APPENDIX A
Charge to the FPC Subcommittee on Examination and Term
Regulations
The purpose of this special faculty committee is
to re-examine current faculty regulations governing the
administration of quizzes, tests, and exams during the regular term
as well as the faculty regulations governing the end of term. This
review is motivated by the concern over the increasing number of
evening tests being scheduled by day-time classes as well as by the
increase in the number of end-of-term rules violations reported by
students. Many of these reported violations result from disregard or
ignorance of faculty policies, but some are intentionally undertaken
with the learning experience of students in mind. It seems timely,
therefore, to begin a full review of these regulations, to ensure
that they meet the goals of educational experience, and to devise
procedures to sanction their disregard.
Goals:
- to protect the students from overload caused
by excessive demands on their time that go outside the bounds of
regular class hours or what has been determined as a reasonable
end-of-term load;
- to enhance the learning experience of students
by recognizing that some of these apparent violations have
pedagogical strengths worth acknowledging; and
- to support educational experimentation when a
faculty member is trying something new.
Specific Tasks:
- to review (and re-endorse or change) policies
governing end-of-term regulations, including the regulations
governing the definition and administration of comprehensive
exams;
- to review the current practices with respect
to quizzes and exams scheduled in the evening by day-time classes
in terms of length of tests, the scheduling of conflicts, the
encroachment on regularly scheduled evening classes and
extra-curricular activities;
- to review the policies that currently prohibit
take-home exams;
- to decide which faculty committee or other
authority should be empowered to monitor these regulations, to
provide guidance to faculty in following them, and to grant
exemptions to them when warranted by the goals (e.g., CAP, COC,
faculty chair, Dean's office);
- to review the means by which reports of
violations can be communicated and acted upon, including a process
of identifying and working with departments to keep violations to
a minimum;
- to recommend the best timing and medium of
reminding faculty of these regulations; and
- to recommend additions to and changes in Rules
and Regulations of the Faculty, as necessary.
The Committee shall consist of a chairman, the
chairs of CAP and COC, a representative of the Dean's office, the
head of the student committee concerned with regulations, and another
student representative.