VI. Examination Procedures
Rescheduling Examinations
Classroom Management, (612) 625-4586, sets final examination schedules. Final examinations may not be moved to the last day or earlier meetings of a class, except for laboratory courses that do not follow the regular schedule. No midterms or other tests may be scheduled for the last week of classes, and examinations are not permitted on Study Day; this day, instituted at student request, must remain free for review before examinations begin. The examination schedule for each term is found on the One Stop Student Services website.
By Minnesota state law, the University may not schedule any event, including examinations, to take place after 6:00 p.m. on the day of a major political party precinct caucus.
In some cases - for example, to facilitate administering a common examination in a multiple-section course - students and the instructor may see advantages to rescheduling an examination. In very large classes, administration of the exam early in the examination period may facilitate completion of the grading within the exam period.
Officially scheduled examination times can be changed only if the Assistant Dean for CLA Student Services, as the Dean's designate, concurs and Classroom Management approves. If a student cannot make the newly scheduled time, instructors are obligated to provide an alternative time for that student. Requests for rescheduling are to be made on Form A163, available in departmental offices. Requests should be submitted as early as possible to ensure a room assignment and adequate time to notify students. Classroom Management promptly informs departments of its action on requests.
Instructors are obligated to schedule makeup exams for students who have three final exams in a 16-hour period or two or more exams scheduled for the same time. These rescheduled exams must take place within the final examination period. If rescheduling creates conflicts, instructors or students may call Lonna Riedinger in the CLA Student Information Office, (612) 625-2020, for assistance resolving them.
Administering Makeup Examinations
University Senate Policy (adopted spring 1992, revised in 2001)
According to the Policy on Makeup Examination for Legitimate Absences, students should not be penalized for absences due to unavoidable or legitimate circumstances. Such circumstances include, but are not necessarily limited to: verified illness, participation in athletic events or other group activities sponsored by the University, serious family emergencies, subpoenas, jury duty, military service, and religious observances. It is the responsibility of the student to notify faculty members of such circumstances as far in advance as possible. It is the responsibility of faculty members to provide makeups for exams or other course assignments that have an impact on the course grade.
Minimizing Examination Absenteeism
Instructors are urged to take the position that only serious and unavoidable causes, such as confining illness (and the examples noted above) will be accepted as an excuse for missing an examination. A number of measures can discourage examination absenteeism:
- a firm attitude that presence at the examination is expected;
- a list of exam dates on the course syllabus, including the date, time, and place of the final exam; a clear statement about the method of dealing with absence (a course syllabus could contain such a statement); or
- a request that students inform the instructor, the teaching assistant, or, in an emergency, the department office in advance when absence is unavoidable.
Administering Examinations
Instructors are responsible for taking steps to ensure a secure testing environment and are expected to:
- seat students as far as possible from one another;
- require students to write seat numbers on examinations or answer sheets;
- provide different sets of questions for adjacent students if the type of
examination permits (The same questions can be presented in different orders on different forms of an examination with minimum extra work for the instructor.); - require that books and papers not needed for the examination be left outside the room, perhaps at places designated by the instructor;
- proctor the examination carefully; and
- require on each examination paper the student's signature and some piece of personal information to guard against substitute exam takers.
