Why did the man need to see Dean Williams?

M: May I see Dean Williams please?
W: Dean Williams won’t be in the office this afternoon. I am an assistant and perhaps I can help you.
M: [7] I need a few more days for my paper and my professor said that I would have to get special permission from the Dean’s office.
W: For what course?
M: Economics 201. Professor Brown’s course.
W: Is this a term paper or a paper written instead of the final exam?
M: It’s to take the place of the final exam.
W: So ordinarily the deadline is the last day of exam period which is this Friday. That’s two days away. Don’t you think you could finish it by then?
M: [8] I haven’t even started it yet. You see, I’ve been sick since last Saturday. I just checked out the hospital this morning.
W: So you were in the hospital for four days.
M: Yes, from Saturday until today, Wednesday.
W: [9] Generally for an illness like this we can postpone an exam or the deadline of the paper by the number of the days the student has been ill. In your case, by four days.
M: That means I’ll be able to hand in my paper next Tuesday instead of this Friday.
W: That’s right. [10]But first, you have to fill out this form, giving the name of the course, your reasons and so on. Then take the request to the hospital to have it signed by the doctor. Then bring it back to me today, and I’ll have a copy sent to Professor Brown.
M: Thank you very much. I’ll see you later this afternoon with the completed form.