Exam make-up policy

Personal travel conflicts are never a reason to miss an exam. In particular, you should not book your airplane ticket for the end of the semester until you know when the final exam will be. We will not give make-up exams because you have already booked an airplane ticket.

The following reasons are the only valid ones for an absence from a scheduled exam:

Official university travel

Conflicts with other courses' exams

If you have an exam in another course that conflicts with one of our exams, then the established rule is that the course with the higher final digit(s) in its course number must offer a make-up. For example, if the Math 131 class number is 59321 and the class number for the other course is 22204, then the other course should give the make-up (because 4 > 1). But if the Math 131 class number is 33321 and the class number of the other course is 99911 (with a tie in the final digit), then Math 131 should give the make-up (because 21 > 11).

If our course is required to give the make-up, then you need to contact your instructor no later than 10 days before the exam with the appropiate documentation (name and number of the other course and the name of the other course's instructor).

Conflict with an evening class

If you have an evening class that meets at the same time as a Math 131 exam, and it satisfies all three of the following conditions:

• it meets only once a week between 7 and 9 pm,
• it is the lecture or primary enrollment portion of the course, and
• your absence from the class "will significantly impact the course",

For a medical absence from an exam, you must submit a statement to your instructor from a medical professional, with a telephone number where the professional can be contacted if necessary. You need not disclose any details of the reason for a medical excuse, but there must be enough information to allow the course chair to excuse the absence.

State Law and University regulations require that a student be excused from academic pursuits on days of religious observances. The University provides a list of major observances, of which there are none on the days of the tests. The regulations also require that the student notify instructors, in writing, at least two weeks before the absence or the student may not be excused. While these holidays do not seem to conflict with any course activities, they may conflict with activities that your instructor has planned for an individual section.

Notify the Dean of Students (5-2684), who will then centrally verify the details and notify each of your instructors. This is more efficient than going to each instructor separately. If only Math 131 is affected, then contact your instructor and explain the situation.

In the event that you must reach your instructor immediately, call the department at 413-545-2762. The secretaries have access to our home phone numbers.