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Update on Academic Calendar

Andrew Bruso

SUNY New Paltz is publishing important messages and news updates related to the College’s response to COVID-19 on the campus news website. Use this link to view all these posts in one place.

The update below was shared by the College Registrar on Tuesday, March 24.

Campus community members can view updates at the Coronavirus Information and Coronavirus FAQs webpages, which are being updated regularly as this situation evolves.

Update on Academic Calendar:

Study days and make-up days

In order to facilitate a smooth end of the Spring 2020 academic calendar during the current COVD-19 exigent circumstances, all days, including study day/make-up class days, will be considered instructional days.  This will provide faculty with maximum flexibility to use these days in any way necessary to achieve course learning outcomes by the last day of the semester, which is Friday, May 15, 2020.

Common Exam Day

Very few courses use the common exam day, but for those of you who teach courses that do use it, due to the complexity that rescheduling would involve, the common exam day will remain in the calendar as originally scheduled.  Visit with your dean if you have questions.

Final Examinations 

Faculty have broad discretion and flexibility in determining whether a final exam is appropriate for a particular course.  In disciplines and courses where a final exam is appropriate, faculty have two options:

  1. Option 1:  If the final exam will be offered over a span of multiple days and students can take the exam at any point during that exam period, then the timing of that exam window during the exam week is up to the faculty member.
    Example:  The exam opens at 6:00 a.m. on May 11 and is available for students to take at any time up to 11:00 p.m. on May 15.
  2. Option 2: If the final exam will be offered during a specific and limited window of time, then the faculty member must use the regularly scheduled final exam calendar in order to avoid possible conflicting exams.
    Example:  The faculty member wants all students to take the exam during a single 2-hour period.  The course was scheduled as a MW 8:00 a.m. course.  The faculty member must use the 5/14/20 8:00am – 10:00 am exam window for that exam.

Note:  Faculty using Option 2 should keep in mind:

  • The potential for technical challenges during the exam period.
  • The need to accommodate students with disabilities, especially those who may need additional time for the exam.

We strongly encourage faculty not to require proctored final exams.  Due to nation-wide closures, many sites that offer in-person proctoring services will not be available.  Online proctoring services are heavily taxed by the current increased demand, students may have difficulty accessing them, internet services may be limited or unreliable, etc.  Moreover, proctoring services create an additional cost for students who may already be experiencing financial stress as a result of COVID-19.  Please use proctored exams only where absolutely necessary, and keep in mind that there are many strategies other than proctoring that you can use to ensure that students do their own work.