Policy and Procedure for Making Up Missed Final Examinations

Policy:

A student's failure to take a final examination at the regularly scheduled time is a serious matter. A student may be allowed to make up a missed final examination only under extraordinary circumstances. Reasons such as misreading the exam schedule, having three examinations on the same day, oversleeping, and the like do not normally qualify. In the process of determining whether a request for taking a make-up examination should be allowed, burden of proof is on the student. The instructor has the right to request verification of the excuse offered by the student.

Students are advised to consult the University's Final Examination schedule as part of the academic planning and registration process to understand their academic responsibilities regarding Finals and to adjust their schedules as necessary.

Procedure:

Step 1. If a student knows beforehand that s/he will be forced to miss taking a final examination at the regularly scheduled time, it is the student's responsibility before the scheduled time of the examination to inform the instructor and to request permission to reschedule the final examination.

If a student has missed the scheduled final examination because of extraordinary circumstances, the student is responsible for contacting the instructor by the end of the first working day after the day of the missed examination and requesting permission to take a make-up examination. If the instructor is unavailable when the student seeks her/him, the student is to contact the department office, which will contact the instructor. Leaving a note with a request to take a rescheduled final examination does not constitute permission to do so.

Step 2. The instructor, upon speaking to the student, will either deny the request or approve it and make arrangements with the student for the make-up examination to be taken, normally before final grades are due, at an agreed-upon time and place. If, after being contacted, the instructor will be unavailable to see the student, the instructor, with the department chair's permission, may delegate authority to the chair to make the decision and leave a make-up examination with the chair in case approval is given. 

Step 3. A student who is denied permission to take a make-up examination may appeal immediately to the associate dean of the academic unit to which the instructor belongs. In any case, any appeal must be made by the end of the first working day after the day of the denial. The decision of the dean will be final.