UCLA Academic Senate relaxes final exam restrictions in response to coronavirus

The UCLA Legislative Assembly temporarily suspended certain final exam restrictions Wednesday, including time, place and method, a part of the university’s response to the novel coronavirus.

The suspended policies include standards for methods of evaluation and the three-hour maximum for examinations. The suspension also allows instructors to deviate from the method of evaluation they announced at the beginning of the quarter.

Instructors have the option to administer final exams online, make finals optional, substitute exams with a different form of evaluation or cancel the final entirely, with permission from the department and notice given to the Academic Senate.

Instructors are not encouraged to give students full credit for an exam.

The Academic Senate also gave departments temporary authorization to release information about final exams to students.

Several professors have changed final formats or canceled finals entirely in response to UCLA’s decision to move all classes and finals online wherever possible. Some instructors announced their decision to have everyone receive 95% score on the final exam.

Since then, some students have left campus and many began receiving instruction online. The campus itself remains open and certain Associated Students UCLA locations, including Ackerman Union have remained open as well.