Final Examination Policy
(from http://www.d.umn.edu/catalogs/current/pdfs/3-Policies.pdf, pages 49–50 )
UMD policy requires that final examinations be administered at the time and place prescribed in the final examination schedule for all UMD courses offered for undergraduate credit. Exemption
from this policy may be granted by the appropriate
college dean. Requests for exemption should be initiated by the instructor of record for the course and forwarded through the department to the college dean for action, with an information
copy to the registrar. Such requests are considered
on a semester-to-semester basis.
Requests for permanent exemption for courses for which regular final examinations are inappropriate,
such as independent study or seminar courses, should be initiated by the department responsible and forwarded to the college dean for action, with an information copy to the registrar.
Such requests, once granted, remain in effect until modified by action of the department responsible.
Examination Scheduling Procedures
There are two formats for final examinations, regular
final examinations and common final examinations.
Regular final examinations are scheduled in accordance with the time and days of semester class meetings as indicated in the UMD Class Schedule. Unless otherwise indicated, such examinations are administered in the regular classroom for each course and section. Common final examinations may be scheduled for courses offered in three or more sections and must be requested by the department responsible for the instruction. The common examination schedule is established by the registrar and is published in advance of the semester final examination period. All students are responsible for knowing the final examination scheduling information contained in the UMD Class Schedule and the UMD common examination schedule. Instructors are responsible for informing students of approved deviations from the published final examination schedules.
Examinations Outside of Regular Class Time
Examinations given prior to the final exam period are normally given only during the regular class sessions. Any such examinations to be held outside
of regular class time, aside from take-home and make-up exams, shall meet the following conditions:
• The dates and times of the examinations shall be listed in the syllabus and announced on the first day of class.
• The scheduling shall be approved by the department head and the collegiate dean. Alternative times shall be provided to any student who encounters an academic, work, or health-related
conflict.
Final Examination Conflicts
UMD policy provides that no student may be required to take more than two final examinations on the same day. The regular final examination and the common examination schedules are constructed
to minimize conflicts.
Conflicts are resolved according to the following policy. Regular final examinations take priority over common final examinations and both take priority over examinations that have been shifted to a time deviating from the published examination
schedule. When three or more regular final examinations fall on the same day for an individual student, the first and last scheduled examinations on that day take priority over others.
When one regular final examination conflicts with two or more common final examinations, the first scheduled common final examination on that day takes priority over other common final examinations. When three or more common final examinations fall on the same day, the first and last scheduled examinations on that day take priority over others. When one or more common final examinations are scheduled at the same time, priority is given to the earliest class time as determined by the regular class schedule.
Makeup Examinations
When a student is excused from a final examination
because of a conflict of more than two exams scheduled on the same day, a makeup examination will be scheduled during the final examination period on a day and at a time of mutual convenience to the student and faculty member concerned. If mutual agreement cannot be reached, the faculty member may specify any time during the final examination period that does not create additional conflict with the rest of the student’s scheduled examinations.
