Academic Progress, Probation, Suspension, and Dismissal

For policy on satisfactory academic progress, probation, suspension, and/or dismissal, please refer to the individual college chapters of this bulletin.

Midterm Assessments for Students

All students receive an assessment of their work at mid-semester, shortly after midterm exams. It indicates where they stand and, if they are in danger failing, urges them to make the necessary adjustments to better their performance. Once midterm assessments have been compiled, first-year students’ advisers arrange individual meetings with the students to review their progress.

Midterm Appraisal

Students are responsible for learning their academic standing at midterm. Students who withdraw after the deadline for withdrawing will receive a grade of WF for the course.

Final Examinations

Final examinations will be administered in each course, except in special cases where a final project is pedagogically appropriate. The day, time, and room for the final examination are scheduled by the Office of Academic Records. The current version of the final exam schedule will be posted by Academic Records during the semester. For evening courses in any college/school, final examinations are scheduled for the same day, time, and room as the course itself.

Faculty are not allowed to move their final exams to the last days of class or to the reading period. Take-home exams must be distributed in a timely fashion during the last week of classes and the due date should be no earlier than the regularly scheduled examination date. Faculty are required to meet with their students during the time scheduled for the final examination, whether the final is actually given during that time or is a take-home exam.

If a student has a conflict of examinations, he or she should notify and arrange with the instructor to take one exam at another time within two weeks of the final exam date. For example, it is recommended that students have a maximum of two exams per day (excluding evening courses). If a student anticipates the need to miss a final exam, this should be worked out in advance with the instructor and in consultation with the appropriate class dean/associate dean.

Deferred Final Examination: If a student experiences an illness, personal emergency, or some special contingency on the day of the final exam or when a final assignment is due, official written documentation of the reason for the absence must be provided to the class dean or associate dean within five University working days of the examination date. In the case of illness, an official doctor’s note should be provided; in other situations, a written explanation by the student will be sufficient. This documentation will be used to determine whether approval of the request for a deferred examination will be granted. If the request is approved, the deferred examination must be completed by the date specified on the academic calendar. In most cases, the deferred exam should be completed in a timely enough manner that the professor can grade the exam and submit a change of grade request. Students should make arrangements with the instructor for making up the final with assistance from the home department if needed. If the request is rejected, then a grade of F should be recorded as the grade for the final examination.