Enable Automatic Extensions for Your Class

You can set up an automatic extension policy for your class, for example, to always allow students a single extension per assignment with a 30% penalty. You can grant extensions manually even if you turn on automatic extensions.

Automatic and Manual Extensions

WebAssign supports two kinds of extension policies.

Automatic: Your students can request extensions that are granted automatically using your policy for the extension duration, how many extensions are allowed for each assignment, any penalty incurred, and when extensions can be requested.
You can see when your students have used automatic extensions.
Manual: Your students can request extensions from their assignments in WebAssign, but you must approve each request and set the terms of each extension — its duration, whether to award additional submissions, and any penalties incurred.

Note Regardless of the extension policy you set, you can always grant individual extensions as needed.

By default, when you create a new course, your students can request manual extensions, but not automatic extensions. New sections, copied sections, and courses created by copying a section all copy the extension settings from the original section.

From the menu bar, click Communication.

If needed, select a class.
Expand Extensions and click Unanswered.
Click Settings in the top right corner of the message list.
Select Enable.
Under Class Default, set the Extension Policy to either Automatic Extensions or Automatic and Manual Extensions.

If you enable manual extension requests, consider selecting Forward Extension Requests to my Email above the Class Default section.

You are notified only about manual extension requests requiring your attention.

Set the automatic extension behaviors.

Setting	Description
Length of Extension	The amount of time students have to complete the assignment after the extension request is made and before the extension window closes.
Extension window closes	The total amount of time after the due date that students have to request an extension and complete the assignment. Students will lose access to the assignment at the end of the extension window regardless of the length of extension.
Requests per assignment	The number of automatic extensions each student is allowed per assignment.
Penalty for using extension	A positive number — or 0 for no penalty — and the penalty method you want to use with each extension. % unearned A percentage of the point value of the questions answered correctly after the extension is granted. No penalty is applied if no more questions are answered correctly. % total A percentage of the total possible points for the assignment. points The specified number of points. See Extension Penalties.
Announcement	A message to be displayed to students when they request the extension. WebAssign always displays the extension terms to students requesting an automatic extension.
Scheduled Items	Select Apply Automatic Extension Policy to assignments that have already been scheduled. If this is not selected, the automatic extension policy is applied only to assignments that you schedule after setting the policy.

Your student's new due date and time for the assignment is specified by either Length of Extension or Extension window closes, whichever comes first.

Click Apply.

Important Because granting an extension changes the student's due date, automatic point adjustments are based on each student's due date with any granted extensions. If needed, manually adjust the student's assignment score after the extension period ends.