To: UT Knoxville Faculty, Staff, and Students
From: Sally J. McMillan, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Subject: End of the Semester Academic Procedures
It is hard to believe it is mid-April and the end of the semester is upon us. Before we begin to think about the summer, I write to remind you of the following policies, drawn from the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the Undergraduate Catalog. Thank you in advance for your cooperation, and please contact me at vpaa@utk.edu should you have any questions.
Final Examinations
“Final exams must be given during the final exam period at the scheduled time and in the scheduled place, although alternative uses of the scheduled exam period may be designated by the instructor.” Professors assigning take-home final examinations and/or papers should make them due in class during the scheduled final exam period (see FERPA note below).
“Students are not required to take more than two exams on any day. The instructor(s) of the last non-departmental exam(s) on that day must reschedule the student’s exam during the final exam period.” Some units offer departmental exams in which one, common exam period is assigned to all sections of a particular course. These exams should not be rescheduled. Please note the following: “It is the obligation of students with such conflicts to make appropriate arrangements with the instructor at least two weeks prior to the end of classes” (meaning April 12 is the last day to make such arrangements).
And finally, please note this end of semester regulation:
“No in-class written quizzes or tests counting more than 10 percent of the semester grade may be given the last five calendar days prior to the study period” (meaning April 24 is the last day to give quizzes or tests counting more than 10 percent of the semester grade).
The Grade of Incomplete
“Under extraordinary circumstances and at the discretion of the instructor, the grade of I (Incomplete) may be awarded to students who have satisfactorily completed a substantial portion of the course but cannot complete the course for reasons beyond their control.” Also, please note that “the grade of I is not issued in lieu of the grade F,” and that “students may not remove an I grade by re-enrolling in the course” (sitting in on the same course next semester).
Academic Standards of Conduct
Students must keep the honor statement in mind as they prepare for final examinations and papers. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, “copying without proper documentation written or spoken words, phrases, or sentences from any source, collaborating on a graded assignment without instructor’s approval, and submitting work, either in whole or part, created by a professional service.” Contact the Office of Student Judicial Affairs (974-3171) for more information and links to campus resources.
A Final Note Concerning the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA):
In light of the provisions of this act, please do not ask students to submit assignments in open mailboxes or in any other unattended public venues (boxes in the hallway, envelopes taped to doors, and the like). Graded assignments for student retrieval likewise should not be made available in such public venues. Grades should not be posted publicly using student ID numbers or Social Security Numbers, nor should the students’ names be linked with their IDs in any public manner. More information on FERPA can be found by clicking “F” on the A-Z index of the UT homepage.
Thank you, and have a great end of the semester!