**********************************************************************
* Status as of October 1995: *
* Approved by Senate and submitted to administration for approval *
**********************************************************************
MICHIGAN
TECHNOLOGICAL
UNIVERSITY The Senate of Michigan Technological University
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROPOSAL 7-94
SCHEDULING OF EVENING EXAMINATIONS
Regular exams are exams and quizzes that are not defined as final
examinations. Evening exams are regular exams held outside of scheduled
class times, usually after 6 pm.
Regular exams should be given during scheduled class meeting times when
possible. Students required to take an evening exam shall be excused
from one scheduled class.
Evening examinations must be arranged through the scheduling office to
avoid conflicts and to allow effective use of University resources.
Evening exams should be scheduled for 6-7 pm, Monday-Thursday. The
university shall not schedule classes for this time period.
Instructors scheduling evening exams must be prepared to provide
alternative examination times for students with the following conflicts.
In cases of students with conflicts between scheduled evening exams,
priority shall be given to the largest class size. When evening exams are
held other than 6-7 pm, students with regularly scheduled classes shall be
provided alternative examination times.
Regular exams shall not be given on Friday evenings, nor on Saturday or
Sunday.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Development of Proposal
6 Oct 92: In a memo to the Provost, the Director of Enrollment
Management requested a review of evening examination
policy.
1 Dec 93: The Senate Instructional Policy Committee unanimously
recommended a rewording of the current policy on December
1, 1993.
3 Dec 93: The reworded policy was received by the President of the
University Senate and designated as Proposal 7-94.
26 Jan 94: The Senate debated the provisions of Proposal 7-94 and
voted to return it to committee for revision based on
Senate discussion.
Mar 95: The Instructional Policy Committee of the Senate reviewed
and redrafted Proposal 7-94.
7 Apr 95: The Instructional Policy Committee forwarded the revised
Proposal 7-94 to the Senate officers for presentation to
the Senate.
Oct 95: Proposal 7-94 is editorially amended and approved by the
Senate.
Oct 95: Proposal 7-94 is transmitted to the Administration.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposal Background
1. The current policy on evening exams is published in the 1989
Handbook for Academic Faculty:
"EVENING EXAMINATIONS
"Regular evening exams must be arranged through the cognizant
administrative office to avoid conflicts and to allow effective
use of University resources. Priority of regular evening exams
shall be given to the largest class sizes and to the lowest
level courses.
"Regular evening exams will be scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m.,
Monday through Thursday. No classes will be scheduled from 6
to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Students required to take
an evening exam shall be excused from a regularly scheduled
class period.
"Instructors scheduling evening examinations other than as
described for regular evening examinations must provide
alternate exams for students having class or exam conflicts."
2. The Instructional Policy Committee of the University Senate
unanimously recommended a rewording of the current policy on
December 1, 1993. That rewording follows:
SCHEDULING OF REGULAR EVENING EXAMINATIONS AND OTHER
EXAMINATIONS OUTSIDE OF REGULARLY SCHEDULED CLASS TIME
"Regular evening examinations can be scheduled from 6-7 pm
Monday through Thursday. To avoid conflicts no classes will be
scheduled from 6-7 pm Monday through Thursday. Students
required to take an examination outside of the scheduled class
time shall be excused from one scheduled class.
"Regular evening examinations must be arranged through the cog-
nizant administrative office to avoid conflicts and to allow
effective use of University resources.
"Instructors scheduling an examination other than at a
scheduled class time or a regular evening examination time must
either provide alternative times or alternative examinations
for students having conflicts. In case of conflict, priority
of regular evening examinations shall be given to the largest
class sizes."
3. The proposed alterations of the Evening Exam Policy appear to
satisfy most of the objections raised the Senate discussion of last
year. The problem of reporting of violations is solved by
implication with the methods outlined in the Final Exam Policy
(Proposal 10-94). Definitions of exams in the first paragraph solve
some problems of ambiguities in the current policy (e.g. what's an
"irregular evening exam" under current policy). The current lack of
clarity of precedence of class size and level is addressed in the
fourth paragraph.
4. The policy does not address the difficulties of evening examinations
conflicting with athletic team practice session. These may have to
be resolved on a less formal basis than this policy.
5. Personnel in the "scheduling office" have told the committee that
the proposed policy is satisfactory, if not perfect.
6. The Senate has wrestled with evening exam policy for decades. The
current policy is Senate Proposal 25-78, with minor editorial
changes. Proposal 25-78 was passed May 4, 1978, and approved by the
University President September 11, 1978. Proposal 25-78 expressly
revoked Senate Policies 6-69, 3-70, and 2-74 on evening
examinations. Before passing 25-78, Senate Proposals 11-78 and
12-78 on evening examinations were defeated in Senate votes.
Relevant Senate minutes include: 386-387, 396-397, 452-453, 457,
890, 896, 1375, 1378, 1385-1388, 1442-1444, 1456.
.