Policies and Guidelines
Final Exam Policy
A final examination schedule is published each semester by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction, and a preliminary copy is available on the Office of the Registrar web site. No time and date departures from the examination schedule should occur without prior approval of the dean of the school or college and the Vice President for Instruction. Similar advance approval also must be obtained to administer standardized, departmental “mass” examinations to groups of students enrolled in the same course. Although there are special courses where a final examination of the regular type may not be appropriate, each student must be provided the opportunity to stand for a final examination as part of the completion of a full instructional term. Each instructor has the authority to design and administer the final examination in whatever manner is appropriate. Additionally, the instructor has the authority to structure the course syllabus and content so that the final examination may be a summative evaluation of the entire term’s work or a portion of the term’s work. Take home exams are permissible as long as the exams are not due earlier than the final examination time slot as assigned by the University.
Classes that do not follow a MWF or Tu/Th schedule
Classes meeting on days that differ from the customary MWF or Tu/Th schedule should schedule examinations based on the first class meeting day and hour of the week. For example, classes that meet M/Tu/W/Th should examine students based on the hour of the MWF class schedule, and classes that meet Tu/W/Th/F should examine students based on the hour of the Tu/Th class schedule.
Final Exam Schedule Conflicts
Upon the consent of the academic department, the individual faculty instructor has the authority to manage students who have conflicts with the final examination schedule. A student with three final examinations scheduled within a twenty-four (24) hour period* or two examinations at the same time may petition to reschedule one exam to a different time or day. If one of the conflicting final examinations is a mass exam, then it should be rescheduled first.
*The twenty-four (24) hour period begins at the start time of the first exam.
Examples
MAY BE RESCHEDULED
This is an example of three exams within a twenty-four (24) hour period that may be rescheduled:
• 12:00 pm on Monday (First exam)
• 3:00 pm on Monday (Second exam)
• 8:00 am on Tuesday (Third exam)
DOES NOT FIT WITHIN THIS POLICY
This is an example of three exams that do not fall within a twenty-four (24) hour period and would not fit within this policy:
• 8:00 am on Monday (First exam)
• 12:00 pm on Monday (Second exam)
• 8:00 am on Tuesday (Third exam)
Instructions
- Print out a copy of the Final Exam Schedule.
- Print out and complete the Petition for Final Exam Change (PDF) to reschedule.
- Sign the petition and attach schedules.
- Take the petition with attachments to the instructor to request rescheduling of the exam. (Remember: Mass exams should be rescheduled first.)
- Once the student and instructor have agreed on a time to reschedule the final exam, no additional approval is necessary. Both the student and instructor are encouraged to retain a copy of the petition.
Please contact (706) 542-4040 or [email protected] with questions.
Reading Days
These days have been designated by the University Council to provide time for students to prepare for final exams. No mandatory assignments are to be scheduled for completion during reading days — either for course work or for co-curricular activities. Exceptions for good cause can be made to this policy by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction. Nothing in this policy limits an instructor from scheduling optional study reviews for students during reading days.
Final Instructional Day
No tests or quizzes are to be administered on the final instructional day of a course, unless the course has not been assigned a final examination time slot by the University. All labs may administer tests or quizzes on the final instructional day. For purposes of this policy, student presentations to the class in a seminar or graduate course shall not be considered a test or a quiz.
Admission to Course Examinations
Students who have not registered for the course will not be admitted to the final examination, and only under extraordinary circumstances will they be admitted to the examination unless they have attended at least 50 percent of the total class and laboratory exercises held in the course.
