Policy and Procedure

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PURPOSE

The purpose of this Academic Operating Policy and Procedure (AOP) is to define the policy regarding final examinations at Mississippi State University and define the responsibility of the administrators and faculty.

REVIEW

This AOP will be reviewed every four years (or whenever circumstances require an earlier review) by the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs (APAA) with recommendations for revision presented to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

The first day of the Examination Schedule is the Reading Day. The purpose of the Reading Day is to allow students time to study and prepare for final examinations. No mandatory activity, meeting, assignment, or event for a class should be scheduled on this day.

All examinations shall be held as specified on the examination schedule except classes meeting fewer than two lectures per week and/or certain other classes which may be given at particular times by special permission from the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Exceptions to the published examination schedule will be announced in the classes affected. Classes meeting fewer than two lecture hours per week and all laboratories will have their examinations at the last regular meeting of the class.

When an instructor is teaching more than one section of the same course, permission may be given (by the instructor) to a student registered for the course to take the examination in any one of the sections, provided that procedure does not result in too many examinations for the student in one day.

Evening classes will have their examination at the regular meeting hour of the class during the examination period.

Exceptions to the published examination schedule are discouraged. If an exception is deemed necessary, the request must be approved by the respective department head and dean and copies of these approvals placed on file in the dean's office. Approval for a request to change the final exam schedule must be secured at least 2 weeks prior to final exam week.

THREE OR MORE FINAL EXAMINATIONS IN ONE DAY

Students should not have to take more than two final examinations in a given day. To resolve the problem of multiple final examinations, students will initiate the process and administration will become involved if necessary. The rescheduled final examination ideally should be a time that is convenient for both the instructor and the student. The rescheduling should be completed prior to the beginning of the final examination period and the resulting examination must be administered during the final examination period. Any exception to these guidelines must be approved by the Office of the Provost.

Student Responsibilities to Resolve Multiple Examinations: If the schedule has three or more final examinations scheduled on one day for a student, the student should take the following actions:

• The student should notify all instructors at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the examination period to explore if one of them can easily reschedule an examination.

• If no instructor is willing to voluntarily reschedule a final examination for the student, the student should notify the Office of the Provost so that this issue can be resolved administratively.

Administrative Responsibilities to Resolve Multiple Examinations: If the student contacts the Office of the Provost, the Associate Provost will coordinate the next steps of contacting the associate dean(s) in the college(s) of the student and the professors who are giving the final examinations. The following provisions will apply:

• The affected associate dean(s) will resolve the situation and decide who will reschedule which examination.

• The lead associate dean will be the associate dean representing the college of the student.

• The decision of the lead associate dean on which examination is to be rescheduled will be the final decision.

Students should report any violation of the above policy to the instructor’s department head.

AOP 11.04
2/17/2010

For information about this policy, contact the responsible/reviewing department hyperlinked above.