Final Exam Policy
(Proposal 10-94)
(Proposal 39-15)
Senate Policy 602.1
Final exams are those tests scheduled for a special period following the last week
of instruction
which is referred to as "final exam week". This period begins and ends with the first
and last
officially scheduled final examinations. Each department shall designate all courses
or sections
of courses in which final examinations are to be given.
A comprehensive final examination designed to measure the student's overall knowledge
is
considered good teaching policy. However, no regulations shall attempt to govern the
content of
a final exam. A final exam could be either incremental or comprehensive.
No final examination will be given earlier than the final exam week. In classes which
do not
have final exams the instructor may not give any major tests or examinations during
the last
week of regularly scheduled classes, because such a test would be in effect a final
examination
given earlier than the final exam week. However, departments with lab courses can
choose to
exempt lab examinations from this policy. Make-up exams for illness or other excused
absences
may be administered before or after the scheduled time, consistent with maintenance
of exam
security.
No final exams shall be scheduled on Sunday, unless the regular instruction periods
are also
scheduled on Sunday.
No regular instruction is to be continued during the final exam week, except that
the final
examination time assigned to a course can be used for instruction if an instructor
so desires.
The University shall not schedule, nor shall the students participate in, any official
function
during the scheduled final exam period, except events whose date is beyond the control
of the
University.
It is the responsibility of the chair of each department to prevent violations of
the final
examination policy. Students may report violations of the policy to the chair of the
instructor's
department either in person or by anonymous note. Students may similarly report violations
to
the office of the Dean of Student Affairs; these reports will be forwarded to the
departmental
chair for appropriate action.
Any departures from an officially scheduled examination time must be approved by the
scheduling office.
Absences from final exams need not be excused when caused by a student scheduling
courses
with conflicting final examination times.
No student shall be required to take more than three examinations per calendar day.
For
students with an accommodation for extended time on examinations, the limit may be
fewer than
three examinations per day, since Policy 605.1 limits the total amount of time that
such students
may be required to spend on examinations to six hours per day.
Conflicts will be resolved by the Dean of Student Affairs.
Proposal 10-94:
Adopted by Sen ate: October 25, 1995
Approved by Administration: January 3, 1996
Proposal 39-15:
Introduced to Senate: 01 April 2015
Approved by Senate: 15 April 2015
Approved by Administration with Editorial Change: 22 April 2015
Senate Approved Editorial Change: 09 September 2015