If you need to request a deferral due to acute illness or personal emergency, you must:
a) Email your instructor, copying your class dean, on the day of the exam requesting a deferred exam.
b) You must also submit an official request for a deferred exam in Slate. Your request will be reviewed, and you will be sent an email with details once a decision has been made.
c) For Barnard classes, students should work with their instructor once the request has been approved to go over the details of their deferred exam. For students deferring a Columbia exam or students who receive testing accommodations through CARDS, Deferred exams will be given on Friday, September 11, 2026 and if applicable, Monday, September 14, 2026.
Please be aware that deferred exams cannot be requested in advance of exam week. For more information, visit https://barnard.edu/registrar/grades-exams and scroll down to "Final and Deferred Exams."
ILLNESS DURING EXAM:
If you become ill during an examination:
a) inform the proctor
b) hand in the exam, and
c) call Primary Care Health Services at 212-854-2091 to make an appointment.
If you've completed less than 40 minutes of a two-hour exam or less than one hour of a three-hour exam, you qualify for a deferred exam (see above.) However, if you leave the exam more than 40 minutes into a two-hour exam or more than an hour into a three-hour exam, you'll be graded on the basis of the work you've completed to that point.
INCOMPLETES:
Incompletes are to be given only in cases of illness, personal emergency, or other compelling circumstances. If you need to request an Incomplete, and the instructor is amenable, please be in touch with your faculty member via email to obtain their approval. From there, you will need to submit an Incomplete Request Form in Slate. You will need to upload email confirmation from your instructor when you submit the Slate form. Note that these requests should be received by Thursday, May 7 (the end of Reading Period). If your course also has a timed final exam, please work with your class dean and also submit an official Deferred Exam request (see above).
As a reminder, the official College deadline for completing Spring 2026 Incomplete coursework is Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Individual faculty may also set an earlier deadline for the work to be completed. Please note that incompletes apply only to coursework exclusive of the final examination. For more information, visit https://barnard.edu/registrar/grades-exams and scroll down to "Incomplete Grades."
GRADES:
Final grades are indeed final. Grades may be changed only in cases of clerical error or in the rare event that the instructor needs to reevaluate the work of the entire class. Grades may not be recalculated on the basis of reexamination or the submission of additional or revised work.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND THE BARNARD HONOR CODE:
As you write papers or complete exams, whether in a proctored environment or in the comfort of your residence hall or off-campus residence, keep the College's Honor Code in mind. Under pressure, it can sometimes be tempting to make a regrettable decision, such as using untrustworthy and undocumented sources, collaborating on an exam, not following proper citation methods on a paper, or claiming someone else's work as your own. Doing something that might violate the Honor Code is NEVER the way to respond to a difficult or pressured academic situation. There's always a better choice. Please also be aware that any misrepresentation of your circumstances in order to obtain an exam deferral or an incomplete is a violation of the Honor Code. An additional word of caution: it is your responsibility as a student to be aware of your professor’s individual stance on the use of generative AI (ex. ChatGPT). If you are not sure about whether the use of generative AI is permitted in a course, you must consult with your instructor for additional guidance before using generative AI. Note that the Honor Code states that students must responsibly use electronic, print and other resources.
ACADEMIC STANDING:
Please be advised that all students should be aware of Barnard’s academic standing policy (please scroll down on this page to “Academic Standing and Degree Progress”) and how incomplete grades, deferred exams and/or withdrawal grades may impact a student’s academic standing. As noted in this policy, three or more incomplete, failing, or withdrawal grades may place a student on academic probation for the following semester. To discuss your academic standing, please contact your Class Dean.
We wish you all the best as you complete your work for the semester, and hope you have a restful, restorative summer.
Sincerely,
Holly Tedder
Interim Co-Dean of the College
Assistant Vice President and Vice Dean of the College- Student Support
