Our school makes that one easy:  the finals schedule is available when
they register for classes!  so the student can check the schedule and
elect not to take that class at that time, if there's a conflict.

that said, if they come to me in advance, I usually let them re-schedule a
test in that situation.  I also do it for university sanctioned events -
but they do have to let me know ahead of time.

>
> What about the inevitable student excuse that "my family already paid
> for my ticket before the syllabus was available, so if I take the test
> when scheduled it will cost them or me more money."  Further, assume
> that the ticket was indeed purchased before the syllabus was available.
>
> Tom Z
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Swaine, Edward
> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 9:24 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: students missing finals
>
>        1.  Well, for what it's worth, I don't see any noteworthy tension
> between an opposition to affirmative action and a desire for clemency as
> to exams, or vice-versa, and would hate to make my policy dependent on
> others seeing that link.  Anyway, why wouldn't there be two equally
> legitimate outcomes to this thought experiment: (1) the student who,
> seeing the wisdom of being tough on exam scheduling, starts to think
> that she should oppose affirmative action, and (2) the student who,
> seeing the desirability of being accommodating on exams, starts to think
> that he should believe in affirmative action?  I think either student
> would be deeply, deeply confused.
>        2.  Since I'm in your mailboxes already, as to the original
> question, I would reject the explanation ("I wrote it down wrong") on
> the ground that it is an unreasonable excuse, but not on the ground that
> no excuses are acceptable.  It's bothered me in the past when I've heard
> faculty fumble for a pedagogical explanation for settling on an absolute
> policy, and claim that being strict teaches responsibility and serves as
> a wake-up call for students as to what awaits them after graduation. But
> that is *not* how the real world usually works: sometimes
> individuals missing deadlines are excused when they have a compelling,
> credible explanation.  (Put aside manuscript deadlines.  Any illusions I
> had on this question were dispelled when David Boies successfully argued
> this fall that his untimely notice of appeal - formerly subject to the
> strictest deadline in the federal courts - could be excused because an
> underling screwed up.)  I fear the real lesson is that some individuals,
> when given unfettered power to establish rules or to make a decision
> about them, will *elect* not to accept any excuses and to impose the
> most extreme sanction at their disposal.  This is a lesson, of sorts,
> but not a model of behavior, at least not in my view.
>        3.    As to Frank's point about leverage -- it is an excellent
> one, but I've puzzled over how to treat students who have missed my
> finals because they were busy running errands for me.  They seem
> curiously reluctant to offer kickbacks.  Thoughts?
>
>
>        -----Original Message-----
> From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Terence Lau
> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 9:31 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: students missing finals
>
>        I ask my students on the first day of class how they feel about
> affirmative action.  Invariably, UD being a private Catholic
> school, the
>        vast majority (usually greater than 95%, even the minority
> students)
>        express displeasure with affirmative action in education and in
> the
>        workplace.  When I ask them why they feel that way, invariably
> they
>        respond that they don't like seeing others get an unfair
> advantage, that
>        everyone should be treated equally, that hard work and
> determination
>        should be the only factors that count towards success, etc. etc.
>
>        Then I ask them what the difference is between college admissions
> or
>        company HR granting affirmative action and someone saying, "I
> missed the
>        exam, can I have a makeup," or "I was playing in a tournament,
> can I have
>        an extension on the paper, or "I'm going home on a family
> vacation to
>        France, can I take the exam early."  I tell them that since they
> don't
>        like affirmative action, I too shall take a no-affirmative-action
> policy,
>        so unless a student can justify to me why they deserve to be
> treated
>        differently than everyone else, my answer will be "no."
>
>        I find this approach both allows me to be tough but fair for
> legitimate
>        excuses (I've personally limited legitimacy to the student or
> immediate
>        family member's illness), while also forcing a re-examination of
> affirmative action at the same time.
>
>
>
>        -----Original Message-----
>        From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk
>        [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> [log in to unmask]
>        Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 10:44 AM
>        To: [log in to unmask]
>        Subject: students missing finals
>
>        I seem to have an epidemic this year of students missing the
> final, and
>        wanting to make it up.  In all but one case, the only excuse is:
> I wrote
>        it down wrong.
>
>        This means they didn't read the syllabus very carefully, missed
> several
>        in-class announcements, didn't double check the official schedule
> etc.
>
>        I'm just wondering what others do in this situation.  One of my
> colleagues
>        said she refused to give the student a make-up, but that student
> was
>        flunking the class anyway.
>
>        I have to say, I'm getting a bit fed-up with their level of
> irresponsibility!