This policy requires that all sections of all courses should meet during finals week–whether or not a final exam will be given–for a set of purposes named in the policy. The Final Exam schedule provides the meeting times for these sessions. In practical terms, this policy provides for having a normal working session in the last regular meeting of a course, and then up to two more hours, in the following week, to collect final assignments, summarize the course, and evaluate it.
During the final week of each academic semester all courses shall meet for one 2-hour period at the date and time listed in the Schedule of Courses. This period should be used for examination, discussion, summarizing the course, obtaining student evaluation of the course instruction, or any other appropriate activity designed to advance the student’s education. If an instructor requires a written report or take-home examination in place of a final examination, it shall not be due before the final examination period scheduled for that course. Exceptions to this paragraph may be approved by the department or school chairperson, or in a college without departments, by the dean. In the event that a final examination is deemed appropriate by the instructor, it may not be scheduled at any time other than the date and hour listed in this Schedule of Courses. Any deviations from the final examination schedule must be approved by the Office of the Registrar based on the recommendation of the assistant/associate dean of the college responsible for the course offering.
No student should be required to take more than two examinations during any one day of the final examination period. Students who have more than two examinations scheduled during a particular day during the final examination period may take their class schedules to the Academic Students Affairs Office in their colleges for assistance in arranging for an alternate time for one of the three examinations. The final examination schedule shall be systematically rotated so that the 2-hour period for each course (time slot) will be scheduled at a different time each semester. This will also apply to common final examinations. Faculty members shall schedule office hours during the final examination period (or in some other way attempt to make themselves accessible to their students) as they do in the other weeks of the semester.
Common end of semester examinations are scheduled in certain courses with several class sections. In case of a conflict in time between a common examination and a regularly scheduled course examination, the latter has priority. The department or school giving the common end of semester examination must arrange for a make-up examination. A student absent from a final examination without a satisfactory explanation will receive a grade of 0.0 on the numerical system, NC on the CR-NC system, or a N in the case of a course authorized for grading on the P-N system. Students unable to take a final examination because of illness or other reason over which they have no control should notify the assistant deans of their colleges immediately.
The time of examinations in courses which do not have common final examinations is determined by the days and the time the class is scheduled during the semester. Examinations will be given in the same classroom used for class meetings during the semester. In the event that a change of classroom is needed for an examination, the request and clearance must be processed through the Classroom Scheduling Section of the Office of the Registrar (355-4522).
If at least two of the days and hours follow the regular pattern, all students, instructors, and room schedules will automatically clear. In a few courses at the request of the department concerned, the final examination has been scheduled by the single hour lecture session, and in some instances students may encounter conflicts. In that event, the examinations scheduled by the class meeting two hours each week will take precedence over the examination scheduled by the single hour lecture. The examination will be arranged between the student and the department requesting the special scheduling of its examination.
All instructors are requested to terminate their examinations promptly so that rooms and buildings may be cleared for the examination periods which follow.
Any deviations from the final examination schedule must be approved by the Office of the Registrar based on the recommendation of the assistant/associate dean of the college responsible for the course offering.