Need information on how to handle issues that occur during reading days and finals? Here are the facts.

November 28, 2018 

As we enter the final couple of weeks of the Fall semester, here is information on a few issues you may encounter with your students. As always, if you have any questions or run into a situation you are unsure how to handle, please call the Dean of Studies office at (212) 854-2024. We are here to help.

FINAL EXAM INFORMATION
As an adviser and instructor, you are aware that students are expected to stick to the official exam schedule; as we know, however, students run into several kinds of roadblocks, from illness to family emergencies at this time of the year. If a student approaches you BEFORE the start of final exams with any reason that they will not be able to take the exam on the scheduled date, ask them if they've spoken to their instructors. Instructors are encouraged to follow their own policies, and if they deem it feasible, can schedule and proctor their exams on a different date and in a different room, at their own convenience. It is only if a student becomes ill or cannot take an exam during finals period that any of the following information becomes relevant. 

HARDSHIP POLICY
If a student you encounter, as an adviser or instructor, has three exams within a 24-hour period or four within 48 hours, remind them their first step is to go to the Barnard Registrar's Office (107 Milbank), where they will receive further guidance on to how to proceed.

DEFERRED EXAMS 
Students may defer an exam ONLY in cases of acute illness or personal emergency on the day of the exam. If they need to request a deferral, they must:
a) Contact their instructor FIRST. 
b) THEN Contact  the Dean of Studies Office (212) 854-2024 on the day of the exam, before the scheduled start of the exam. (There will be staff in the Dean of Studies Office as early as 8 a.m. during the exam period).
c) They may be asked to provide documentation of their illness; the staff in the Dean of Studies Office can talk with them about how to share documentation.
d) If the instructor approves their request, the dean will explain next steps. 

If asked by students, please be aware that deferred exams cannot be requested in advance of exam week. If students need to make arrangements to take an exam at another time due to circumstances not having to do with illness, they must speak to their instructor directly. For more information visit DEFERRED EXAMS.    

ILLNESS DURING EXAM
If students become ill during an examination, they need to:
 a) inform the proctor
 b)  hand in the exam, and
 c) go directly to Health Services.

If they've completed less than 40 minutes of a two-hour exam or less than one hour of a three-hour exam, they should qualify for a deferred exam (see above.) If they leave the exam more than 40 minutes into a two-hour exam or more than an hour into a three-hour exam, they will be graded on the basis of the work they've completed to that point.

INCOMPLETES
Incompletes are to be given only in cases of illness, personal emergency, or other compelling circumstances. If students need to request an Incomplete, and the instructor is amenable, tell them to pick up a copy of the Incomplete form at the Registrar's Office, or online at the Registrar's site and proceed from there. 

The deadline to apply for a Regular or Early Incomplete is Thursday, Dec. 13. The deadline to submit work for an Early Incomplete (which means the "I" will not be on the student's permanent transcript) is Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. The deadline to submit work for a Regular Incomplete (which means the "I" will be on the student's permanent transcript) is Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019 or an earlier deadline as set by the instructor.  For more information, visit: INCOMPLETES.

GRADES
Final grades are indeed final. Grades may be changed only in cases of clerical error or in the event that for some unusual reason the instructor needs to reevaluate the work of the entire class. Grades may not be recalculated on the basis of reexamination or the submission of additional or revised work.
 
ACADEMIC PROBATION or SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS WARNING
Please advise students that if they are on academic probation or SAP warning, incompletes or deferrals may have an impact on their academic standing. Remind students who may be impacted to discuss their probationary status by contacting the Dean of Studies Office at (212) 854-2024. For more information, visit the Dean of Studies webpage at ACADEMIC STANDING. 
 

Registration update

Thank you for all your efforts assisting our students during the advising and registration period.  It went very smoothly this semester - as of today,  we have
2,350 students already registered for Spring.

If you have advisees who did not register, they should plan to register during the next online registration window, beginning next Monday, Dec. 3.  Students will be able to find their registration windows in the usual location in Student Planning.   

We recommend that students register now for at least some classes in order to have the best course selection. If students don't register the week of December 3rd, they will have to wait until the next registration period opens on Monday, Jan. 7.