Make-Up Final Exams Begin Today for 248

Although most undergraduates have not yet even thought about midterm examinations, for 248 students, final exams begin this morning.

One hundred and seventeen courses will offer make-up final exams over the next 10 days--on October 9, 11, 16, and 18--for students who were excused from their examinations last spring.

Students are generally only excused from final exams because of illness, but excuses are occasionally granted for other emergencies, such as a death in the family, according to Sheila Stull, assistant registrar for scheduling and publications.

The general procedure for postponing a final until the next semester involves reporting to University Health Services within 24 hours of the examination. Then, if a doctor believes the situation warrants an extension, he will then issue a make-up petition which the student presents to the Administrative Board through his Senior Advisor.

Students pretending to be ill in order to postpone their exams is not a significant problem, according to Dr. Warren E. C. Wacker, director of the University Health Services. "I think that most people who come in feel that they're too ill to take an exam," said Dr. Wacker.

Dr. Wacker added that in the past three years, the numbers of petitions have decreased.

According to the "Handbook for Students," anyone granted make-up examinations in two or more courses will not be allowed to register for the next term except by special permission of the Ad Board. Also, grades entered late because of a make-up will be footnoted on the student's transcript as being filed late because of the make-up exam.

"I am glad that Harvard offers this generous opportunity," said a student who is taking a make-up exam.

Although many students believe that make-up exams are purposefully designed to be harder than the original finals, Lawrence B. Lindsey, head section leader for Social Analysis 10, "Principles of Economics," denied that this was true. "As far as we're concerned, it's all the same," he said, adding that an exam committee designs all of the tests for the course.

Students are charged $25 for each make-up exam they take.