Postponement of Final Examinations
Only the residential college dean may authorize postponement of a final examination. The residential college dean may give such permission because of an incapacitating illness, because of a family emergency requiring the student's absence from New Haven, or because of another matter of comparable moment. The residential college dean may also authorize such a postponement because of the observance of religious holy days, or because of participation required in an intercollegiate varsity athletic event. Students participating in events of intramural or club sports, as differentiated from varsity events sponsored by the Department of Athletics, are not eligible for a postponement of final examinations on account of those events. Finally, the college dean may authorize postponement of a final examination if a student has three examinations scheduled during the first two days of the final examination period, or three examinations scheduled consecutively in the final examination schedules.* The postponement of a final examination for any other reason requires the permission of the Committee on Honors and Academic Standing. A student's end-of-term travel plans are not a basis for the postponement of a final examination. See "Final Examination Schedules" in this bulletin and "Scheduling of final examinations" under the heading "Reading Period and Final Examination Period" in this chapter.
It is normally the expectation that when a student begins a final examination but does not complete it, the student will receive credit only for the work completed on the examination. If, however, a student becomes unable to complete an examination because of a sudden and serious illness or other emergency during the examination, the student may request authorization from the residential college dean to take a makeup final examination. In such a case, the student must explain his or her departure to the instructor, or to some other person proctoring the examination, before leaving the room, and must contact the University Health Services or the residential college dean as soon as possible thereafter.
Makeup examinations for the fall term are scheduled to take place at the end of the second week of classes in the spring term. Makeup examinations for underclassmen who miss final examinations in the spring term are scheduled at the end of the second week of classes in the following fall term. Makeup final examinations are administered by the Registrar's Office only at these times. Students who will not be enrolled at these times—whether because they are on leave of absence or on a Year or Term Abroad, or because they have withdrawn from Yale—must make alternative arrangements with the Registrar's Office in advance of the dates on which makeup final examinations are administered by that office. The registrar automatically records a grade of F in a course for a student who fails to take an officially scheduled makeup examination in that course at the appointed time. If an examination is not administered by the registrar, it is the student's responsibility to make arrangements with the instructor to take the makeup examination. In such cases, if a grade is not received by the midterm following the original examination date, the registrar automatically records a grade of F in the course.
No fee will be charged for a makeup examination necessitated by illness, family emergency, the observance of a religious holy day, or participation required in an intercollegiate varsity athletic event. A charge of $35 will be made for the administration of a makeup examination occasioned by a conflict between two final examinations scheduled at the same time, or three examinations scheduled in the first two days of the examination period, or three final examinations scheduled in consecutive examination periods. Ordinarily there will be a charge of $35 for makeup examinations authorized for special reasons approved by the Committee on Honors and Academic Standing.
Permission to postpone a final examination does not also carry authorization for a student to submit other work late in that course. See "Work Incomplete at the End of Term" in this section.
*The final examination schedules indicate three examination sessions, or time slots, per day: one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening. Some of these time slots contain examination group numbers; others do not. A college dean may postpone an examination if a student has three examinations scheduled within any four consecutive time slots, whether or not each of those time slots has an examination group number assigned to it. See "Final Examination Schedules" in this bulletin. Occasionally an instructor may arrange an option for an alternative final examination in addition to the regularly scheduled examination. (See paragraph 5 of "Reading Period and Final Examination Period.") Such an optional arrangement cannot be the basis for a postponement of an examination if three of a student's final examinations would thereby acquire "consecutive" status.
