Know Your Rights: A Guide to End-of-Term Academic Policies

[Paul Kominers (UA Committee on Education Chair)]

Dear undergrads,

As you settle into your courses, please take a minute to make sure
that your syllabi are in compliance with the end-of-term regulations.

While it may not always seem like it, MIT does believe in some
work-life balance and the faculty have self-written rules to enforce
this.  In particular, there are a set of rules that govern the timing
and quantity of tests and assignments near the end of term.  For
example, no tests are allowed after May 11th.

Even though the end of term seems far away, please check your syllabi
to make sure that your professors, who may not be aware of these
rules, are in compliance.  The earlier you report the problem, the
more likely UA CoE will be able to resolve it in an effective manner.

Hope we can help and thanks for taking the time to check.

Best,
Paul Kominers
Chair, UA Committee on Education

A Brief Summary of the Rules and Regulations for Undergraduate Classes:

Classes w/o Final Exams:
- No test given after May 11th.
- Only one (1) assignment due between May 11th and May 17th, the last
day of class.
- This one assignment may be both an oral and a written report if
derived from the same project.

Classes with Final Exams:
- No test given after May 11th.
- No assignment due after May 17th..
- Optional Self-Study assignments can be assigned between May 11th and
May 17th. However, these cannot count to the grade in any way, not
even as extra credit or substitutes for earlier assignments.

Ex camera (take-home) final examinations:
- Must be scheduled through the Registrar.
- Offered over one afternoon — from 1:30 P.M. and ending before 7:30 P.M.
- Permit students unrestricted use of resources.

Excused Absence:
A student may be excused from a scheduled final examination for
reasons of illness or significant personal problems. Undergraduates
should contact a dean in Counseling and Support Services
(http://web.mit.edu/uaap/s3/) if they wish to seek an excused absence.

A more comprehensive listing of regulations is available at:
http://ua.mit.edu/committees/scep/termregs.pdf

Any violations can be reported anonymously at:
http://ua.mit.edu/committees/scep/violations

For more information, feel free to email: violations at mit.edu.