Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο ΘεσσαλονίκηςThis examinations regulation constitutes an integral part (chapter C) of the internal regulation of the School of Political Sciences, which was adopted at its School Assembly No 237/29-9-2023.
This regulation applies to all types of examinations (progress tests, mid-term, final, oral or written exams) for all levels of study in the School. It defines the obligations and rights of the examinees, of the teaching staff and invigilators, in order to ensure the smooth conduct of the examinations, to guarantee the equal treatment of examinees and to safeguard the validity and credibility of the examination process and of the academic institution, as well as the personal and scientific dignity of the teaching staff, the invigilators and the examinees.
- Obligations and rights of examinees
1.1. Only those who have included the corresponding course in their course registration are entitled to participate in the semester examinations. A course that has not been registered shall not be graded. Students who have not passed the courses included in their course registration for the winter and spring semesters are entitled to participate in the September examination period.
1.2. In order to take the examinations, students must present their student ID cards or, in the absence of these, any other proof of their identity.
1.3. Students must be in the examination room at least 5 minutes before the start of the examination.
1.4. Before the distribution of the examination papers, the examinees must store or remove any books or other aid they have with them unless otherwise specified by the person in charge of the course.
1.5. The use of mobile phones, headsets or any other electronic device during the examination is prohibited for any reason. Examinees must deactivate (rather than merely setting them to a silent mode) and remove them so that they are not on or under their bench. The use or mere possession of such devices in a position and at a distance that allows even their potential use constitutes an attempt at cheating and shall be dealt with accordingly.
1.6. Examinees are required to have with them the necessary stationery.
1.7. Before the start of the examination, they must write their name, the subject and the date of the examination in a legible manner.
1.8. During the examination, it is generally forbidden to leave the examination room. In exceptional cases, at the discretion of the invigilators, it is permissible for candidates to leave the examination room for a few minutes at a time for reasons of force majeure. The exit will be noted on the candidate’s paper.
1.9. From the start of the examination until its ending, students must maintain complete silence both inside and outside the examination room. They must avoid any behavior that might disturb their colleagues and hinder their concentration or interrupt the smooth running of the examination process. In case examinees do not respect these rules, the person responsible for the examination may repeal their participation in the examination, request their immediate removal from the room and the areas in its vicinity or, in extreme cases, cancel the examination for all participants and refer the matter to the School Meeting.
1.10. The consumption of food is prohibited in the examination halls. When leaving, examinees must take with them the bottles of water, etc. that they have used.
1.11. When leaving, examinees hand in their papers and sign the relevant student register and, if requested by the teaching staff or invigilator(s), show their student ID card (or, in exceptional cases, other proof of identity) and hand in any scrap paper(s) they used as well as the examination papers.
1.12. Examinees are not allowed to leave the examination room during the last ten minutes of the examination duration. In any case, the penultimate examinee must remain in the room until the last examinee has completed and handed in his/her paper.
1.13. After handing in the paper and leaving the examination room, students must stay clear of the examination area so as to avoid causing any disturbance (e.g. noise) that would hinder the concentration of those who are still taking the examination.
1.14. Examinees or students who violate the integrity and reliability of the exams by collaborating, in any way, with another examinee or with any other person inside or outside the examination room, or by using methods of intercepting answers shall be punished as stipulated in this chapter.
1.15. In the case of impersonation, the person(s) involved shall be referred to the appropriate School, Faculty or University authorities with the recommendation for expulsion, in addition to other disciplinary penalties.
1.16. After the announcement of the results, students have the right to see their papers and ask for clarifications regarding their grade, if they so wish. Teaching staff may set a special day/time for this activity.
1.17. If a student has failed more than three times to pass the examinations in a course taught and examined by the same member of the university’s teaching staff, he/she may, after applying to the School Assembly, request to be examined and graded by a panel of three teaching staff members of the Aristotle University with expertise in the same or related subjects. The composition of the committee shall be decided by the School Assembly. The teaching staff member responsible for the examination shall not be included in that committee. In the event of failing the exam, the student may or may not continue his/her studies in accordance with the terms and conditions laid down in the relevant provisions, including the maximum number of times the examination may be repeated in a single course.
1.18. Students who belong to the special admission categories, such as those suffering from a medical condition that prevents them from taking a written examination, shall, before the beginning of the examinations period and after personal consultation with the staff member(s) teaching the course, arrange the most appropriate (oral or other) way of taking the examination.
- Obligations and rights of teaching staff
2.1. The form of grading for each course is determined by the staff member teaching this course, who may, at his/her discretion, organise written and/or oral examinations and/or rely on course assignments or laboratory exercises.
2.2. Teaching staff members shall be present on the day and at the time of the examination of their courses, shall give the necessary clarifications on the examination questions at the beginning of the examination and shall thereafter supervise every aspect of the smooth conduct of the examination.
2.3. In the event a teaching staff member is unable, on serious grounds, to attend the examination, he/she shall inform the Secretariat, in good time, of such impediment to attend the examination and of the faculty member they have appointed as their substitute. They must also deliver the examinations materials and the necessary instructions to their substitutes in good time.
2.4. The staff member(s) teaching the course shall announce the grades within three weeks of the date of the course examination.
2.5. They shall also keep students’ papers on file for the statutory period of three (3) years.
- Penalties in cases of cheating and plagiarism
3.1 In case of violations of the examination regulations (such as cheating or plagiarism in a paper), the paper or assignment shall be marked with zero (0) and the offender will be referred to the School Assembly for further disciplinary action.
3.2 With regard to the specific disciplinary sanctions relevant, the decision of the Senate of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Protocol number A 11508/14-6-1989), at its meeting No. 2562/7-6-1989) is applicable. In this decision, the Senate “authorizes the University schools, in the event that a student is caught cheating, to impose the penalty of exclusion from all courses in the next examination period. This decision shall be communicated to the Senate. In case the student challenges the fact of cheating or even if there are witnesses that the offence was not committed, the matter will be referred to the Senate, after the student has exercised his/her right of fair hearing and any witnesses have been examined. The Senate, on the recommendation of the School, will investigate particular cases of cheating, such as impersonation or recurrent cheating, possibly imposing greater penalties on the offenders.
3.3 This provision shall be communicated electronically (together with the entire examination regulations) to the students of the School before the start of the examinations.