MEMORANDUM
To:
Sheila Converse, Executive Secretary
Faculty Senate
From:
Julia Pomerenk, Secretary
Academic Affairs Committee
Date:
30 September 2015
Subject:
Revision to Rule 80, Scheduling Common Examinations
Revision to Rule 81, Scheduling Out-of-Classroom Examinations
Deleting (the old) Rule 81, Length of Examinations
Re-numbering Rules 76 – 81
The Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) has approved revisions to Rules 80, Scheduling Common
Examinations and to Rule 81, Scheduling Out-of-Classroom Examinations. In addition, the AAC has
approved deleting the old Rule 81, Length of Examinations. The Academic Affairs Committee has also
approved re-numbering the series of rules, from Rule 74 through 81.
A working group met over the summer to discuss the conflicts between common exams, other out-ofexam exams, and scheduled class meeting times. The working group considered the concerns that were
raised during Faculty Senate meetings last spring. The working group drafted revisions for the AAC to
review at its first meeting this fall. Further revisions were made based on AAC discussion. Thanks go to
the members of the working group: Becky Bitter, Greg Crouch, Bill Davis, Susan Gill, Stephen Langford,
Judi McDonald, Mark Nelson, Anita Vasavada, Chris Oakley, Lisa Carloye, and Lisa Shipley.
The working group suggests that instructors strongly consider scheduling common examinations and
other out-of-class examinations on Mondays and Fridays, when fewer lab sections are scheduled.
At this time, Faculty Senate review and approval is recommended, effective spring 2016. Though
revisions to academic rules are typically effective for the following fall term, the AAC requests that the
Faculty Senate consider making these changes effective as soon as possible (spring 2016), so that the
positive impact of reducing conflict among common exams, other out-of-class exams, and scheduled
class meeting times could be in place as soon as possible.
Examinations
74. FINAL EXAMINATIONS WEEK
The final examination week for each fall and spring semester will span five days, from the Monday through the
Friday immediately following the 15th week of the semester. Special examinations will be scheduled for the
Saturday following the Friday of final examination week. Summer Session final exams will be confined to the
designated class meeting times scheduled for the course or lab.
75. FINAL EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
The final examination schedule will be determined before the start of each semester and published in the
semester WSU Schedule of Classes by the Registrar based on previous enrollment for that semester. After
publication, the schedule cannot be altered except as provided.
77. 76. SPECIAL PERIODS FOR FINAL EXAMINATIONS
(Effective Jan 2016)
During examination week time will be allowed to large courses for special examinations of the entire group. The
privilege of giving such special examinations is necessarily limited in terms of periods available for such tests. The
courses having the greatest number of students will be given first opportunity to utilize the special examination
periods available.
78. 77. THREE OR MORE IN ONE DAY
(Effective Jan 2016)
During final examination week, if the scheduled arrangement results in students having three or more
examinations scheduled for any one day, any one of their instructors is authorized to excuse the students from
the regularly scheduled examination and give a final examination to the students during the special exams time
blocks.
In cases of difficulty in arriving at a solution, students shall refer the matter to the chairpersons of their
departments or to their academic advisors.
79. 78. CLOSED WEEK
(Effective Jan 2016)
No examinations or quizzes (other than laboratory examinations, make-up examinations and make-up quizzes)
may be given during the last week of instruction.
80. 79. NO EARLY EXAMINATIONS
(Effective Jan 2016)
A student will not be granted special examinations for the purpose of leaving the institution before the close of
the semester.
The AAC recommends replacing the current rule76 , below in the box, with the revised rule 80.
76. SCHEDULING ALL COMMON MORNING/EVENING EXAMS
Undergraduate (100-400-level) courses having an enrollment of at least two percent of the total student body or
courses with multiple lecture sections may schedule not more than three examinations each semester at the
periods of 7:00 to 8:00 a.m., 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. and 8:30 to 9:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the exception
of Monday morning and Friday evening. The actual test-taking time may not exceed the regularly scheduled
lecture time (50 or 75 minutes)—however, instructors may require that students arrive up to 15 minutes early to
check in. If permission is to be granted for a large group exam, all sections of the course must give the exam on
the same day and within the same time block unless given during the regular scheduled class time. One class
lecture period shall be omitted to compensate for each hour of examination. A class lecture period lost to Labor
Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and/or Presidents Day holiday(s) may be counted toward this
compensation for an evening exam. Proposed examination dates must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office no
later than the first week of each semester.
(NOTE: Officially approved and scheduled night examinations have priority over all other academic and nonacademic evening activities.)
76. 80. SCHEDULING ALL COMMON EXAMINATIONS
(Effective Jan 2016)
Instructors wishing to schedule examinations outside of normal class periods have two options: common
examinations (Rule 80) and out-of-class examinations (Rule 81). Both of these options must yield priority to
officially scheduled class meetings, including lectures, labs, and studios. For example, if a common examination is
scheduled during a student’s lab time in another course, the instructor must accommodate the student by
offering alternate examination times.
Common examinations may be requested for courses having an enrollment of at least two percent of the total
student body or undergraduate courses with multiple lecture sections.
Up to four common examinations may be scheduled outside the official class meeting time each
semester. Common examination periods may be scheduled at the following time blocks:
Monday and Friday: 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.; 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.; and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.; 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.; and 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.
One class period shall be omitted to compensate for each common examination given. A class period lost to
Labor Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day holiday(s),
and/or any other class day omitted from the academic calendar may be counted toward this compensation for a
common examination.
For prioritized scheduling, proposed common examination dates and times must be submitted to the Registrar’s
Office no later than April 1 for fall semesters and no later than October 1 for spring semesters. Common
examination times will be confirmed no later than the Friday before priority registration for the future
semester. Later requests for common examination dates will be accommodated through the first week of the
semester, on a space-available basis.
In cases where an alternate time may be needed to accommodate conflicts, instructors may contact the
Registrar’s Office for that additional scheduling.
The AAC recommends dropping the “old” Rule 81, Length of Examinations, below in the box, and approving the
new rule 81.
81. LENGTH OF EXAMINATIONS
All regular examinations in undergraduate courses during the regular 15 weeks of instruction, except for common
morning/evening examinations and take-home examinations, will be confined to the designated class meeting
times scheduled for lecture, studio, laboratory, independent student or ensemble. Summer Session exams will be
confined to the designated class meeting times scheduled for the course or lab.
81. SCHEDULING OUT-OF-CLASS EXAMINATIONS
(Effective Jan 2016)
Instructors wishing to schedule examinations outside of normal class periods for a course that doesn’t meet the
criterion of common examinations (see rule 80) may request out-of-class examinations. Officially scheduled class
meetings, including lectures, labs, and studios, and common exams have priority over out-of-class examinations.
Departments may schedule up to four out-of-class examinations at a fixed time for undergraduate (100-400-level)
courses. Out-of-class examination periods may be scheduled at the following time blocks:
Monday and Friday: 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.; 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.; and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.; 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.; and 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.
One class period shall be omitted to compensate for each out-of-class examination given. A class period lost to
Labor Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day holiday(s),
and/or any other class day omitted from the academic calendar may be counted toward this compensation.
Instructors wishing to schedule out-of-class examinations may submit the request beginning the first week of the
term. The scheduling priority will be common examination times followed by out-of-class examination on a
space-available basis. Except as noted for common examinations as per Rule 80, Rule 81 applies to any out-ofclass examination scheduled to be taken at a fixed start and end time, including online examinations.
In cases where an alternate time may be needed to accommodate conflicts, instructors may contact the
Registrar’s Office for that additional scheduling.