"Five Things I Wish You Knew..." Exploring the Emotional Complexities of Extension Processing

Assignment extensions are not granted in a vacuum. Far from being a simple administrative exercise, the decision to grant or refuse an extension subjects the decision maker to a range of often competing institutional policies and procedures, as well as less formal practices and institutional norms, all of which impact staff wellbeing. (Armstrong and Byrom 2023). Furthermore, student requests for extensions are often encumbered with complex circumstances that can be difficult for tutors to disentangle as well as emotionally challenging to address. Although the links between assessment policies and student wellbeing are well documented (Jones et al (2021), the impact of such policies on staff wellbeing has not, so far, been well researched (Whittet 2021). <br></br><br></br> However, tutor wellbeing should arguably sit at that nexus of extension policies and practice. It is inextricably bound to student wellbeing (Jones et al) and has a significant (though often overlooked) impact on quality assurance, and the wider institutional norms of fairness, transparency and consistency (Abery and Gunson 2016). Where tutor wellbeing is central to a whole university approach, and tutors feel empowered in managing student extension requests, their actions align to the institutional processes and aims, translating into consistency of approaches and improved student experience. <br></br><br></br> In particular, online and distance learning students who do not have the structures of a campus university to support their studies may struggle to conform to the strict regulations concerning assignment submissions and deadlines (Doye and Hassan 2021), leaving the tutor to exercise discretion, often on the basis of limited facts. Thus, even where practices and procedures are clear, the exercise of discretion by individual decision makers impacts wellbeing as staff try to balance the needs of students with the requirement to comply with the written- and unwritten- policies and practices of their institution. (Abery and Gunson 2016). Further, the way in which students request extensions can have an impact. Jian, Tripp and Hong (2017) have identified a clear link between entitled or rude behaviour in students and tutor burnout. Finally, the impact on staff workload and staff emotional management is rarely explored in the context of extension processing. <br></br><br></br> In this workshop participants will explore the underlying tensions and emotional work involved in granting assignment extensions, within the context of distance learning. This will be done through a reflective exercise; “Five things I wish you knew…” to elicit some of the emotional complexities surrounding extension processing. This will lead to case-based discussion in which presenters and participants will tackle the question, “What do institutions need to do to support tutor wellbeing in regards to extension policies and practices?” The aim of this workshop will be to promote awareness of supporting tutors in achieving fair and consistent extension practices, and the impact on tutor wellbeing, in different learning environments (blended, online, and hybrid). This will be beneficial to both staff with teaching responsibilities and those with staff management roles, as well as staff with other student facing roles. <br></br><br></br> References <br></br><br></br> Armstrong, N. and Byrom, N.C. (2023) ‘The Impact of Mitigating Circumstances Procedures: Student Satisfaction, Wellbeing and Structural Compassion on the Campus’, Education sciences, 13(12), pp. 1230-. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121230. <br></br><br></br> Abery, E. and Gunson, J.S. (2016) ‘The cycle of student and staff wellbeing: emotional labour and extension requests in Higher Education. A practice report’, Student success, 7(1), pp. 65–71. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.v7i1.326. <br></br><br></br> Doye, Z and Hassan, I (2021) An enquiry into the impact of assessment extensions on two level1 modules The Open University: available at Project 41 Final report enquiry into the impact of extensions.docx (sharepoint.com) (accessed 18th November 2022) <br></br><br></br> Jiang, L., Tripp, T.M. and Hong, P.Y. (2017) ‘College instruction is not so stress free after all: A qualitative and quantitative study of academic entitlement, uncivil behaviors, and instructor strain and burnout’, Stress and health, 33(5), pp. 578–589. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2742. <br></br><br></br> Jones, E,Priestley, M, Brewster, E, Wilbraham S, Hughes, S & Spanner, L (2021) Student wellbeing and assessment in higher education: the balancing act, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46:3, 438-450, DOI: 10.1080/02602938.2020.1782344 <br></br><br></br> Whittet, F. A. (2021). Health and wellbeing of the online lecturer: a phenomenological study. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education, 59(1), 50–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/14635240.2020.1713189