Seeking advice about salvaging the capstone class

[davewill]

Doing my recent Capstone, I was late from the first assignment on, and had to request an extension. Because I had let the mentor know before each due date that I would be late, he did not deduct any points. I got 100% on each draft and 99% on the final paper. The mentor posted this part way through the class:

Subject: TESU Late Submission Policy

Policy: Written assignments should be submitted no later than the due date unless prior arrangements are made with the mentor and a new due date is established. If a student submits an assignment after the due date without having made arrangements with the mentor, a minimum of 5 points (based on an assignment grading scale of 100 points) or 5 percent of the total points will be deducted for each week, or part thereof, that the assignment is late. Discussion board assignments must be completed in a timely manner or points will be deducted.

NOTE: As long as a student notifies a mentor that an assignment will be delayed, the student will not be penalized for lateness.

Unfortunately, it looks to me like a mentor could deduct more than the minimum or even all points (essentially refusing to accept) on their own judgment. I also don't know whether the "NOTE" is TESU policy, or an addition by my mentor.

In your shoes I would withdraw and try again. It was very important to get the mentor's comments on each chapter draft, and you would be trying to finish the paper without those comments. I have to think that will really cause your grade to suffer. Also, one of the criteria for being granted an extension is that you have turned in at least 50% of the work in the course, which it sounds like you may not have done. Next time be sure to notify the mentor if you must be late. And try to get my mentor, James Cody, since I know that he has a reasonable late policy.

As far as the plagiarism angle goes, there are only 6 assignments including the final, so if you haven't turned in "several" you really haven't turned much in. I don't think you need worry about "plagiarizing" things you didn't turn in. You might be able to salvage the general topic by modifying your questions and rewriting the little you did turn in from scratch. You can also discuss the situation with the next mentor and see if they are OK with you using the same paper.