Undergraduate Final Assessment Policy
1.00 Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines and standards for final assessment and the administration of final assessments for undergraduate students. This policy is deemed to be consistent with the University's commitment to the principles, goals, and ideals described in the CSUMB Founding Vision Statement and to its core values.
2.00 Definitions
Final Assessments: Final assessments are broadly defined as a culminating activity for a given course. They may include a final exam, a final research paper or project, a final creative work or performance, a final portfolio of work, a combination, Capstone events, or other appropriate assignment as determined by the instructor. They are scheduled to be administered, performed, or submitted during the designated "final assessment period of the semester." A final assessment could be either incremental or comprehensive. [See 4.00 Time Frame for Final Assessments for other examples.]
Final Assessment Period: This period begins and ends with the first and last officially scheduled final assessment. The final assessment period is Tuesday through Friday following the last week of instruction.
Study Day: For students: Monday of assessment week shall be reserved for student led, directed or requested activities only. For faculty: Regularly scheduled meetings and work activities, other than classes, will continue.
3.00 Faculty Responsibilities
Faculty members are required to provide a final assessment for all courses except for preceptorships, internships, some co-requisite courses and independent study courses[See 4.10]. The choice of appropriate culminating activity for a course is a curricular matter that rightly belongs to the faculty. Faculty shall include a description of the final assessment as well as the date and time for administration, performance, or submission of the final assessment in their course syllabus, in compliance with the Course Syllabus Policy.
4.00 Time Frame and Location For Final Assessments
Timed in-person or timed synchronous online final assessments shall be completed during the
scheduled final assessment time for that course, as determined by the Academic and Centralized Scheduling Office. ASEC reviews the schedule of final assessment before it is published.
Take-home assessments, final papers, online asynchronous assessment or other culminating activities shall be submitted or performed no earlier than the beginning of the scheduled final assessment time for the course. Final in-class assessments shall not be given, nor culminating activities due, prior to the scheduled final assessment time for the course.
Instructional space and classrooms shall be reserved for the scheduled final assessment during the final assessment period. Instructional space and classrooms may not be used for other purposes during the final assessment period without the consent of the instructor and Department. Instructors can request alternative meeting spaces for culminating events through their Department and College.
4.10 Exceptions to Time Frame and Location for Final Assessments
Exceptions for the above time frame and location are pre-approved in the following circumstances:
- Performance courses in which it is impractical to assess each student individually in the time period assigned for final assessments; e.g. performance courses in theater arts, film, music, or athletics.
- Lab and studio courses
- 1 hour or less per week classes
- Non enrollment part of multi-component courses
- Accelerated classes
- Alternating hybrid courses
There may be other circumstances that qualify for an exception to the above time frame and location. Such circumstances require approval by the chair with notification and rationale to be provided to the dean.
4.20 Multiple Assessments in One Day
Students who have three or more assessments on one day of the period may request to the instructor(s) that one or more assessments be moved to another day during the assessment period. This request shall be considered when submitted three weeks prior to the beginning of the final assessment period. If a student has three exams on one day of the period, only one can be rescheduled.
A. Students should request that take-home assessments, final papers, online, asynchronous assessment or other culminating activities be changed first before timed and synchronous assessments. Faculty shall normally grant such a request.
B. If all three (or more) assessments are timed and synchronous, the student shall communicate with all three (or more) instructors to request a change. Faculty shall respond to the student in a timely manner.
C. If all three (or more) faculty decline to move the timed and synchronous assessment, the student may notify the Chair(s) of the Department(s), who may choose to oversee an alternate administration of one (or more) of the timed and synchronous assessments provided by the instructor.
4.30 Extenuating Circumstances
Faculty shall endeavor to provide fair and appropriate arrangements for students who experience emergencies during the assessment period. If an appropriate arrangement cannot be agreed upon, the student or faculty member may notify the Chair(s) of the Department(s), who may choose to oversee an alternate administration of one (or more) of the assessments provided by the instructor.
4.40 Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
A student may request to reschedule a final assessment in the event of overlapping start times due to disability-related accommodations. Faculty shall provide reasonable accommodations consistent with Student Disability and Accessibility Center (SDAC) guidelines.
5.00 Continuous Renewal
This policy shall be reviewed five years from its effective date to determine its effectiveness and appropriateness. This policy may be reviewed before that time as necessary.
s/President Eduardo M. Ochoa
Effective Date: April 7, 2022
Certification of Process
Reviewed by: Educational Policy and Planning Committee, Academic Senate Executive Committee, Academic Senate, Policy Facilitation Team, Associated Students, Academic Affairs Council, Student Affairs Leadership Team, Human Resources.