May 24, 2022
This message is distributed to All-Instructors and Academic-Student-Employees. (Click here to view description of distribution groups.)
The following is being sent on behalf of Michael B. Miller, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor of Undergraduate Education
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Dear Instructors,
In the past week, reflecting national trends, the number of positive COVID-19 tests and COVID-19 symptoms reported on campus have increased, leading to more student absences from class. If this trend continues, it is likely that there will be a higher than usual number of student absences due to illness during Final Exam week. We are writing to make sure you are aware of this situation, and to help you plan for the final two weeks of classes, as well as final assignments and final exams.
Every year, instructors deal with student absences due to illness, including absences from exams. It is your prerogative as the instructor to set the policy for your class. However, the current COVID-19 situation makes it especially important to communicate your policy clearly to your students as soon as possible, even if it is already stated on your course syllabus, and to anticipate the various contingencies that may be needed for in this public health context.
Students should not feel pressured to attend class or to take an in-person exam if they are sick and/or have tested positive for COVID-19. It is in the interest of the entire community to minimize the risk of transmission.
We realize that instructors need to balance the desire to be flexible with students in these challenging situations with the need to maintain academic integrity and fairness. In the past, some instructors have assigned an “incomplete” to students who miss the final exam, and offered a makeup exam only at the next course offering (which might not occur until the next academic year). Please keep in mind that this policy, as is the case in any year, may severely impact students who are otherwise on track to graduate this June, and potentially make some continuing students ineligible for financial aid next year. If you have to deal with absences during the Final Exams, you might consider:
- Offering an online final exam for the entire class;
- Providing a remotely proctored makeup exam;
- Offering an in-person makeup final exam, shortly after Final Exams week;
- Converting the final exam to a take-home assignment.
Although we have made progress in our return to more “normal” campus activities, we are still dealing with the effects of COVID-19. Flexibility may be needed to respond to individual student situations, and to protect the entire community by reducing the possibility of transmission.
The Office of Undergraduate Education will communicate with students regarding the mechanism and consequences of “incomplete” grade assignments . An incomplete grade “may be assigned when an undergraduate or graduate student’s work is of passing quality but is incomplete.” Information for students about incomplete grades is available here in the course catalog. Information on the potential impact of incomplete grades on financial aid eligibility is available here. It would be helpful if you could pass this information along to your students as well.
You may remind your students that the campus strongly encourages them to wear their masks indoors to further minimize the risk of transmission, particularly now that the incidence of infections is rising again. They also can get tested on campus, and receive free rapid tests.
This has been a challenging year for instructors and students. Many of you have taken on extra work to ensure that your students have extra opportunities to succeed. We greatly appreciate this, and we are sure that your students do as well.
Michael B. Miller
Interim Associate Vice Chancellor of Undergraduate Education
Interim Dean of Undergraduate Education, College of Letters and Sciences