Sick During Exams

SherryD

Hi everyone,

Been sick all week and start my finals tomorrow. Emailed my tutor to ask what happens I'm still unwell very early on Friday and still have no reply. Checked my mail and last time I had to email her it took 6 days to get a response. Still not feeling great but I don't know what to do. If I get a doctor's note in the morning what then? My tutor has no office hours on door, she's impossible to track down and she doesn't check her email it seems. Is there anyone else I can give it to? And do I have to get the note to her before the exam? If I have to miss the exam tomorrow can I still do the rest of them or will I have to repeat them all in August?

Aoibheann

SherryD wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Been sick all week and start my finals tomorrow. Emailed my tutor to ask what happens I'm still unwell very early on Friday and still have no reply. Checked my mail and last time I had to email her it took 6 days to get a response. Still not feeling great but I don't know what to do. If I get a doctor's note in the morning what then? My tutor has no office hours on door, she's impossible to track down and she doesn't check her email it seems. Is there anyone else I can give it to? And do I have to get the note to her before the exam? If I have to miss the exam tomorrow can I still do the rest of them or will I have to repeat them all in August?

Ok, not sure for certain what the best way to go about this is, but if you can't contact your own tutor, I'd recommend getting onto the Senior Tutor's office first thing tomorrow morning, and find out exactly what the situation is. They're open 9.15am-5pm.

Hope you recover soon and good luck with the finals!

SherryD

Thank you! Just sent an email to now

ronivek

I would also suggest that you use the phone and ring first thing (either your tutor or the senior tutor's office) if you haven't received an e-mail reply. Certainly the minimum requirement for being able to sit supplementals as first time examinations is to produce a sickness certificate.

Edit: Oh and in general I believe the latest they'll accept it is 72 hours after the exam; but I'm sure they'll clarify that for you tomorrow. Get well soon.

dabh

One cannot emphasise too much how important it is to obtain medical certificates to cover absences and other relevant medical matters during the exams period. What should happen is that your tutor should enter into correspondence with the Senior Lecturer, who will review the documentation and make an appropriate ruling.

If your tutor is not around herself, then she should be referring her tutees to another tutor, who will handle her casework whilst she is away. In case of any difficulties getting hold of the tutor, or if you feel that she is not dealing satisfactorily with your case, go to the Senior Tutor.

But the Senior Lecturer will not make rulings in these situations unless all documentation, including in particular medical certificates, has been forwarded to her office.

Check out the Senior Tutor's FAQ at http://www.tcd.ie/Senior_Tutor/faq/

C.D.

AFAIK you cannot sit supplemental exams for any of your finals for any reason. You have the option of receiving an unclassified honours or ordinary degree, depending on academic history or repeating the year. Check the college regulations, they are on the website, I remember reading the above there.

Mark200

I've heard aswell that there are no repeats for finals... but not sure if that included in cases of sickness.

C.D.

According to college exam regulations, it is for any reason, including sickness. I know a final year Engineering student repeating the year due to certified sickness.

dabh

C.D. wrote: »

AFAIK you cannot sit supplemental exams for any of your finals for any reason. You have the option of receiving an unclassified honours or ordinary degree, depending on academic history or repeating the year. Check the college regulations, they are on the website, I remember reading the above there.

The published regulations do not represent the final word in all circumstances.

Stuff happens. People fall ill, or have other well-attested problems.

The Senior Lecturer makes rulings in difficult cases, on a case-by-case basis.

In exceptional circumstances, the Senior Lecturer may require procedures to be followed that depart from the wording in the Calendar, in course handbooks, etc.

Such departures from the published regulations may or may not require also the approval of the University Council, depending on the particular circumstances.

The Exams Period falls into three phases. In the first phase the candidates sit the papers, and the examiners make a start on marking the scripts. In the second phase examiners complete the marking of the scripts, and meet to determine the results, which are published. They are bound by the letter of the regulations, unless there are already rulings from the Senior Lecturer that direct otherwise.

The third phase is the appeals phase. Such appeals are not like Leaving Certificate appeals: there are separate procedures for the examination of marked scripts, and for the correction of anomalies that become apparent after results have been published. Such matters are not dealt with by the Courts of Appeal. There are three grounds of appeal, but most are 'ad misericordiam' appeals, where candidates put forward an appeal against the strict application of published regulations and procedures. There are Court of Appeal at two levels, which consider cases, taking into account personal circumstances as appropriate, and make recommendations to the Senior Lecturer.

All candidates who experience difficulties during the examination would be well-advised to contact their tutor and/or the Education and Welfare Officers of the SU, ensure that relevant deadlines are met, and that paperwork is in order, and is forwarded promptly to the relevant bodies. It is also advisable to get in contact with the relevant academic department.

SherryD

Sorted everything out this morning! Went to the Senior Tutor directly instead of my own. Exam being rescheduled now...hopefully..

Thanks everyone for the advice

green909

just out of curiosity if you do miss exams due to illness do you take them at supplemental time or at the later special exam time in October?

ronivek

If you're not in final year then I think you sit a supplemental as a first time exam; but it is during standard supplementals in August/September time.

If you're in final year then it is a lot more awkward; and you may or may not be allowed to resit an exam that year at all and may have to delay graduation by a year depending on your circumstances.