Class Attendance and Examinations

Policy on Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all their scheduled classes. College work requires regular class attendance as well as careful preparation. Specific policies regarding class attendance are the prerogative of individual faculty members. Faculty shall inform each class in writing at the beginning of the course regarding the effect of absences on the determination of grades.

The student is expected to carry out all assigned work and to take examinations at the class period designated by the instructor. Failure to carry out these assignments or to take examinations at the designated times may result in an appropriate reduction in grade, except as provided in paragraph 4 below.

Instructors shall determine the policy regarding grading which they feel is best for the course. This policy shall be presented to the class, in writing, at the beginning of the term and will govern the actions of the instructor in the course.

Arrangement to make up missed major examinations (e.g., hour exams, midterm exams) due to properly authorized excused absences shall be initiated by the student as soon as possible but no later than one week from the end of the period of the excused absence. Normally, a make- up exam shall occur within one week from the time that the student initiates arrangements for it. Instructors are encouraged to refrain from giving make-up examinations during the last three days prior to the first day of final examinations. The format of make-up exams and opportunities for students to make up work other than major examinations are at the discretion of the instructor whose make-up policies should be stated in writing at the beginning of the term. Instructors are expected to excuse absences for:

1. Illness of the student or serious illness of a member of the student’s immediate family. The instructor may request appropriate verification.
2. The death of a member of the student’s immediate family. The instructor may request appropriate verification.
3. Trips for members of the student organizations sponsored by an academic unit, trips for university classes, and trips for participation in intercollegiate athletic events. When feasible, the student must notify the instructor prior to such absences, but in no case more than one week after the absence. Instructors may request formal notification from appropriate university personnel to document the student’s participation in such trips.
4. Religious holidays. Students are responsible for notifying the instructor in writing of anticipated absences due to their observance of such holidays.
5. Subpoena for court appearance.
6. Military Orders
7. Any other reason the instructor deems appropriate.

Additional Class Attendance Stipulations

• If the instructor does not appear within 20 minutes after the designated class hour, it may be assumed the class is canceled.
• It is university policy that all classes will meet as scheduled on the last day before and the first day after holiday periods designated by the university.
• Unresolved problems regarding class attendance or procedures should be referred to the University Student Academic Grievance Committee.

Examinations

Examinations During the Semester

In face-to-face and online synchronous classes, announced tests in undergraduate courses will be administered during a regularly scheduled meeting of the course. Exceptions to this practice may arise in specialized courses requiring performance or oral tests, and in multiple-sectioned laboratory classes requiring practical laboratory tests. Faculty having sound reasons for scheduling tests at times other than regularly scheduled meeting times are to obtain approval from the department head prior to the beginning of the term and are to present these changes in the syllabus at the beginning of the term. Rescheduled exams are not to interfere with other scheduled academic activities of the students involved, and an appropriate reduction in regularly scheduled class time is to be given to compensate for the rescheduled exam period.

Online classes using an asynchronous approach are exempt from the requirement to administer exams during regularly scheduled course times provided exams are scheduled in writing on the syllabus and students are offered an exam window of at least 24 hours of during which the exam is available.  This exam window should be long enough to align with the expectations of the asynchronous format and to allow students to complete an exam without having to miss their other academic activities.  Examination periods should end in time for final grades to be submitted by the university’s grading deadline.

Policies on make-up exams can be found in the Class Attendance Policy.

Final Examinations

A final examination is a common means of evaluation in undergraduate courses but other means such as performance tests, term papers, research projects or other forms of evaluation appropriate to the objectives of the course may be used. Faculty should present the forms of evaluation to be used and the means of determining final grades in the syllabus.

Final examinations are to be given as scheduled in the term examination schedule. Final examinations in courses carrying fewer than three hours of credit may be given on the last class day or at the time designated in the examination schedule. Final examinations in laboratory courses should be administered during the last laboratory period. Exceptions to giving a final examination at the scheduled time require prior approval by the provost. Rescheduled examinations must not interfere with scheduled academic activities of the students involved.

Auburn University students are provided the conditional right to take no more than two (2) final examinations in a single calendar day.  Students with three or more final examinations scheduled on one calendar day should contact instructors on or before midsemester to request rescheduling, so that no more than two final examinations fall on any calendar day. Any Auburn student unable to get any instructor(s) to voluntarily move the exam(s) will present this situation to the Associate Dean of the student’s major college and, after verification, that Associate Dean will contact the Associate Dean of the faculty member(s) scheduled for the middle exam period(s) of the student’s scheduled finals to arrange to reschedule the exam(s). After midsemester, requests to move an exam can be made by complying with the same procedure but are not guaranteed to be approved.

Student Academic Grievance Policy

The Student Academic Grievance Policy is designed to resolve academic grievances of students which result from actions of faculty or administrators.