Face Up

by Matthew Stollak on Wednesday, December 9, 2009

It is nearing the end of the semester here in Wisconsin. Since it is December, winter is inevitable, and the school has officially shut down due to the heavy snow storms and blizzard warning in effect. While it is a residential campus, and most students can get to class, it does pose a problem for professors trying to make it in.

With that in mind, I posted an assignment for my statistics class on Monday afternoon that is due tomorrow at 9:00 a.m and 10:00 a.m. depending on the section. The assignment requires the use of a statistical software package that is only available on the computers in our school lab. Further, tomorrow is the last day I will be meeting with the students before the final. However, with school (and the computer lab) officially closed, several students have e-mailed to say they will be unable to complete the assignment.

Part of me wishes to give students the ol' "lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part"routine. And, the computer lab does open up at 7:00 a.m., an hour before classes begin, so students have the opportunity to complete it then. But, part of me recognizes that is an extreme situation and I should, perhaps, grant an extension. Decisions, decisions...

Thoughts?