come in during the wee hours of the next morning. I'm a procrastinator so I get it, but if you want to be scrupulously fair, anything beyond the fixed time is late.

OP, I hope your son considers this a lesson learned. And pulling the "chronic condition" thing at this point would actually be a negative if I were the professor. If you didn't bother to reach out before a deadline to discuss your difficulties in meeting it, then you don't get to create some excuse after the fact. Especially if is an assignment that was on the syllabus you got 5 or 6 months ago.

Final point: unless this is your son's first class, he knows the difference between 1159pm and anytime thereafter.

[Anonymous]

11:59:00 is the due time. Anything after that is late. My friend who is a professor has the same policy. He told me once that he doesn’t care how student turns in as long as it’s in before due time. Live and learn... it’s a learning moment for your son which is what college is supposed to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the facts are as you state, then yes, take this as far up the ladder as possible, of you see fit. On time is on time. These are troubled, crazy times, too.

But it was NOT on time - 11:59 is not same as 11:59x. There is only ONE 11:59!

When did it happened OP? Is your son taking summer class? Taking it up will piss-o the professor for sure

[Anonymous]

I would join the other complaining students, because the guideline was confusing and it’s no wonder people interpreted it differently.

The professor may not mind having recurring issues with his students over deadline misunderstandings, so higher-ups need to be aware of the discontent. It may not push him to change the grade, but it will create a paper trail.

And in the future, your child would do well to ask around to know whether his future profs have quirks he needs to work around!!!

That’s university life for you... profs have crazy students, students have crazy profs, and grad students are often exploited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the facts are as you state, then yes, take this as far up the ladder as possible, of you see fit. On time is on time. These are troubled, crazy times, too.

But it was NOT on time - 11:59 is not same as 11:59x. There is only ONE 11:59!

When did it happened OP? Is your son taking summer class? Taking it up will piss-o the professor for sure

jfc.

[Anonymous]

OMG...you can't be serious. From the thread title, I thought we were talking about a high school student.

Stop. Really. Stop.

[Anonymous]

Professor is wrong and would lose if legally challenged if tge paper was filed before 12:00 unless the deadline was 11:59:00.

If the time stamp is before 12:00:00 the professor is a real asshole.

Signed,
Former judge & arbitrator.

[Anonymous]

So, it sounds like the deadline was 11:59:00 and OP's son submitted at 11:59:30 or whatever.

Basically, if the system marked it late, it is late. That's the only fair way to do this, because otherwise the deadline is just whatever the kid with the loudest parents says it is.

I'm also really skeptical that "multiple" kids in the class submitted at 11:59:XX because the VAST majority of young people know that it takes a few seconds or minutes for the document to be uploaded and you should not screw around over a matter of seconds.

Finally, I agree with PPs that pulling out the chronic illness now is going to reflect badly on him. If he was struggling due to the illness and needed a few more days, most professors are flexible.

But unless he was actively ill at 11:55 in a way he was not at 11:59, I don't see how it matters.

[Anonymous]

He needs to either accept it or deal with it on his own. You have no role in this whatsoever except to scold your son for being such a dumbass.

Guess what happens in the real world when you miss deadlines?