The Life Happens Pass: Use of a Flexible and Fair Assignment Extension Policy

Abstract

Students sometimes struggle with life events that interfere with the timely completion of course assessments and assignments. For instructors, equity concerns arise because some students may feel comfortable requesting extensions outside those indicated in the syllabus and university policy, whereas others may not. This Quick Fix article describes an extension policy called the “life happens pass” that provides an opportunity for instructors to balance empathy and fairness. It also describes lessons we learned through its implementation. The policy allows each student to request a one-time, seven-day, “no questions asked” extension for any assessment except the final exam. Across 28 classes, approximately one-third of students used this “life happens to pass”; remarkably, most students kept to the original due date. Furthermore, the average rate of use was consistent across course levels. Together, these results suggest that the policy adds flexibility to assist students when needed while maintaining structure in the course. From the instructor perspective, this policy has helped us fairly support students while decreasing stress associated with decision making about extension requests.