I was recently contacted by a concerned University of Waikato law student about a change that should alarm anyone who values academic standards. The law faculty is now granting students an automatic 10-day extension for assessments submitted after the deadline, no questions asked.
According to that student, when they asked for an explanation they were told by a lecturer that this was part of “decolonising the process,” with concepts like deadlines, punctuality, and lateness described as “white colonial ideas.”
When contacted by ACT, a senior lecturer at the faculty confirmed that deadlines had indeed become flexible by default. The justification offered was that applying for an extension creates unnecessary stress for students and that this policy change supports their well-being.
But law is a field where timeliness is not optional. Whether it is filing documents in court or responding to a legal matter within a statutory timeframe, meeting deadlines is a core professional responsibility. The consequences for the client or individual if strict timeframes are not met could be serious.
Waikato is doing its students no favours. Graduates will leave unprepared for the demands of real legal work. The value of the degree they’ve spent years and thousands of dollars on will be watered down compared to those from universities that maintain high standards.
In trying to decolonise the law, the University has instead diluted it.
No employer is going to hire a lawyer who is unable to meet deadlines or show up on time because their university told them punctuality was optional.
And what message does it send to those students who do put in the effort to hand their work in on time? Those who come in to university early, stay late working diligently in the library, or ease up on the socialising the weekend before an assignment is due see their efforts go unrewarded while their peers get a free pass.
That does nothing to foster a generation of students who learn that hard work pays off.
What is more concerning is the racial framing used to justify this change. To suggest that accountability and time management are “white colonial ideas” is not only inaccurate but also deeply insulting. It implies that students from non-white backgrounds are inherently less capable of meeting expectations. That is not equity.
It is a dangerous lowering of the bar based on assumptions that should have no place in any academic institution.
Supporting students means helping them rise to meet high standards, not removing those standards entirely. Students should be equipped with the skills and resilience they will need in the real world, especially in professions where others rely on them to act with precision and professionalism.
It is little surprise that Waikato’s law programme is currently ranked the lowest in the country.
Universities have a responsibility to prepare students for the demands of the workforce, not to shield them from it. When institutions prioritise convenience over competency they are not supporting their students, they are letting them down.
This isn’t just about one university. It reflects a wider trend of tertiary institutions adopting policies driven more by ideology than evidence, often at the expense of academic rigour.
Students who pay thousands of dollars for their education deserve better. If Waikato wants to graduate lawyers who are truly ready to represent others, it should begin by reinstating clear expectations and consistent academic discipline, starting with something as basic as submitting work on time. -Dr Parmjeet Parmar
