Reasons for the No Final Examinations of Students of Our Lady of Fatima University – QC: Possible Remedies for Reducing Incidents

Reasons for the No Final Examinations of Students of Our Lady of Fatima University – QC: Possible Remedies for Reducing Incidents

Dr. Ronan S. Estoque

Psychology Department, College of Arts and Sciences

Introduction

For the university, final examinations represent the culmination of activities and endeavors for the past 18 weeks.  Financially, the final payment for the semester is collected through the issuance of the exam permit.  If one is up to date in the payment of his accounts, an exam permit is issued.  If there is still a remaining balance to be settled, an exam permit is withheld pending the application for a promissory note emanating from the students.

What is alarming and really should be a cause of concern for the administration is the scenario where there is a big figure of students who are unable to pay for the tuition fee due in the final period.

Administratively, NFE students by the thousands also represent a logistical burden for the faculty.  They will have to create a special set of examinations (to avoid leakage) and they also have to correct and check the paper in a time when they are also completing all the other requirements of their respective departments and colleges.

Though the existence of NFE is beyond eradication, their number could be minimized.

Problems

1.  What are the colleges and programs that have NFE’S?

2.  What are the reasons why students have NFE’S?

3.  What are the possible remedies for decreasing the number of NFE’S among students?

Findings

1.  Practically all colleges and programs have NFE’S, namely:

Biology

Business and Accountancy

Computer Studies

Criminal Justice

Education

Hospitality and Institutional Management

Medical Technology

Nursing

Pharmacy

Physical Therapy

Preparatory Dentistry

Psychology

2.  Reasons why students have NFE’S?

Financial Problems

Personal Issues

Academic Reasons

Practicum and Internships

Not attending (FDA and UW)

Will just take the special exams

3.  Possible remedies for decreasing NFE’S?

Proposed Remedies

1.  To offer a promissory note program to pro-actively decrease the number of students with NFE’S. 2.  Leniency in the observance of schedule.  For one reason or another, students are late and are driven and compelled to simply take the special exams. 3.  Improvement on the scheduling of tests and room assignment to avoid conflicts in schedule.  Inevitably, schedules plotted results in students taking the special exams, hence the NFE. 4.  Faster processing of payments.  Long lines prevent students from taking their scheduled tests on time leading to NFE. 5.  Flexibility in the duration of the temporary permits.  Temporary permits are only good for 2 days. 6.  Better safekeeping of examinations.  Sometimes exams results are lost and faculty simply gives a NFE though there was an examination taken in the first place. 7.  Raise the bar of passing students. NFE’s among students gives them a chance to score a passing grade from their faculty or even a tally a higher score (for scholarship purposes).  Raise the bar and improve the standard of passing internal and external examinations. 8.  Fail students outright.  Some faculties are hesitant in failing students and to give them a second change, the scenario of NFE is used. 9.  Allow students to take examinations without permits and simply withheld their grades prior to the payment of accounts.

Reference:

1.  Report on “Student’s Reasons of No Final Examination”.