And they don't even have the decency to be apologetic...

Students do a final project in the major in my department, worth two modules. It is assessed on the basis of a 10,000 word written report, which is due in today.

Suzy Student has a diagnosis of a 'learning disability such as dyslexia', therefore submits all work with a special coloured form and the marker is required to adjust their criteria accordingly, putting less emphasis on clarity of written argument etc. (I am not ranting about that issue here, it's a whole 'nother Grumpy).

Suzy requests an extension of one day on the hand-in date for the 10,000 word report.

Extensions are only granted for a) acute medical reasons supported by a doctor's letter, b) the death of a close relative (defined, and with acceptable documentation specified) or c) Extreme Events (things deemed extreme events in the past have included a flood which took out all power and blocked roads and rail access to a town where some commuter students live - they couldn't log on or physically get to the university - and a violent incident in the dorms in which a whole corridor of students witnessed some really nasty bloody goings-on and was then kept up all night being questioned by the police, which was considered fair grounds for allowing them to sit the exam the Monday after the end of the exam week). This is a university rule, policed by the university.

Suzy is asked to explain the grounds for her request, the Extreme Event which makes an extension permissible. She explains that she paid for the services of a professional editor to proof-read her work, but only got the work back yesterday (further questioning reveals that that was because she only handed it TO the editor the day before yesterday). The editor had removed over 2000 words in the process of improving the clarity of the writing (which is certainly more than just proof-reading in MY book - and definitely steps into editing, which violates the 'all my own work' declaration the student signs before handing in any piece of writing), and Suzy now wanted an extra day "because now there's room to add a discussion". Suzy reckons that this is an Extreme Event. After all, having to meet the editor's deadline meant that she had less time than the other students to work on the assignment.

The sheer gall of this is made clearer if I tell you that the students work on this module over two semesters - so she has been working on this since SEPTEMBER.

I found out about this problem as I was leaving my morning class. The students, all grad students, were giving assessed presentations, and are all required to attend the class. Out of 18, 9 were presenting today. 9 students showed up (only 5 were scheduled presenters), 1 left immediately after their talk for a toilet visit which lasted the length of the class period, 5 of the original 9 returned after the coffee break and 1 more wandered in loudly half-way through the last talk. And these were grad students.

Why do we do this??