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Exam Excuses

The dates of final exams are fixed by the Registrar so that students will not be scheduled to take multiple exams at the same hour. Unless a course does not have a scheduled final exam, students are required to sit for the exam at the designated time.

The Dean of the College Office is solely responsible for determining whether a student's absence from a final examination is excused. To ensure equitable treatment of all students, students are excused from exams only for family or medical emergencies. Please note that students' travel plans are never an excuse for missing a final exam.

Deans Stephen Lassonde and Kathleen McSharry are the deans authorized to grant exam excuses. In emergency situations, students who are unable to contact their professors must contact Dean Lassonde or Dean McSharry, who will determine whether or not an exam excuse is warranted. Course instructors are notified of exam excuses granted by the Dean of the College Office. End-of-semester transcripts for students who have received an exam excuse bear the notation “ABS” next to the course for which the excuse has been approved.

Make-up exams for approved fall 2008 exam excuses will be administered by the Registrar from January 27-29, 2009. Make-up exams for approved spring 2009 exams will be administered from September 15-17, 2009. The Registrar.s Office informs students by email of the date, time, and location of make-up exams.

Courses with ABS notations are counted toward academic standing at the beginning of the subsequent term. If a make-up exam is not completed by midterm of the subsequent semester (March 6 in the spring 2009 semester, October 16 in the fall 2009 semester), the ABS will be changed to an NC (no credit).