Rescheduling Examinations and Assessments

1. Purpose
   This policy establishes the criteria and procedures under which students may reschedule a written Examination or other academic Assessments. Health professions education requires strict adherence to examination and assessment schedules to ensure academic integrity, fairness, and student progression toward graduation and licensure; therefore, Examination or Assessment rescheduling must be limited where possible and is permitted only under specific and verifiable circumstances as set forth in this policy.
2. Scope
   This policy applies to all Examinations or Assessment conducted by Testing Services or in the Wasson Center for Clinical Skills. Students with approved exam arrival or scheduling accommodations through the University Student Accessibility Services Committee are exempt from this policy.
3. Definitions
   1. “Examination” refers to any written or oral test of a student as part of a program or curriculum at NEOMED that is administered by Testing Services. This includes gateway examinations, national examinations, quizzes, or oral tests to assess student knowledge and that affect progression (e.g., the Comprehensive Basic Science Examination or National Board of Medical Examiners exams).
   2. “Assessment” refers to any evaluation of a student’s skills. This includes Assessments conducted in the Wasson Center for Clinical Skills or in a laboratory on campus and is centrally administered.
   3. “Rescheduled Examination or Assessment” refers to an Examination or Assessment taken at a date or time different from when it was originally scheduled.
   4. “Unexcused Absence” refers to an absence from a Examination or Assessment that is not approved by the respective college Dean or their designee. Unexcused Absences could result in the student not being allowed to reschedule an Examination or Assessment, which could result in a failing grade for that Examination or Assessment.
   5. “Late Arrival” refers to situations when a student is not checked in, sitting and logged into the testing platform and in the case of skills Assessment, in their assigned Assessment area, five (5) minutes prior to scheduled start time for the Examination or Assessment.
4. Requests to Reschedule an Examination or Assessment
   1. Students may complete a Request to Reschedule an Examination or Assessment for the following reasons:
      1. Personal illness, injury, or hospitalization, at the time of the regularly scheduled Examination or Assessment, supported by medical documentation or other objective verification;
      2. Serious illness or death of an immediate family member requiring the presence of the student;
      3. Transportation issues precluding arrival to campus on time for the Examination or Assessment, supported by documentation or other objective verification;
      4. Military duty or legal obligations;
      5. Religious observances approved in accordance with the Accommodations for Student Religious Observances Policy;
      6. Unavoidable scheduled travel delays returning to campus from scheduled holidays, approved break periods, or NEOMED-sponsored activities held off campus; or
      7. Other extraordinary circumstances if reviewed and approved by the respective college Dean or their designee.
   2. Examinations or Assessment will not be rescheduled for any of the following reasons:
      1. Employment conflicts;
      2. Oversleeping;
      3. Misreading the Examination or Assessment schedule;
      4. Minor illness without supporting documentation; or
      5. Personal, social, or other non-academic events.
   3. The respective college Dean, or their designee, will make a determination for any reasons submitted that are not identified in this policy. Where indicated, supporting documentation must be submitted in conjunction with the Request for a Rescheduled Examination or Assessment. Requests that do not meet one of the foregoing reasons for rescheduling will normally be denied, unless the circumstances are extraordinary in nature. The Provost will monitor approved Requests for a Reschedule Examination or Assessment for consistency across colleges and compliance with this policy.
5. Approval Authority
   1. The respective college Dean has approval authority for Requests to Reschedule an Examination or Assessment. The Dean may delegate this authority to another person within the college’s decanal line. Regardless of delegation, the Dean remains responsible for ensuring full compliance with this policy within their college.
6. Limits on Requests to Reschedule Examinations or Assessments
   1. Requests to reschedule gateway or other national examinations must be done in accordance with the respective college policy governing the Examination.
   2. Repeated Late Arrivals or the submission multiple Requests to Reschedule an Examination or Assessment outside of accepted reasons may be considered signs of academic difficulty and may result in a referral to the Learning Center or the submission of a professionalism referral depending on the nature of the situation. Referrals should be made in consultation with the college and/or course director.
7. Procedures for Requesting a Rescheduled Examination or Assessment
   1. A student should submit a Request to Reschedule an Examination or Assessment, whenever possible, no less than forty-eight (48) hours before the scheduled Examination or Assessment. The request should include appropriate documentation to support rescheduling the Examination or Assessment.
   2. If it is not feasible to submit a written request with forty-eight (48) hours before the scheduled Examination or Assessment, the student is responsible for completing such notifications and requests within forty-eight (48) hours after the originally scheduled date and time of the Examination or Assessment. Requests received after this time will generally not be approved without supporting documentation for both the rescheduling request and the delay in submission.
   3. Students will receive a written approval before an Examination or Assessment is rescheduled. If approved, students must take the rescheduled Examination or assessment at the time assigned. In general, rescheduled Examinations or Assessment will be administered by Testing Services or the Wasson Center for Clinical Skills at a date, time, and location that does not disrupt or interfere with other academic activities, which may include rescheduling on evenings or weekends.
   4. A student may not request to Reschedule an Examination or Assessment more than once without the written approval of the respective college Dean.
   5. If a student has an Unexcused Absence from a scheduled Examination or Assessment and fails to subsequently file a timely request to reschedule it, the student will be considered to have failed that Examination or Assessment and may receive a professionalism referral based on the nature of the situation. Only the Dean has the authority, which cannot be delegated, to allow a student to reschedule in these situations, and permission to reschedule will only be granted in extraordinary circumstances.
   6. Students who submit false documentation in support of a Request to Reschedule an Examination or Assessment will receive a conduct referral, to be adjudicated in accordance with the Administration of Student Conduct policy.
   7. In the case of Late Arrivals, the respective Dean or their designee will determine if the student must reschedule or will be considered an Unexcused Absence. If rescheduled, the Examination or Assessment will be conducted as soon as possible after the regularly scheduled date and time of the Examination or Assessment.
   8. Student Request to Reschedule an Examination or Assessment may be denied if they fail to follow any of the foregoing procedures.
8. Appeals
   1. Students may appeal a denial of a Request to Reschedule an Examination or Assessment to the Dean within five (5) business days of the receipt of the denial. The Dean’s decision on the appeal is final and non-appealable.

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