HOW TO REQUEST A COMMON FINAL:
1. Write a memo to University Scheduling (use the template on the next page; change the text in yellow.)
2. Give it to Vera.
3. E-mail the faculty to announce the request. This is a courtesy to the other faculty as they try to avoid conflicts with their finals.
Some notes from University Scheduling:
1. Departments may request common final exams for classes offering three or more sections by one or more instructors.
2. Any student who cannot attend a common final must be accommodated at another time.
3. Common Finals may be requested for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, 7:10-10:00pm, of Finals Week (Fall, Winter and Spring). Contact University Scheduling at 6-2461 to arrange a common final for Summer.
4. Requests should be received by University Scheduling before the fifth week of classes. Common finals will not be arranged prior to that time due to changing class needs early in the term.
5. Every effort will be made to accommodate your preferred exam date. However, assignments are based on the number and type of requests we receive for each term, and we cannot predict availability for a specific day or room.
6. Confirmation emails will be sent after all requests have been accommodated.
Some Advice from the ME Department:
1. You usually don’t get confirmation of the final for 5 weeks (see note 4 above). Therefore, if you announce the final early in the quarter, make clear that the final time is TENTATIVE. Scheduling rarely has to resort to your alternate common final date, but you can choose not to give them an alternate date.
2. Be as specific as you need to be when requesting room sizes. If you have different instructors proctoring their individual sections, tell Scheduling. Otherwise they may give you a room that’s too small for one section, thinking that giving you another room with additional seats is good enough.
3. Be careful scheduling your final on Monday! Statics and Dynamics use that day, and if you teach a sophomore class, a Monday common final will cause MANY student conflicts. Otherwise, Scheduling says that the demand for the Monday common final is about the same as the other days.
4. What if students have a time conflict with your common final? You should accommodate them as best you can. This could include giving their final during the normal scheduled time. Otherwise, there is no set policy.
Sources of Information:
Final Exam schedules are at http://www.ess.calpoly.edu/_records/Calendars_Deadlines/
University policy on Final Exams:
http://www.academicprograms.calpoly.edu/academicpolicies/Final-exams.htm
Information on scheduling Finals: http://www.universityscheduling.calpoly.edu/finals.html
General guidance on course scheduling (for department schedulers):
http://www.universityscheduling.calpoly.edu/classes.html
General scheduling information: http://www.universityscheduling.calpoly.edu/
State of California
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Fax: 756-1137 Phone: 756-1334
M E M O R A N D U M
To: University Scheduling Date: September 24, 2008
Via: Andrew Davol, Chair, Mechanical Engineering
Via: Fred DePiero, Associate Dean, College of Engineering
From: Glen Thorncroft, Mechanical Engineering
RE: Common Final Examination Request
I am writing to request a common final for the following classes:
Classes/Sections: ME 236 lecture sections 01, 02, and 03
Preferred Exam Date: Tuesday of Finals Week (7-10 pm)
Alternate Exam Date: Wednesday of Finals Week (7-10 pm)
Other Requirements: I would like to request <#> room(s) to accommodate <#> students in or near <location preference>. Please do not schedule the final in one large classroom; the large classrooms that might accommodate such a large number of students are not acceptable as testing rooms.
If any student later finds that it causes a problem, a final will be given at a time that is agreeable to that student.
Approved if all requirements of CAP are met.
Instructor Signature Date Andrew Davol, Chair Date
Fred DePiero, Associate Dean Date
COMMENTS: