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Policy 9.1.1.1

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SUBJECT:     FINAL EXAMINATIONS, 16-WEEK PLAINVIEW TERM

The university has adopted a four-day final exam schedule for 16-week terms on the Plainview Campus.  Examinations are administered in two-hour blocks of time as published in the academic calendar of the university catalog. 

 The following general rules are to be followed for the administration of examinations:

• Faculty are to abide by the schedule, except as noted below.
• No student may take exams early, except as noted below.
• Faculty should remind students that the university catalog states students should make transportation arrangements which allow them to meet the examination schedule.

Graduating Seniors – Final grades for graduating seniors are due Monday of finals week; therefore, faculty must identify and make alternative arrangements with these students for the early completion of final exams.

Hybrid Courses – Hybrid courses are defined in the university catalog and receive a final examination block in accordance with their regular term meeting time.  On occasion, it is possible that a student or an instructor could have two hybrid course exams scheduled during the same time block. 

For instance, a Monday hybrid course meeting at 1:45pm and a Wednesday hybrid meeting at 1:45pm will share the same exam slot.

To accommodate such exam conflicts, five makeup examination blocks have been provided in the schedule. When such overlaps occur, one of two situations might impact exam administration:

• Same instructor teaching two hybrid courses with the same assigned examination time – The instructor must determine which of the two courses will utilize the scheduled exam time slot and identify which of the five alternative exam time slots will accommodate the other course. The instructor will post the alternative time in the syllabus and communicate the change to students early in the term.  To best accommodate student travel, instructors should select a makeup examination block which precedes or is closest to the original scheduled time.
• Students in two hybrid courses taught by different instructors with the same assigned examination time – At the start of the term, all instructors teaching a hybrid course will determine if they have students with such a conflict and coordinate with the student, the other instructor, and potentially the respective School Dean(s) to resolve the conflict following the Hybrid Conflict Resolution Process.

Hybrid Conflict Resolution Process:

• Adjunct faculty should be given preference for the regular exam slot over full-time faculty. In instances where both faculty are adjunct instructors who are unable to use an alternative final exam time, the respective School Dean(s) will arbitrate a solution by scheduling a proctored final exam through their office or the Testing Coordinator.  Upon contracting an adjunct instructor for a hybrid course, the School Dean must inform the instructor of the potential for final exam conflicts and the resolution process.
• In instances where the conflicting exam time involves two full-time instructors, the instructors will work together to find a solution. In this scenario, one of the instructors may reschedule their entire class to one of the makeup slots, proctor the exam of affected students during one of the makeup slots or at a mutually agreed upon time and place, or, when neither of these options are available, use the Testing Coordinator to proctor the exam. If the two faculty are unable to find resolution, they must refer the matter to the School Dean(s) for arbitration no later than the second week of the term.
• Preference should be given to early makeup exam slots when possible for the convenience of both the instructor and the student.

International Students – Instructors approached by international students requesting an early final exam should direct them to the university’s Designated School Official (DSO).  The DSO is responsible to the United States Department of State for all F-1 Visa Students attending university classes and is required to track all international student departures and arrivals. The DSO will coordinate with the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) to determine if the student has good reason to take one or more exams early.  The VPAA makes the final determination, which will be communicated in writing to the student, DSO, and instructor(s).

Non-International Students – Instructors approached by non-international students requesting an early final exam should make an initial evaluation of the request to determine if the student has good reason.  If the instructor determines good reason exists and is willing to proctor the exam early, the instructor should direct the student to submit a formal request to the VPAA by email.  The formal request should state the student’s name, student id, course number and title, instructor name, and provide a case for the requested testing exception.  The VPAA makes the final determination, which will be communicate in writing to both the student and instructor.

Disability Accommodations – Testing for students with a Letter of Accommodations should be scheduled at least one week in advance of the start of final exams.  Instructors can work with the Disability Coordinator to establish a proctor time for students with accommodations or they can work with the student to identify a time, place, and means to proctor the exam that conforms to the student’s Letter of Accommodations. 

Three-Exam Exception – If a student’s schedule results in three examinations on the same day, the student may submit a formal request in writing at least one week in advance to the VPAA to take one of the exams on an alternate day.  The formal request should state the student’s name, student id, exam times, course numbers, course titles, and instructor names for the three courses, and provide an explanation for the requested testing exception.  The VPAA makes the final determination, which will be communicated in writing to the student and instructors.  If approved, the VPAA will ask the three faculty to follow the conflict resolution outlined above for hybrid course conflicts.  Music juries are not applicable to the three-exam exception and shall not require accommodation.

 

Contact for Interpretation: Vice President of Academic Affairs

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This policy statement supersedes all previous policy statements on this subject.

 

Revisions:

• 06/25/2025 – Inception of Policy

 

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