Navigating Self-Scheduled Exams at Smith College

Smith College, a distinguished liberal arts women's college and a member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges and the Five College Consortium, offers a unique academic environment structured around an open curriculum. A key aspect of this is the approach to final examinations, which includes self-scheduled exams. This article delves into the policies and procedures surrounding self-scheduled exams at Smith College, providing a comprehensive guide for students.

Understanding Self-Scheduled Exams

Final examinations, covering the work of the entire semester, are administered during the final exam period. Unlike scheduled examinations with set days and times, self-scheduled exams offer flexibility, allowing students to take the exam at any point during the approved exam period. Students may start the exam at any of the time listed in the schedule but must allow enough time to complete the exam before the listed ending time for the session. However, this flexibility comes with specific guidelines and responsibilities.

Not all courses will have self-scheduled exams, and many students complete final papers or projects instead of scheduled exams. Scheduled examinations are given in courses when slides, dictation or listening comprehension are required. Take-home exams are administered by the instructor. All take-home examinations will be accompanied by examination guidelines.

Key Policies and Procedures

Exam Duration and Location

Students are limited to 2 hours and 20 minutes (including travel time) to complete a self-scheduled exam. Exams must be written in designated classrooms in Seelye Hall. Students may start the exam at any of the time listed in the schedule but must allow enough time to complete the exam before the listed ending time for the session. Please see the link below of sanctioned classrooms for exams, per the Academic Integrity Board.Sanctioned Classrooms for self-scheduled exams (36.55 KB)

Exam Pickup and Return

Exams are picked up in Seelye 110 after showing a picture ID and must be returned to the same room by the return time indicated on the exam (on the last day). Students taking self-scheduled examinations should leave their examination materials with the supervisor of the center where the exam was received.

Academic Integrity

Smith students are responsible for upholding their own integrity by adhering to all course policies and properly acknowledging all sources used in preparing academic work. When assignments require students to submit work that is the product of their own intellectual labor, faculty expect that students have neither used unauthorized resources nor engaged in unauthorized collaboration with others. When courses require students to submit work that is the product of intellectual engagement with fellow students, students should follow all of the guidelines set out for collaboration. Sanctioned Classrooms for self-scheduled exams, per the Academic Integrity Board.

Items Allowed and Prohibited

Do not bring backpacks, books or notes into Chambers (except books for an open-book exam). Also, do not bring any electronic devices (except for calculators) into Chambers during exams. Students taking a Moodle Respondus exam can bring laptops. For your safety and the protection of your personal property, please do not leave your backpack outside of Chambers.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Students taking exams with accommodations must pick up their exams from the registrar’s office. Please contact the Academic Access and Disability Resources (AADR) office if you need assistance setting-up exam accommodations. The Accessibility Resource Center will evaluate your request and inform the registrar about the specific accommodations needed. Accommodations are not guaranteed to students whose requests are received after the deadline.

Five College students with documented disabilities needing disability related accommodations for self-scheduled finals must first contact the disability services coordinator at your own school. That individual will assess your need for accommodations and should provide you with a letter or form specifying the accommodations needed, which you must submit to the Accessibility Resource Center at Smith College. The ARC will evaluate your request and inform the registrar about the specific accommodations needed.

Special Circumstances

Scheduled and self-scheduled examinations may not be taken outside the regular examination period. Students are not permitted to complete examinations early and are not permitted to make special arrangements with faculty to complete exams outside the examination period without prior permission of the Academic Board. Only the class dean may authorize an extension beyond the end of the final exam period. Such extensions, granted for reasons of illness, emergency or extenuating personal circumstances, will always be confirmed in writing with the student, the instructor, and the registrar's office.

If a student is too ill to write an examination, they should report to Health Services before the examination is scheduled to begin. In case of illness which occurs after an examination has begun, the student should go directly from the examination center to Health Services, not to their house. In the case of a scheduled examination, they should leave the examination materials with the instructor if he/she is present, or on the desk in the examination room.

Pre-Examination Study Period

The pre-examination study period, between the end of classes and the beginning of final examinations, is set aside for students to prepare for exams. Therefore, the college does not schedule social, academic or cultural activities during this time.

Academic Integrity Board

The Academic Integrity Board is the body that adjudicates infractions of the Academic Integrity Statement. The Academic Integrity Board is composed of student and faculty voting members.

Sanctions

Normally, the Honor Board issues a sanction that affects the grade of the assignment in question or the final course grade. The Academic Integrity Board may recommend expulsion or suspension to the President in the case of repeated or egregious infraction(s) of the Academic Integrity Statement.

Confidentiality and Reporting

All proceedings of the Academic Integrity Board are confidential, with all information brought before the Board remaining strictly confidential. Neither Academic Integrity Board members nor those called before the Academic Integrity Board will discuss the case outside the meeting. Will a violation be reported on my college transcript? Not normally. In egregious cases, the Academic Integrity Board may decide as part of the sanction to put a note on the student’s transcript. A record of the violation will be kept in the Class Deans Office for seven years.

Hearing Process

The members of the Academic Integrity Board have copies of whatever materials are necessary to their understanding of the situation. Reporting parties and reported parties will separately be afforded the opportunity to explain the situation. Members of the Academic Integrity Board are free to ask questions to clarify any points that they may not understand of anyone who appears before the Board. After statements are heard from all concerned parties, the Academic Integrity Board deliberates on the case and typically makes a decision during the meeting.

Students are required to have submitted a written statement and any relevant supporting materials to the Academic Integrity Board at least two business days prior to the hearing.

Appeals Process

Appeals may be made only on the grounds of gross error in procedure that significantly affected the outcome, discovery of new supporting materials that were not reasonably available at the time of the hearing that could affect the outcome, or evidence of biased treatment of the reported student that affected the outcome. The Academic Integrity Board does not meet for full hearings during breaks from classes.

Additional Academic Policies and Resources

Registration

Each class year is assigned a day on which you may begin to access online course registration through Workday. You can access registration on or after the start date for your class year through the listed registration period. If you do not register by the end of the two-week advising and registration period, you must add your courses during the first two weeks of the semester (add/drop).

Five College Interchange

The Five College Consortium - an alliance between Mount Holyoke, Amherst, Hampshire and Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst - provides the opportunity for Mount Holyoke students to take classes at five institutions, and for students at the other institutions to take classes at Mount Holyoke.

Only students in good academic standing may enroll in a Five College course. First-semester first-year students must obtain the permission of their class dean before enrolling in a Five College course. Second-semester first-year students may take one course within the Five College system provided the student obtained a GPA of 3.0 or better in their first term at Smith.

Grading Options

The satisfactory/unsatisfactory (credit/non credit) grading option may be elected in interterm courses with the permission of the instructor and adviser on the change of grading option form.

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