Final Exam Policy
Final examinations are scheduled during the final week of each regular term of the academic year (fall and spring semesters, and summer session) according to a schedule published by the Registrar at the beginning of each term. Final examinations are an integral part of almost all courses and may be comprehensive with content covering the entire term’s work in the course or restricted to a limited portion of the term’s work at the discretion of the course instructor.
An instructor may assign a paper or project to serve as all or part of a final examination; such papers must be assigned no later than three weeks before the beginning of the examination period and must be submitted before the regularly scheduled final examination period for that course. Oral final examinations also may be administered, but must be confined to the regularly scheduled final examination period for the course.
The following specific conditions are integral parts of the University’s final examination policy:
- No examination activities may be conducted during the five class days immediately preceding the start of final examination week with the following exceptions:
- Laboratory examinations in science classes may be administered if limited in content to laboratory material, and conducted within the time limitations of the regularly scheduled laboratory session for that week. Such laboratory examinations must be scheduled in the course syllabus distributed at the beginning of the term.
- Lecture hour examinations over a limited amount of work may be administered in any discipline if they are conducted within the time limitations of one regularly scheduled class period. Such lecture examinations must be scheduled in the course syllabus distributed at the beginning of the term.
- Other regularly scheduled procedures for evaluation may be utilized if limited in content to a specific portion of term work, administered within the limits of one class session, and scheduled in the course syllabus distributed at the beginning of the term.
- Final examinations are limited to a maximum of two hours’ duration. Faculty members may allow 15 extra minutes maximum at the close of a final examination period to enable students to complete their work.
- Course instructors, at their own discretion, may exempt students who have an “A” average from final examinations on the basis of their academic performance up to the beginning of the examination period.
- No examination may be rescheduled from the time indicated in the published examination schedule without the approval of the Chief Academic Officer. Instructors desiring to reschedule an examination for an entire class must seek approval of the Chief Academic Officer, who will ascertain that no students in the course will be disadvantaged before approving such a change.
- Students with unusual conflicts, such as having more than two final examinations scheduled in one day or with other unusual hardships may take a final examination at a time other than the scheduled examination period with the approval of both the course instructor and the Chief Academic Officer.
- Student failure to take a final examination as scheduled does not constitute grounds for an incomplete grade for the course. In such cases, the missed final examination is graded as an “F” and averaged appropriately with other course requirements to determine a final course grade.
- Course instructors may, at their own discretion, return final examinations to students.
- All final grades are reported by the Registrar.
Grade Appeals
A student who questions the justice of a final grade must first seek an explanation from the course instructor. If the student feels the grade was arbitrarily assigned, the student may start a formal appeal of the grade. Grade appeal forms are available from the Office of Academic Affairs in Colman Library or on the Portal. The formal grade appeal is initially directed to the course instructor, then reviewed by department chair, college dean, and Chief Academic Officer. Only if the department chair, college dean and Chief academic Officer agree that a grade was arbitrary, will an Advisory Recommendation concerning a grade be made to an instructor. If the advisory recommendation is not accepted by the instructor, then a faculty ad hoc committee is formed to review the appeal and to issue a binding decision concerning the grade.
There is a presumption that grades assigned by course instructors are correct. Thus, the burden of proof rests with the student who is appealing. Appeal procedures are available only for review of alleged arbitrary grading and not for review of an instructor’s judgment in assessing the quality of a student’s work. In the absence of arbitrary grading, the grade determined by the instructor of record is final.
Arbitrary grading constitutes any of the following:
- Instructor’s failure to notify students as to the basis of grade determination in a clear and timely manner.
- Grading that substantially departs from the instructor’s previously announced standards.
- Grading based on anything other than the student’s performance in the course.
- Discrimination or prejudice.
The grade appeal shall be dismissed if:
- The allegations would not constitute arbitrary grading, or
- The only disagreement is with the instructor’s grading standards, or
- The appeal was not timely (ordinarily, within the first 30 days of the semester following the grade’s assignment) or
- The student has not provided the instructor with written notification.
NOTE: The filing of false or frivolous grade appeals may be grounds for disciplinary action under the Code of Conduct in the Rockford University Student Handbook.
Academic Amnesty Policy for Prior Course Work at Rockford University
Grades for prior course work at Rockford University may be excluded from the computation of a student’s official GPA. Applications for Academic Amnesty must be submitted in writing to the Academic Standards Committee (ASC). Application instructions are available in Student Administrative Services (SAS).
Eligibility for application:
- Re-entering students seeking readmission to Rockford University for a four-year baccalaureate program who have not earned a bachelor’s degree may be eligible for exclusion of grades earned at Rockford University five or more years prior to their current term of admission as degree-seeking students. This policy does not apply to graduate programs.
- A student who is not eligible for readmission to the University with their incoming GPA may make a formal written application to the Academic Standards Committee (ASC) for provisional readmission. The student needs to provide reasons for previous performance, and information about current educational plans.
- Upon successful completion of one semester as a full-time student or 16 credits as a part-time student, academic amnesty will be granted. “Successful completion” is defined as “satisfactory academic progress” as described in the current Rockford University Academic catalog.
- A student who qualifies for readmission to the University is eligible to apply to ASC for academic amnesty no later than the end of their first semester of readmission.
- A student can apply for and receive academic amnesty only once. The decision of the ASC is final. There is no appeal process.
If Academic Amnesty is Granted
- All courses and grades taken during an identified academic term(s) at least five years before readmission will continue to appear on the student’s record. Note: If multiple terms are included in the granting of academic amnesty, the terms must be contiguous.
- The grades of all courses in the applicable term(s) will be excluded from the computation of the student’s official cumulative GPA. Only the official GPA will be considered for eligibility for graduation honors.
- The credits of all courses in the applicable term(s) will not count as credits earned toward the degree.
- The courses in the applicable term(s) cannot be used to satisfy any degree requirements.
Effect on Student Financial Aid
Students should confer with SAS to check their eligibility for financial aid. Academic amnesty does not adjust the GPA, nor does it adjust the number of credits attempted and counted toward satisfactory academic progress for financial aid.
Effect on Admission to Programs
Academic amnesty applies to readmission to the University, not to particular programs. The program remains the ultimate authority to determine admission into that program. Accordingly, programs retain the right to limit the number of repeated courses. If eligible for admission to a program after receiving academic amnesty, a student cannot be rejected by the program solely because the student has been granted academic amnesty.
All other University policies remain in effect and are not changed by the Academic Amnesty policy.