Student Senate recently passed a resolution supporting a change to the final exam policy that would allow students to take an exam early with their professor’s permission.
The current final exam policy allows students to take a final exam later than the scheduled time if they provide verification of illness, death in the family, conflict with a military obligation, conflict with a prior commitment to employment or other extraordinary circumstances.
Craig Smith, director of academic affairs, said the policy particularly hurts students participating in NCAA-sanctioned postseason tournaments because there have been instances where students return to school after the semester has ended only to have the faculty member leave the country for the summer.
“I just think this is a good legislation and I’m glad the University Senate is looking at it,” said on-campus senator Janel Soppeland, who plays on the women’s basketball team.
She said if teams make it to a championship that conflict with finals, the athletes should be able to take the finals early so they don’t have the stress of the exam with them at the tournament.
It is also important for all students to take the final exam at the end of the semester when the information is fresh in their minds, rather than at the beginning of the following semester when a time can be arranged with the professor, Smith said.
The policy would protect students from receiving a temporary “incomplete” on their transcripts.
Senate recognizes that some professors have objection to rescheduling final exams to an earlier time because they fear copies of the exam will be distributed to classmates. Other professors have no objections to giving exams early, though, so Senate is proposing to leave the decision at the discretion of the professor instead of creating a blanket policy.
The University Senate Academic Policies Committee will take on the issue next.
“A new policy will not be in effect for this semester,” Smith said, “but I am confident some type of new policy will be in effect for the Spring semester.”
