When students of his political science class petitioned to have their research paper due date extended, professor Rex Brynen of McGill University responded in style:
After Buzzfeed posted the photo, which went viral and garnered more than 70,000 views (at this time of posting), Brynen tweeted out:
Apparently the most popular thing I've done in 25 year teaching career is say "no" to an extension request. 5k "likes" and counting!
— Rex Brynen (@RexBrynen) November 21, 2013I think it's high time that we all sign our letters, "Yours in omnipotence." What class!
While this is amusing, it doesn't actually help the students learn the reasons why the prof is being hard-lined on a due date. Perhaps include more info: tell them explicitly the learning outcomes that motivate the policy, or explain why it is logistically unfeasible/undesirable to change the date or give extensions. That way, they won't ask the next prof and they'll understand that content is not the only thing they're learning in college.
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If one hasn't grasped the concept by the time they have entered a higher learning institution (or workplace) of their choice that "Life is a Deadline", no amount of prompting from a professor or otherwise will change this. Time is finite so stop wasting it. Take the steps to learn how to manage it better. It's up to the individual to get their act together. Enough with the coddling already.
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