The Bowdoin Orient

December 1, 2000
Volume CXXXII, Number 10

Professors disregard academic policy

  Every Bowdoin student, past and present, has signed the Academic Honor Code. As stated in the College Catalogue, "The Academic Honor Code plays a central role in the intellectual life at Bowdoin College. Students and faculty are obligated to ensure its success. Uncomprimised intellectual inquiry lies at the heart of a liberal arts education." In signing the Honor Code, students agree to make every effort to ensure the practice of "uncompromised intellectual inquiry."
  However, towards the end of each fall semester, many professors manipulate the final exam schedule so that students have little time for sleeping, eating, and showering, let alone engaging in "intellectual inquiry."
  When professors demand that finals be completed before the official date assigned by the Office of Student Records, finals examinations and papers are less a measure of the quality of a student's intellect, and more a measure of how much work a student can accomplish in the shortest period of time.
  The Office of Student Records attempts to schedule final examinations so that a student's work load is dispersed throughout the six-day finals period. While it may be unpleasant for professors to remain on campus so late into the holiday season, it is equally unpleasant for students when, due to a lack of time rather than a lack of ability, they are not given the opportunity to accurately demonstrate their abilities.
  The College Catalog states: "Final examinations of the College are held at the close of each semester and must be given according to the schedule published by the Office of Student Records." Faculty have voted on and approved this policy and yet, so many professors violate this rule.
  While some professors explicitly violate the policy by demanding students complete their finals before the date published by the Office of Student Records, other professors more subtly violate the policy.
  In many classes, professors assign the last paper or test of the term to be given while classes are still in session. In a syntactically tricky move, assignments are referred to as the "last paper" or the "last test" of the semester, rather than a "final."
  Regardless of the label, the last assignment of the semester, by any other name, is still a "final." When professors assign final examinations and papers to take place during the last week of classes, students must begin preparing well before reading period. Thus, "intellectual inquiry" is undoubtedly compromised, as students are too busy completing their "finals" to fully participate in the last few weeks of classes.
  Some professors argue that, in order to submit final grades on time, they need to have all exams and papers completed before the final examination date determined by the Office of Student Records.
  However, if a professor has concerns regarding timely submission of final grades, such concerns should be voiced at faculty meetings prior to the publication of the official finals schedule. If members of the faculty feel they are not given ample time to submit final grades, professors must work with the Administration to resolve the problem. To indirectly deal with the problem through the manipulation of the finals schedule is unfair to students, and most certainly compromises the practice of "intellectual inquiry."
  Many students are hesitant to challenge the authority of a professor, so the gross manipulation of the finals schedule is an abuse of professorial power that goes unnoticed by the Administration. We all know students foot the bill, but now they also pay the price.