Final Exams

From the American Association of University Professors contract with Western Michigan University regarding Final Exams:

38.§3 FINAL EXAMINATIONS. In every class taught, all faculty shall give a final examination, i.e., some form of comprehensive evaluative academic exercise appropriate to the course content and according to the published schedule of examinations, during the last week of the semester (which shall be set aside for final examinations), or at or near the scheduled conclusion of the session. The final evaluative exercise may be distributed before the time scheduled for the final exam providing that it is due and collected on the day during the final week of the semester on which the final exam has been scheduled. Exceptions to the requirement of scheduling a final examination (or other appropriate evaluative activity) may be granted, in writing, at the discretion of the appropriate chair and dean, upon request from the faculty member.

The official exam week is at the end of each fall and spring semesters. Exams for courses are to be given during that week at specific times other than the normal class meeting time. All final exams are held in the normal classroom unless other arrangements have been made with the Registrar’s Office. Use of classrooms for review sessions must be scheduled through the Registrar’s Office.

Regularly scheduled class meeting times are not held during the exam week. For courses having both lectures and labs or discussions the time of the exam will be determined from the time of the first lecture period of the week. For courses having labs only the exam will be determined from the time of the first lab period.

Exam times for classes that begin on the half-hour will be the same as for classes which begin on the previous hour. For example, the exam time for a class beginning at 9:30 a.m. would be scheduled with classes that start at 9 a.m., and the exam time for a class beginning at 2:30 p.m. would be with classes that begin at 2 p.m. Where all sections of a given class are given at one time, the exam will be given during the mass exam time in the schedule per faculty instructions.

Exams for arranged class times are to be scheduled during the exam week at the convenience of the instructor and the student. The instructor will arrange the exam time for a course not covered by the exam schedule. Please contact the instructor for location and time.

lf a student is assigned three or more exams on any single day of final exam week, University policy allows the student to arrange with their instructor(s) to reschedule one or more exams so the student will have no more than two exams scheduled on any single day of final exam week. Students should receive early notification from their instructors as to the dates, times and places of their exams. Students must make their requests to reschedule a final exam no later than 14 calendar days before the Monday of the final exam week, as designated by the final exam schedule. 

A mass exam may be scheduled when multiple sections of the same course take the same exam at the same time. Permission to offer a mass exam may be granted by the chairperson of the department if certain criteria are met and if space is available as determined by the Office of the Registrar.

Only the spring and fall semesters have a final examination week.

Spring schedule

Fall schedule