{"47405":{"#nid":"47405","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Academic Senate Approves Revision of Policy Governing Final Exams","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor some time, Tech students have expressed concerns about inconsistent practices among faculty members related to finals week and the week preceding exams. The Academic Senate took a significant step toward resolving those concerns at its Nov. 17 meeting by approving several changes to the General Catalog. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EUtmost among the students\u0027 concerns prior to the policy change was the absence of a comprehensive policy regarding what types of assignments could be given during the week preceding final exams. Some students had complained of \u0022a handful\u0022 of faculty members assigning large-scale, unanticipated projects at a point when there was virtually no time to complete the assignments let alone prepare for the final exam.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new policy establishes the following provisions:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFor courses with a traditional final exam, taken in class during the designated examination period\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHomework and projects are allowed during the week preceding finals, and a single final exam is allowed during finals week\u003C\/li\u003E\n\n\u003Cli\u003ETests, quizzes, lab reports and lab practicums are not allowed during the week preceding finals, and no additional assignments beyond the final exam are allowed during finals week\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFor courses with an alternative assessment rather than a traditional final exam\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHomework and an alternative final assessment (one project or lab report\/practicum) are allowed during the week preceding finals or finals week\u003C\/li\u003E\n\n\u003Cli\u003ETests, quizzes, additional lab reports\/lab practicums and additional projects are not allowed during the week preceding finals, and no additional assignments beyond the alternative final assessment are allowed during finals week\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to new language related to the week preceding final exams and finals week itself, the changes to the General Catalog also pull in existing policies from the Faculty Handbook and the Student Academic Bill of Rights to ensure that all related information is in one place and easily accessible to faculty and students. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModifications in the existing language from the Faculty Handbook include the requirement that students \u0022receive a graded performance evaluation returned prior to the last day to withdraw from classes (Drop Day). This is to allow students to evaluate whether to change the grade mode for the course or withdraw from it,\u0022 were an important part of the commitee\u0027s goal to better organize and clarify related policies.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The bottom line is that we want students to be able to make good, informed decisions,\u0022 said Registrar Reta Pikowsky, who as a member of the Academic Senate\u0027s Student Regulations Committee to craft the revised policy. \u0022We want to make sure that faculty members provide a syllabus at the beginning of the course that includes all the course assignments and the time frame for when those assignments are due.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This new policy is much more detailed than what we\u0027ve had in the past,\u0022 said Jimmy Williams, the Student Government Association\u0027s vice president for Campus Affairs, who also participated in the faculty\u0027s Student Regulations Committee\u0027s work on developing the policy. \u0022The distinction between courses with traditional finals and those with an alternative assessment is especially helpful.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a policy that we are very comfortable in supporting,\u0022 said Joseph Hughes, associate chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a former chair of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. \u0022This policy addresses legitimate issues and represents a reasonable balance between students\u0027 concerns and the Institute\u0027s administrative requirements.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ESome Senate members expressed concern that the policy will not be as effective as it should be unless the Institute adopts a \u0022reading day\u0022 or \u0022dead day\u0022 between the last day of classes and the first day of finals. Anderson Smith, senior vice provost for Academic Affairs, said that a faculty committee is currently considering the possibility of adding two reading days\nper semester.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"The Academic Senate took a significant step toward resolving concerns about inconsistent practices among faculty members related to finals week and the week preceding exams at its Nov. 17 meeting.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"\u0027Dead Week\u0027 policy revised in the General Catalog"}],"uid":"27191","created_gmt":"2009-11-19 17:44:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:49","author":"Robert Nesmith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.facultysenate.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Faculty Governance"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.facultysenate.gatech.edu\/AS2010-111709-A-Attach4b.pdf","title":"Detailed Policy Information"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7811","name":"Academic Senate"},{"id":"7809","name":"Dead Week"},{"id":"7810","name":"General Catalog"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERon Bohlander\u003C\/strong\u003E, Secretary of the Faculty\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ron.bohlander@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eron.bohlander@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ron.bohlander@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}