University Senate of
Proposal
10-94
Amendments to Final Exam Policy
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.
Conflicts will be resolved by the Dean of Student Affairs.
Adopted by Senate: October 25, 1995
Approved by Senate: January 3, 1996
Became Senate Policy 602.1