A child who wakes up with a fever on the morning of a final can leave a student parent choosing between the exam and the child. Here is how to plan for that morning before it comes, what to send instructors on the day and which campus rules can give you more time.
Plan before exam week starts
Each instructor sets the rules for missed exams in the syllabus, including what counts as a valid reason and what proof is wanted. Read those rules again a few weeks before finals, and write the instructor's email address and the exam times in one place you can reach from your phone.
Backup care is worth arranging in advance, even if you never use it. A relative, a trusted neighbor or a campus drop-in program can cover a mild illness, while a child with a fever usually has to stay home. Ask the campus child care center or student parent office whether they keep a list of sick-child care options nearby.
What to send on the day
Contact the instructor before the exam begins whenever you can. A short email works: your name, the course and section, that your child is ill and you cannot leave them, and a request to sit the exam later. Offer to send a note from your child's doctor or the clinic, and keep a copy of everything you send.
Many colleges let the dean of students office notify all of your instructors at once when a family emergency keeps you away. Ask whether yours does, especially if you have more than one exam in the same few days.
Backup care is worth arranging in advance, even if you never use it.
Incompletes and late withdrawals
An incomplete grade gives you time after the term ends to finish the remaining work. Most colleges allow one only when most of the coursework is already done, and the instructor has to agree. The catalog sets the deadline for finishing, and an incomplete that is never finished can turn into a failing grade.
When an illness lasts longer, some colleges allow a late or hardship withdrawal from one course or the whole term. The rules and the papers wanted differ by school, so ask the registrar or the dean of students what applies.
Protect your grades and your aid
Before you withdraw from anything, talk with the financial aid office. Withdrawing from every class can mean part of your aid has to be returned, and failing or incomplete grades can affect satisfactory academic progress. The office can tell you which choice does the least harm.
If you are already on an aid warning or academic plan, mention it when you write. A short explanation now can help if you later need to file an appeal.
Steps to take
- Reread each syllabus for its missed exam rules
- Save every instructor's email address in one place
- Name a backup caregiver for exam week
- Ask the dean of students how absence notices work
Who decides
Your instructors, the dean of students and your school's financial aid office
Write to your instructor before the exam if you can, and talk with the aid office before you withdraw from anything.