Provost Talks Final Exam Schedules

By Andrew Tyahla on December 12, 2014

Ever wondered why your final exam schedules are set the way they are? It turns out that Southeast Missouri State University has them set long before the semester begins.

Final exam schedules are determined by the Office of the Provost about a little over halfway through the previous semester when students are registering for classes. As usual, Southeast Missouri’s final exams last from Monday through Thursday during normal operating hours.

If a class meets at an even-numbered hour, then that class’s final will begin at the same hour on either Monday or Tuesday depending on the day the class meets. If it meets at an odd-numbered hour, then the exam will begin an hour earlier than the class would meet on either Wednesday or Thursday.

Students madly study for finals at Southeast Missouri’s Kent Library. Photo by Andrew Tyahla

“This method of scheduling has been used for the past 20 years,” Provost Bill Eddleman said. “I haven’t changed it because it has worked so well.”

However, not every professor will give their class a formal final exam. Some may instead have a discussion during the final exam period. Others may assign a paper due for the period. In that case, they may either have the paper turned in at class time or assign a drop box. If there is an exam, it may not necessarily be given in class. Some professors may have an online final instead.

“Professors are not required to have a final exam,” Eddleman said. “I have previously taught First-Semester Seminars when I was a professor here and I did not give my students a final exam. But I would expect them to turn in papers at that time.”

Professors do not have to give finals. But if they do, they need to have them at the assigned time. This is official university policy as stated in Chapter 3 of the Southeast Missouri State University Faculty Handbook. The only exceptions are given for lab classes or in an emergency as requested by the faculty.

“In the case of lab classes, they often have their lab finals the week before finals week and have a written final during the assigned time,” Eddleman said.

The Office of the Provost does not keep surveillance on faculty to make sure they stick to the schedule. Instead, they hear about it from the Deans of the different colleges or from Department Chairs. In turn, they get this information from student complaints. As a result, professors only get caught if the students say something.

“If someone hears a student say that they’re done with finals and it is only Monday, then that is cause for concern,” Eddleman said. “I then ask their chair or Dean to talk to them. Depending on how much of a problem it is, the professor may receive anywhere from a reprimand to an unsatisfactory faculty evaluation. Fortunately, I have never had to go that far.”

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