Document
No. I-03-09
PROPOSAL TO THE ACADEMIC
SENATE
TITLE:
Statement of Recommendations on Finals Week
SUBMITTED BY:
Calendar Committee
DATE:
ACTION:
Consultative
REFERENCE:
Faculty Handbook – Faculty Policies:
Teaching - Tests and Examinations
PURPOSE:
To protect and strengthen the
academic integrity of the final examination week at the
q The
final examination week[1]
exists to facilitate a multiplicity of culminating learning experiences.[2] Every course of study, undergraduate and
graduate[3],
must conclude with an academically rigorous culminating learning
experience. Other than in rare cases[4],
culminating learning experiences will be timed so that students can benefit
academically from the existence of ‘finals week.’
q Graduating
seniors should participate in the same culminating learning experiences that
are scheduled for all students in a particular course of study. The practice of requiring faculty to submit
‘early’ final letter grades for graduating seniors prior to the conclusion of
finals week is thereby impractical and, henceforth, prohibited.[5]
q Study
days[6]
provide students with necessary and valuable time to prepare academically for
rigorous final examinations. No final
examination week will begin, therefore, without a minimum of one study
day. Scheduling two consecutive study
days is strongly preferred.[7]
[1]The final examination week is defined as the sum of
one full week of scheduled examinations, the weekend immediately preceding, and
a minimum of one study day. ‘Finals
week’ is therefore minimally of eight days in duration.
[2]Culminating learning experience is a term meant to underscore the Academic Senate’s recognition that it is appropriate that some types of courses do not and should not conclude with traditional, in-class examinations. Instead, courses may conclude with academically rigorous projects, presentations, performances, critiques, portfolios, and et cetera, which themselves may or may not be cumulative in scope.
[3]Due to
its independent academic calendar, the
[4]With the
approval of the authoritative department chair, a rare course of study might
conclude in its entirety prior to the onset of the final examination week. Several courses in the
[5]Adoption of this principle will require a revision of current commencement practice. A likely scenario is thus: students will be allowed to ‘walk’ in commencement if they are approved by their respective Office of the Dean. (An Office of the Dean is likely to approve students who are registered for course work that, with passing grades, would fully satisfy graduation requirements.) At commencement, students will receive an uncertified (unsealed and unsigned), proxy diploma. (Among other things, this will facilitate commencement day photography.) After graduations have been properly certified, students will be posted their certified diplomas and official transcripts. Note: in this illustration, it is possible that a tiny number of students will ‘walk’ at commencement who have not completed necessary degree requirements. The Academic Senate understands that this or a similar revision of commencement practice is needed to protect and strengthen the academic integrity of finals week, and that an unfortunate and likely quite rare scenario such this is a small price to pay for the greater good of finals week reform.
[6]A study day is defined as a day without scheduled courses or other required university-sponsored activities that is set aside for the purpose of maximizing students’ time for pre-examination academic preparation.
[7]While two consecutive study days are strongly preferred, a second study may, if necessary, coincide with a university holiday (e.g., The Feast of Immaculate Conception).