Late Work Or Missing Exams
Communicating your policies regarding late or missing work with students is vital.
Policies regarding late work
- To be regarded on time, work must be completed by the beginning of the period on the day it is due.
- The due date for each assignment must be clearly indicated to students.
- Where an assignment is submitted late due to an extenuating circumstances, students must present a proof of its validity.
Policies regarding missing exams
- Spell-out Missed Exam Procedure in Course Policies within the syllabus.
- Where an examination is missed due to an extenuating circumstances, students must present a proof of its validity.
- When an examination falls at a time that conflicts with observance of a holy day, instructors must accommodate a request for an alternate examination date.
Exercise flexibility when enforcing policies
- Whenever possible, consider providing the student with the option of taking a make-up Exam.
- Make-up exam should not be more difficult than the original test.
- Make-up exam must be an alternate form of the same exam.
- An essay make-up exam is not appropriate if regular exams is multiple choice or short answer (or vice versa), since students must study differently and they may be more difficult. An oral exam may "punish" students who do not think well on their feet, or are more socially anxious.
- Scheduling make-up exams at inconvenient or undesirable times may express your frustration.
- It may be inequitable to students who meet all course requirements to allow their peers to do extra credit or drop their lowest grade instead of making up a missed exam.
