I have created assignments in excess of the maximum amount counted toward the student’s overall grade, in order for a student to miss a couple of assignments without it impacting their overall grade.  For example, the total of all homework assignments is 35 points, but only 30 points will be counted in the overall grade.

Is there a way to create an Assignment (or a column in the gradebook) that has a negative value? The negative value applied would be different for each student, depending on how many assignments they completed.  The maximum value of the negative adjustment for homework, for example would be -5 points, if a student had completed all the 35 points available.