Class, Midterm and Final Examination Grading Policy
This policy directly addresses concerns raised by Marquette University Student Government that students are negatively impacted when faculty change class start and/or end dates, start and/or end times, and/or conduct midterm or final examinations at times other than those that were previously published.
All class meetings, midterm and final examinations must conform to the dates and times published in the Academic Calendar, the Midterm/Final Examination Schedules and the Schedule of Classes. These three official documents form an agreement between Marquette University and the student. Students plan their entire class/work/life schedule around these published dates.
Classes are to begin, end and meet on the dates and times established in the Academic Calendar and the Schedule of Classes/Class Search
Faculty members are not to ask or encourage students to agree with any change affecting published meeting dates or times of the class. In addition to the extra stress this places on students, many processes, such as registration, tuition billing and refunds, withdrawal deadlines and financial aid regulations are linked to the published dates of a class and serious compliance issues arise for students and Marquette when these dates are changed. Perhaps less visible is the disruption to classrooms already booked according to the published dates/times.
Midterm and final examinations are to be given during the exam period dates and times as published in the appropriate Exam Schedule
The final examinations schedule outlines specific days/hours for session 1 classes for fall and spring. All other sessions in fall and spring and all summer classes give their final examinations on the last class day. Additional classes may not meet during finals week. changes because of emergencies (for example, the university closing due to inclement weather or a power outage) will be determined and resolved by the Office of the Provost. Therefore, midterm or final exams are not to be given early or later than the published days/times, unless announced by the Office of the Provost. Changing midterm and final exam schedules put undue pressure on students to neglect other classes in order to prepare for an unscheduled exam, In addition, using the last week of instruction for final exams also results in fewer instructional hours than required by the University contact hour policy.
No examinations, including final exams are to be scheduled during the last week of classes, with the exception of board exams or lab/clinical assessments
These actions put undue pressure on students that have other classes for which they also need to study.
Alternative examination times for student's convenience is not permitted; however, when a conflict is found in the examination schedule for students (i.e., two examinations scheduled for the same period), a student may have one exam rescheduled
It is the student's responsibility to discuss this with the faculty in an attempt to arrange an alternative day or time for one exam. If this is not possible, the student may report this to the college/school in which they are enrolled to arrange an alternative exam time. The decision as to which final exam will be rescheduled is at the discretion of the faculty or the college/school.
No student is required to take more than three final examinations in one day
Students who find themselves with four exams scheduled in one day have the option to reschedule one of those final exams. It is the student's responsibility to discuss this with the faculty in an attempt to arrange an alternative day for one exam If this is not possible, the student may report this to the college/school in which they are enrolled to arrange an alternative exam time. The decision as to which exams will be rescheduled is at the discretion of the faculty or college/school.
Note: There may be exceptions to this bullet for students with documented disabilities who receive academic accommodations. For further clarification regarding theses exceptions, contact the Office of Disability Services.
Final grades of students are maintained and viewed by students in CheckMarq, the official repository of grades at Marquette
Final grades are to be entered into CheckMarq by the established deadlines in the Academic Calendar and by the primary instructor(s) of the class. While others may assist the instructors with grading in D2L, the final grading of students in CheckMarq is the responsibility of the primary instructor(s) teaching the class.
Revised and approved by the Provost in March 2015.
