College May Change Rules on `Sick-Outs'

The College may soon revamp its policy of excused absences from exams, requiring students to make up missed tests during the regular exam period instead of waiting several months for a retest, College officials said yesterday.

Citing the College's dissatisfaction with the current excused absence policy, senior tutors said that the possible revision will both benefit students who fall ill and discourage dishonesty by narrowing the standard waiting period from months to days.

"We think it makes more pedagogic sense for students to be able to take their exams later in exam period," said Leverett House Senior Tutor Elizabeth B. Keeney.

"It allows students who are ill, but would like to take their exam, time to recover," said Adams House Senior Tutor Janet A. Viggiani, "without penalizing them in any way."

Discussion of a possible change in the policy was sparked this summer by a committee of the University Health Services (UHS), partly in response to the elimination of its walk-in clinic procedure in favor of a system based on pre-arranged appointments.

Instead of arriving at Holyoke Center and waiting for the first available nurse or physician, students will now be able to obtain a 15-minute appointment within one day of calling the reception desk.

Although details of the change have not been worked out, a policy could be announced soon, according to Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57.

"We're just beginning discussions," said Jewett. "If we're going to make any changes, I would expect that it would be in the next few weeks."

Keeney and Viggiani cited the College's hope to discourage students who are not really ill from using a medical excuse to avoid taking an exam for which they feel unprepared.

"It may be seen as closing off one of the last loopholes," said Viggiani, but "it will benefit everyone overall."

Many students who are unprepared during the regular exam period often remain unprepared for their make-up exam four or five months later, Viggiani said. "Sicking out often just postpones an inevitable disappointment."

About 115 makeup exams from last spring will be offered during the first five days of October.

"We don't want students lining up to get a form signed so they can get out of an exam," said Lowell House Senior Tutor Alexandra L. Barcus.