Dr Tom Kerns
North Seattle Community College

 

Consequences of missing research project deadlines

So here's what happens:

Before the end of week four (week three in the summer quarter) you need to have received a formal OK from me for your project. That means that you will have

a.) sent me an email with your proposed topic.

b.) gotten an email back from me saying that topic would be a good one (or not), and asking for a list of the books (with authors, titles, and publishers) you plan to use in your researches.

c.) sent me an email with four things listed on it (your name, topic title, your proposed books, and the date you'll post it to the class.

d.) perhaps gotten an email back from me asking you to find more or different books for your research, or

e.) finally gotten an email from me saying that yes, your topic, sources and date has been approved.

Once I write you that note formally OKing that topic, sources, and date, then from that point on your topic has been OKed and you've got dibs on it (but not before that point).

e.) Finally, you post a note to the classroom telling your classmates what research project you will be working on in the comng weeks.

That entire process can take several back and forth emails extended over several days, so you'll want to get started on it well before the deadline so as not to lose any grade points for lateness. The whole approval process needs to be completed before 6pm on the Tuesday of week four (or week 3 in the summer quarter).

Consequences:

If your project does not receive its approval by the deadline, the research project grade will be dropped one-half grade for each day it is late (e.g., from B to B-, or from 3.0 to 2.7). Thus if the deadline is 6pm on Tuesday, the grade will drop one-half grade if it is turned in after 6pm on Tue. It will drop a full grade if it is turned in after 6pm on Wednesday. It will drop one-and-a-half grades if it is turned in after 6pm on Thursday. It will drop two full grades if it is turned in after 6pm on Friday. Etc.

Posting your research project:

The same consequence will result if your final paper were to be posted past the deadline date you've given yourself. That is, if the project would have earned a 2.7 or B-, for example, if it were posted a day late it would earn a 2.4 or C+.

I know that all of our lives are busy and that meeting deadlines can be a real challenge, so I would suggest that you try to complete these assignments before the deadlines, just in case some complication comes up in your life - you get sick, have an accident, fall in love, or some other catastrophe - on the deadline date.

Best wishes with all of this.