2008 Woodie Awards
MU looks to change final exam schedule by fall 2009
Vic Brotzman
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Campus
It won't come in time to help students with their upcoming final exams next month, but before long the university policy regarding the maximum number of exams in a single day will soon be changed.
At Monday's university senate meeting, University Registrar David Sauter announced policy changes, which will go into effect for the fall 2009 semester.
Instead of using the wording "one day" to specify the time period in which the number of scheduled exams cannot exceed more than three exams for an individual student, the wording will change to "any 24-hour period."
Sauter said the current policy exists so that students will be able to test effectively and efficiently.
However, he said the revision is necessary to make up for an oversight in the original policy.
"If (students) have four exams in one day, whether you define that by a 'single day' or by a '24-hour period' there's no way you'll be at optimal performance," Sauter said.
Sauter said that this semester, 202 students across the Oxford, Hamilton and Middletown campuses will be able to adjust their schedules since they have been scheduled for too many exams on a single day. But if the new policy were in effect, 826 students would be affected.
Sauter said that significant difference made re-evaluating the system necessary.
"I am confident (that) some of the screwy things going on will disappear (with the new policy)," he said.
According to Sauter, exam scheduling difficulties originate from several sources. One of the main causes, he said, is when multiple sections of the same class are scheduled to test together. Also, Sauter said the fact that courses do not test during their regularly scheduled time creates confusion and schedule conflicts.
In conjunction with the new exam schedule, Sauter said revised school year scheduling will go into effect in fall 2009 after a testing period this year.
Sauter said the changes will be subtle. While the Oxford campus will see fewer overlapping course times and some longer course blocks, the Middletown and Hamilton campuses will see more time between night classes to allow commuting students more travel time.
Sauter said he believes professors will benefit from the policy change as well, knowing that their students are under less stress and better prepared to learn.
"It will help the profs to know the students will be under less pressure," Sauter said. "You want them to be alert and knowledgeable."
Professor of philosophy Richard Momeyer was one of the policy's vocal supporters. After the meeting, he said felt the current policy did not leave some students enough time to study for their exams, leading to decreased productivity.
"It's not a good education policy for students to have to cram (for so many exams)" Momeyer said. "It's pretty much a unanimous decision (of university senate in support of the policy change)."
At Monday's university senate meeting, University Registrar David Sauter announced policy changes, which will go into effect for the fall 2009 semester.
Instead of using the wording "one day" to specify the time period in which the number of scheduled exams cannot exceed more than three exams for an individual student, the wording will change to "any 24-hour period."
Sauter said the current policy exists so that students will be able to test effectively and efficiently.
However, he said the revision is necessary to make up for an oversight in the original policy.
"If (students) have four exams in one day, whether you define that by a 'single day' or by a '24-hour period' there's no way you'll be at optimal performance," Sauter said.
Sauter said that this semester, 202 students across the Oxford, Hamilton and Middletown campuses will be able to adjust their schedules since they have been scheduled for too many exams on a single day. But if the new policy were in effect, 826 students would be affected.
Sauter said that significant difference made re-evaluating the system necessary.
"I am confident (that) some of the screwy things going on will disappear (with the new policy)," he said.
According to Sauter, exam scheduling difficulties originate from several sources. One of the main causes, he said, is when multiple sections of the same class are scheduled to test together. Also, Sauter said the fact that courses do not test during their regularly scheduled time creates confusion and schedule conflicts.
In conjunction with the new exam schedule, Sauter said revised school year scheduling will go into effect in fall 2009 after a testing period this year.
Sauter said the changes will be subtle. While the Oxford campus will see fewer overlapping course times and some longer course blocks, the Middletown and Hamilton campuses will see more time between night classes to allow commuting students more travel time.
Sauter said he believes professors will benefit from the policy change as well, knowing that their students are under less stress and better prepared to learn.
"It will help the profs to know the students will be under less pressure," Sauter said. "You want them to be alert and knowledgeable."
Professor of philosophy Richard Momeyer was one of the policy's vocal supporters. After the meeting, he said felt the current policy did not leave some students enough time to study for their exams, leading to decreased productivity.
"It's not a good education policy for students to have to cram (for so many exams)" Momeyer said. "It's pretty much a unanimous decision (of university senate in support of the policy change)."
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