As the 2023-2024 school year dwindles to an end, finals are approaching quickly for University of Connecticut students. According to the UConn academic calendar, exams are scheduled from Monday, April 29 through Saturday, May 4.
Although these dates are scheduled by the university, “there are some special circumstances that grant students the ability to request permission to reschedule finals,” according to the Dean of Students Office website.
The website states that in order to request permission to reschedule a final, students must fill out the Finals Rescheduling Request Form with the proper documentation depending on their circumstances. Once the request is reviewed, students will be notified via email of the decision from the Dean of Students office.
There are a few reasons as to why a student may request rescheduling a final according to the Dean of Students office website. These include bunched finals, extenuating circumstances, immediate illnesses and emergency closing of the university.
A finals schedule is considered ‘bunched’ when a student is scheduled to take three exams in one day, four exams in two days, or three consecutive exams, according to the website. If a student has three consecutive finals, which is three finals back-to-back, only the second can be rescheduled. The deadline for requesting a rescheduled exam for bunched finals is April 19.
As for extenuating circumstances, requests become a little more complicated.
According to the website, all requests for extenuating circumstances must include supporting documentation as proof and any requests that fail to include documentation will not be reviewed.
Furthermore, “students with extenuating circumstances that conflict with their scheduled final exams are encouraged to contact the Dean of Students Office to speak to a staff member as soon as possible. Students who demonstrate unavoidable circumstances may be approved to reschedule one or more of their final exams,” the website explains.
The website also states that there is no deadline for extenuating circumstances requests, as they will be considered through the end of the semester.
A student may also reschedule an exam if they contract an illness that prevents them from taking their exam. In response, students should visit Student Health & Wellness “for verification of illness,” so that Student Health & Wellness can then contact the Dean of Students office, according to the website.
“Student Health & Wellness will provide information to the Dean of Students office who will then inform the instructor of permission to reschedule the final. Students who are ill and were seen by Student Health and Wellness do not need to also visit the Dean of Students office,” the website states.
If a student were to receive treatment outside of UConn, the medical provider would then have to email the Dean of Students office to request permission to reschedule an exam. The student would then be contacted by a staff member of the Dean to show proof of their illness.
The Dean of Students office website states that “supporting documentation will be required and must verify the date(s) of illness, without medical details. Documentation may be emailed or faxed to 860-486-1972.”
If there was an instance where UConn might close due to an emergency or weather, finals would be rescheduled by the Office of the Registrar, not students.
As for UConn students at regional campuses looking to reschedule their finals, they should contact the student services staff at their respective campuses.
The Dean of Students office website notes that not all students will be approved to reschedule a final, as submitting an online rescheduling request does not guarantee approval.