2024-2025 Academic Catalog

Final Exam Policy

To protect and strengthen the academic integrity of the final examination week at the University of Dayton, the following policy on final examination week has been adopted effective for the 2004-05 academic year.[1]

  • Final examination week is defined as the sum of one full week of scheduled examinations, the weekend immediately preceding and a minimum of one study day. Multiple study days are preferred.
  • Every course of study, undergraduate and graduate, must conclude with an academically rigorous culminating learning experience, normally a final examination. A culminating learning experience may involve traditional in-class examinations, presentations, performances, critiques, portfolios or other similar experiences. Laboratory, studio or similar courses may be regularly exempt from this requirement, with the approval of the department chair and a designated administrator in the office of the dean.
  • No new material may be introduced in a course after the last scheduled class meeting. No final examination may be scheduled at a time other than the time prescribed by the Registrar during final examination week, with the sole exception of block examinations. The final exam schedule is published at the start of the semester on Flyer Student Services porches page.  No final examination of any kind may be given prior to final examination week. Any exceptions must receive the approval of the department chair and must accommodate students' existing final schedules.
  • A block examination is a common examination that covers several sections of the same class, taught by different instructors, for the purpose of establishing a uniform scale of achievement. Such examinations are scheduled through the registration office. Multiple sections of a class, taught by the same instructor, are not eligible to give block examinations unless they are part of a class taught by more than one instructor.
  • Grades for all students, including graduating students, will be reported by a single deadline, as determined by the Registrar.
  • When a student has three or more final examinations scheduled for the same day, faculty are encouraged to accommodate the individual student on an alternative day agreeable to both the student and the instructor. The student must make the request by the last scheduled class meeting.
  • When a student with a disability has two or more final exams scheduled for the same day, faculty are encouraged to accommodate the individual student on an alternative day agreeable to both the student and the instructor which may include use of an alternative testing site. The student must make the request by the last scheduled class meeting.[2]
  • Students must have access to graded examinations for a period of six months after the examination has been given.
  • Any on-going or regular exception to the final examination policy requires the approval of the department chair and a designated administrator in the office of the dean.
  • The School of Law is exempt from this policy due to its independent academic calendar.
     

[1] Approved by the Academic Senate December 12, 2003, document number I-03-10, Final Examination Week.
[2] Amendment to Academic Senate document number I-03-10, Final Examination Week, approved February 6, 2004.