Timely Completion of Course Requirements

School of Public Health Policy

All students are required to take examinations on the day they are scheduled and to hand in assignments no later than the due date. Syllabi should indicate examination dates and project (which includes papers) due dates, and penalties associated with late submissions of assignments. If a student cannot take an exam or submit a paper or project on time, the student must request an alternate date in writing from the faculty member. The request for extensions should only be approved if the student has encountered a serious problem that arose unexpectedly and that will make it impossible or extremely burdensome for the student to take the exam or fulfill the assignment requirements as scheduled. In such a circumstance faculty may grant a request for an alternate exam or due date. Substitute examinations should ordinarily be scheduled as soon as possible after the scheduled exam date. Students should be warned that if they request a delay in taking a final exam or in completing a final assignment that the stipulations in the SPH Grading Policy must be followed.

It is the student’s obligation to request an extension prior to the time of the exam or date an assignment is due. Only in circumstances when it would be impossible or extraordinarily burdensome for a student to make the request prior to the scheduled date may the faculty member consider a request for an extension of time after the date of the exam or assignment due date.

Faculty may require a student to provide documentation of the circumstances the student submits as the reason for granting an alternative exam or due date, such as a note from a physician.

A student’s failure to adhere to this policy may result in a failing grade being granted for the exam or paper.

Disputes between faculty and students arising out of this policy will be decided by the associate dean for education.

Adopted by SPH Deans
May 27,  2004

Approved by SPH Executive Committee
June 9,  2005