Part of your grade on every assignment will be concerned with the information you present to answer a question or solve a problem. Another part of your grade will be concerned with how well you use the computer to present that information. The latter will include considerations of spelling, punctuation, word choices, and, more generally, your use of the English language; also how you format your paper (margins, inter-line and inter-paragraph spacing; number formatting in spreadsheets and databases; more generally, the attractive appearance or lack thereof of your document). Precisely because computers make correction easy, there is no excuse for you not to proofread, correct, and re-print your papers as often as necessary to make them as error-free and attractive to read as you possibly can.
There are several reasons for this policy. One is that you are college students, so if you haven't already developed good writing habits, you should do so. Another is that you should develop habits that will serve you well in your professional careers. Employers and clients lose confidence in people who do sloppy paperwork; the former may fail to hire, or may fire you over it; the latter may take their business elsewhere. Perhaps most important, it's the right thing to do.
Faculty who uphold such a policy are often accused of being "mean" or "picky." I prefer to think of it as encouraging students to do better work and to make themselves better qualified for professional futures.
For anyone tempted to object that this isn't an English course, a query: with what language do you propose to communicate? Of course it's an English class - all of your courses, with the possible exception of foreign languages, are. Those of you who heed these words will probably do well in the course; those who don't, probably won't do very well.
First of all, I can hardly go around Western New York verifying such claims. Thus, to grant the request would encourage dishonesty.
Further, the University makes computer labs available to all students. If one microcomputer breaks down, others are available to you. Your responsibility is to get your work done; not, necessarily, to get it done on a particular machine. If you have a problem, solve the problem; in this case, that's easy enough to do via the use of an alternate computer.
Many of your classmates do not own their own microcomputers. If you have the use of your own, they do not complain that you have an "unfair advantage." Should your computer break down, that doesn't put you at an unfair disadvantage - rather, it puts you on the same level as your classmates who don't own computers. Giving you additional time under these circumstances would be unfair to these classmates.
A last-minute breakdown is still no excuse. It could just as well happen in the computer laboratory. Further, it is for such reasons that it is unwise to leave your assignment to the last minute. It is well known that computers and printers occasionally break down or malfunction. The wise allow for the possibility by allowing enough time to cope with the problem, should it arise.
Back to Boxer's Home Page