Per Assignment Extensions (PAE) may be an approved accommodation for students through A-B Tech’s Support Services who have a chronic physical or mental condition/disability with brief, periodic flare-ups that are unpredictable and legitimately impact course attendance on occasion. PAE provides limited flexibility to allow for equivalent alternative opportunities to address the impact of a brief, periodic health or medical experience that may interfere with a student meeting a deadline. PAE does not automatically apply to all assignments and is not intended to be applied retroactively. Students approved for PAE remain accountable for all academic activities (assignments, assessments, required readings, etc.) and evaluation standards specified on the syllabus.
Blanket Extensions
PAE is not designed to comprehensively address or fully support a student with predictable disability-related impacts related to time management. PAE does not provide a blanket extension for all assignments within a course. Students with predictable challenges related to meeting due dates should utilize resources to develop an academic plan that works with their disability and meets academic responsibilities. Such resources may include taking reduced credit hours or using resources for academic strategies through A-B Tech’s Support Services, the Writing Center, and/or the Tutoring Center to assist in managing assignments and meeting due dates.
It is not reasonable for faculty to fundamentally alter, waive, or lower essential course requirements, academic standards, or educational experiences/outcomes when attempting to accommodate extension requests.
Assignment Considerations
Per the faculty syllabus template, instructors should include the following on the syllabus: an explanation of course goals and objectives, the name of the text and any other materials required of each student, the instructor’s office hours, and an explanation of how the grade is to be determined. The advance notice allows students to proactively work on their assignments.
Assignments are announced before their due dates with multiple days or weeks to complete and do not require or expect students to work exclusively on those assignments between the announcement date and the due date.
How PAE Works
If a student is PAE eligible per their Disability Support Services accommodation letter, PAE provides students 24 hours and up to two additional days to complete work. It is not applicable for lengthy assignment extensions.
- Students discuss their accommodation letters with faculty prior to the intended use of approved accommodations.
- Students eligible for PAE must request the use of this accommodation with their instructor at least within 24 hours of a specific assignment’s due date.
- Instructors determine the assignment completion time limit considering course progression.
When are Deadlines Essential?
In general, 24 hours and up to a two-day extension on an assignment would not constitute a fundamental alteration to a course; however, Support Services encourages instructors to consider the following questions for each course when determining if established due dates are essential.
- Are extensions provided routinely? If so, in what circumstances?
- What do the course description and syllabus indicate regarding late work or completion deadlines?
- Are the due dates arbitrary or are they essential to course requirements?
- Would an extension (or multiple extensions) fundamentally alter the course?
- Does the course's fundamental nature rely on the timely completion of assignments as an essential method of learning?
- Does timely completion of assignments constitute a significant component of the learning process?
- To what degree does a student’s failure to submit timely completion of assignments constitute a significant loss of the educational experience for other students in the class?
The ultimate decision regarding due dates and the resulting influence extensions would have on the course is at the discretion of the instructor after a comprehensive examination of the essential course requirements.
A-B Tech Support Services office is available for consultation or guidance when needed.
Support Services at A-B Tech Community College
340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
Email: supportservices@abtech.edu
Phone: (828) 398-7141
Fax: (828) 281-9886