Louis,
I have had one job where it was cut and dried where no bending was possible. In mental health there were some court deadlines which were absolute. According to the mental health law we had forty eight hours to get our reports to the judge or a person dangerous to themselves or others could be released to the community. The clock was in the judge's court room and we had to synchronize our watches with that one.
In my Abnormal Psychology class I tell students they need to have some experience with a real deadline so the reports in that class have to be on the table at the front of the class at 10:00 o'clock on the due date or the papers will be counted late. One second late is late in this case. I can't remember the last late paper. I'm sure there will be one but even students too sick to come to class will get their reports in on time. No printer problems are unsolved. What this requires is that students do the report the night before and they are able to do this. The strangest thing is that I have never mentioned what the penalty is for a late paper. In years past I have said I won't give any credit for a late paper but I haven't said that for years. Apparently they buy into the reasons for the firm deadline.
I do teach in a selective liberal arts college and have few non traditional students with children etc. I'm not sure how well this would have worked in the open admission community college I taught at but I would like to give it a try.
However, it is never cut-and-dry in any profession or at
any institution as you make it seem. In my 35 years, I have never met or
heard of a deadline that can't be slightly "bent" or "tweaked" with a
phone call, now an e-mail, accomplanied by a "legitimate" explanation,
especially a publishing or conference proposal deadline.
Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com
Professor of Psychology
Kalamazoo College
1200 Academy Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
Psychology Department: http://www.kzoo.edu/psych/index.htm ---
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