Final Exam Schedule for May to Be Revised to Accommodate Dalai Lama Visit

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas schedule of final exams will be revised slightly to accommodate the visit of the university’s distinguished lecturer, the Dalai Lama.

The exam times that will be affected are those on Wednesday, May 11, one of which will be scheduled an hour earlier and the other two of which will be moved up to Saturday, May 7. The exams will still be in the same rooms as originally scheduled. The details of the changes:

• The 8-10 a.m. exam on Wednesday, May 11, has been moved one hour earlier to 7-9 a.m. the same day.

• The 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. exam, originally scheduled for Wednesday, May 11, has been moved up to the same time on Saturday, May 7.

• The 1-3 p.m. exam, originally scheduled for Wednesday, May 11, has been moved up to the same time on Saturday, May 7.

The provost’s office, in consultation with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, chancellor’s executive committee, Associated Student Government and the office of enrollment management, made the change to eliminate conflicts between exams and the visit of the Dalai Lama, who is participating in a panel discussion at 9:30 a.m. and giving a keynote address at 1:30 p.m.

Provost Sharon Gaber said that 11,200 students were scheduled to take final exams during the three time periods that conflict with both Dalai Lama events.

Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment, said the move was made after repeated requests on the part of faculty and students to change the final exam schedule to allow as many people as possible to attend the two events.

“Though an agreement with ASG had eliminated finals on Saturday whenever possible, the consensus among various groups was that the Dalai Lama’s visit was an unusual circumstance that warranted the change,” McCray said.

Final details of the changes weren’t worked out until the morning of Friday, March 18, and Provost Gaber asked that students be notified as soon as details were final. The revised schedule is available at the registrar’s website. Notice of the exam change will be publicized again after spring break as a reminder to students and faculty.