I would like to second this piece of advice. I also use a universal make-up period late in the semester. This is a very effective technique. You can let ANY student for ANY reason make-up a test, without having to make judgment calls. But at the end of the semester there will only be a few make-ups to do.
(By the way, I used to have a test make-up policy that allowed students with an "excuse" to make up the test within the week. I would have students reporting all kinds of deaths, illnesses, injuries, accidents, and so on, on test days. These troubles have miraculously disappeared with the end-of-the semester policy.) Lenore Frigo [EMAIL PROTECTED] Shasta College 11555 Old Oregon Trail Redding, CA 96001 "Pollak, Edward" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:17536@;tips... > My solution: I will include on my syllabus, or otherwise inform the students > that ANY missed exams will be made up 2 weeks before the end of the semester > (or during finals week, or during the semester break, or in the first week > of the next semester, etc..... it really doesn't matter when.). Very few > students take me up on this. On the one hand it represents a penalty because > they have a lot of time to forget the material and (depending on when the > make up exam is scheduled) and may or may not occur at a "better" time for > them. On the other hand, I'm giving them exactly what they asked for, i.e., > more time to study. This (or any) strategy is more effective if you include > the policy in your syllabus. > My experience in almost all of these cases is that the students do not take > me up on the offer of a make-up and that if they do, they rarely score > better than one would predict from their previous performances (usually a > 'D' or 'F'). > Ed > > P.S., if they miss the final I'll usually give an incomplete and allow them > o make up the exam in the first few weeks of the next semester. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D. > Graduate Coordinator, Holocaust and Genocide Studies > http://www.wcupa.edu/_ACADEMICS/holocaust/ > Department of Psychology, > West Chester Univ. of Pennsylvania > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Cogito ergo spud: I think therefore I yam. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-------------------------------------------- > -------------------------- > > > Subject: Welcome to University? Fw: Test??? > > From: "Michael Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 01:12:24 -0800 > > X-Message-Number: 1 > > > > Good morning, > > > > Well, thought I must share this with everyone, for > > your end of the week enjoyment. Speaking of > > unmitigated gal! While I contemplate my own reaction, > > I wonder what some of you might say or do in > > this situation! > > > > From an unnamed student e-mailing me the night before an exam.... > > > > > Hi! We are writing concerning the test on Nov 1. We > > > and our friends have had a very hectic week with exams > > > in the science department, biology on monday, and > > > chemistry on tuesday, only leaving wednesday and > > > tonight to study. One of us had a political paper due > > > on Oct 31, so really one of us only had tonight to > > > study. Although our friends and we were well aware of > > > the test date, we could have studied the week before, > > > only we were studying for our science exams and > > > writing our papers for other courses. This is really > > > stressful to complete all these things and feel > > > satisfied having enough time to fully prepare for a > > > test. We were wondering if it would be possible to > > > write the test on Monday, Nov 4. We personally don't > > > feel satisfied having enough time to study for this > > > test, and equally we don't feel were going to do as > > > well. > > > > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
