It is proposed that the calendar regulations regarding missed final examinations be changed to incorporate a pass/fail option as described by the following changes to the calendar text.
Students who miss examinations because of illness or for compassionate reasons are required to obtain a physician's certificate or other supporting documents in order to obtain consideration in the course. Such documents must be filed with the Department chair or registrar within four days of the date on which the examination was to have been written.
Students who miss examinations because of illness or for compassionate reasons are required to obtain a physician's certificate or other supporting documents in order to obtain consideration in the course. Such documents must be filed with the Department chair or registrar within four days of the date on which the examination was to have been written. If the documentation is acceptable, the Department chair, in consultation with the course instructor, may change the grading basis for the course to pass/fail and/or require that a make-up exam take place.
When a student misses a final exam because of illness or other reasons acceptable on compassionate grounds, it may be costly and unnecessary to make an accurate assessment of the student's performance on the letter grade scale. Setting a make-up final exam and accurately calibrating it to the missed exam may require considerable effort on the part of an instructor. It may also create difficulties for a student who is struggling with medical or other problems. On the other hand, a simple pass/fail decision may be all that is necessary to allow a student to progress further in her/his program. In some cases, an instructor may be able to award such a grade on the basis of work already completed; in others, a short oral exam may be sufficient for pass/fail determination. Although there are also reasons to retain the letter grade system in some cases, the option of grading on a pass/fail basis ought to be available in the case of missed exams.
The pass/fail option may also be useful in mitigating the effects of strikes or other disruptions that occur during final exams. The University has recently created a notification procedure in the event that a student chooses not to cross a picket line to attend a final examination. In the event of any such disruption, it makes sense to have a procedure in place to allow for course completion for as many students as possible.