Final Assessments (Exams)

Courses with Lectures & Seminars (other than 1-unit courses)

Course activity, including assessments, shall continue through the week designated for final assessments for all courses with a lecture component. Faculty are required to meet with students at the scheduled final assessment period and will use the week designated at the end of the quarter for the final assessing of student work. Faculty should decide the pedagogically appropriate assessment activity: for example, exams, receipt of term papers or projects, presentations, etc.

The university's schedule for final assessment periods is available online at the Office of the Registrar's Calendars and Deadlines information site. The schedule, drafted by University Scheduling Office and approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, will designate an assessment period for each time block in which lecture sections are normally scheduled and the location assigned.

Final assessments will be given in all sections of lecture and seminar courses unless exempt under the provisions below.

The maximum time allotted for final assessment is three hours in a facility that is normally controlled by the University Scheduling office.

Nonlecture Courses and 1-unit Courses

Final assessments in nonlecture courses (labs/activity courses and 1-unit courses) will be held during the last week of instruction in the regularly designated meeting time and location unless an alternate time and location is (1) pedagogically necessary, (2) does not create an academic scheduling conflict for any student, and (3) does not have to be scheduled by the University Scheduling Office.

Exempt Courses

Assessment exemptions may be granted for such reasons as uniqueness of course content or method of instruction, and/or a more appropriate procedure for establishing an evaluation of the student's performance in the course. Exemptions ordinarily will be established at the time the course is proposed by the department for inclusion in the University Catalog. Subsequent requests for exemptions will be submitted in writing through the department chair/head for approval by the appropriate Dean with notification of approved exemptions sent to University Scheduling Office.

Rescheduling

• Early Assessments
  No final assessments shall be given prior to the scheduled final assessment period without written approval of the appropriate Dean and notification sent to University Scheduling Office at least two weeks before the final assessment.
• Common Assessments
  Courses with three or more sections may hold assessments during "common assessment" times designated by the University Scheduling Office with approval by the department chair/head and appropriate Dean. Faculty who have requests approved must notify the University Scheduling Office at least two weeks before the final assessment. Any student who is unable to attend the common assessment time due to a conflict with another course's final assessment shall be permitted to arrange an alternate assessment time.
• Alternate Assessments
  Faculty may offer an additional (i.e.., alternate) assessment period during the final assessment week; however, the assessment must also be offered at the original time set aside in the final exams schedule. Courses with alternate assessment periods during the final period must notify the University Scheduling Office at least two weeks before the final assessment.

Special Student Arrangements

Student Scheduled in More than Two Final Examinations on the Same Day

Faculty should make a reasonable effort to offer an alternative final examination time to students with more than two final examinations on the same day (final examination overload conflict).  The alternative final examination shall be scheduled during finals week.

By the end of the seventh week of instruction, student should notify instructor of the final examination overload conflict and request to reschedule the final examination.

Other Student Conflicts

Permission to take final examinations out of schedule may be granted by the dean of the school in which the course is offered for the following reasons only:

• Student going into the Armed Forces.
• Death or serious illness in the student's family.
• Student requested by the university to represent the university at some educational activity. Written statement by the person sponsoring the conflicting activity must be presented to the deans of all schools in which the student is taking courses involved in the examination conflict.
• Illness of the student.
• Permanent job placement interview arranged by the university.

Student Notification of Final Examination Date and Time

If a course uses an in-class examination as its final assessment, faculty will include the date and time of the final examination in the course syllabus.

If the final examination date is not available at the start of the term or has been re-scheduled with the written approval of the dean, students will be notified of the scheduled date and time at least two weeks before the final assessment.

Exam Conflicts with University Activities

Examinations that conflict with university activities should be brought to the attention of the school dean as early as possible.

Midterm Examinations

Examinations are given during normal class meetings. No university schedule is published.

Procedures During Examination

Faculty members should make every effort to reduce cheating by ensuring examinations are properly monitored.

Faculty Responsibilities Regarding Retention of Exams and Other Evaluation Instruments

Exams, papers, projects or other tangible items used in the evaluation of students need not be retained by the instructor beyond the end of the term of evaluation, if there was an announced opportunity for students to retrieve same during the term.  For final exams or other evaluation instruments where no announced opportunity for student review existed before the end of the term, instructors should retain the materials for two full quarters.  While special situations may arise requiring deviation from this goal, instructors will be responsible to defend any deviation in the event of a subsequent review of a student's evaluations.

 

Source: Campus Administrative Manual 1982

Academic Senate Resolution on Final Assessments AS-631-05/IC (PDF)