“Can we get this to happen to the biology majors too?” said one evil biology student.
Photo by Aidan Moran
UC San Diego has decided to extend the 2025 Fall Quarter by two weeks following requests from the chemistry department. On Saturday, November 15, one month before the scheduled end of the academic term, the Office of the Chancellor announced that the current quarter will now end on December 27 instead of the original December 13, noting that Christmas “is a fun, but frankly unneeded, day off.”
Following this change, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry — known for its tendency to schedule midterms on Saturdays — promptly announced plans to reschedule all finals to Christmas Day. In his official written appeal to the University, department chair Dr. Alastor A. Boucher offered insight into the reasoning behind this decision: “I just really really wannaaa,” he wrote. “Wouldn’t it be funny? XD”
Typically, the Office of the Registrar has strict regulations regarding the rescheduling of final exams. According to their policy, a final exam may be offered at an alternative date if the change is approved by the Committee on Educational Policy (CEP) on the condition that the exam will also be offered at its originally scheduled time. This policy, however, makes an exception for exams given by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Furthermore, UCSD will not grant accommodations to students due to religious reasons. Usually, students are allowed different exam times if they submit an approval by the end of Week 2. Given the last-minute circumstances of the change, students have “no choice” but to attend their finals on Christmas. After student complaints, the Office of the Registrar released the following statement: “Yeah so about that…we’re so sorry. JK! No we’re not. We think it’s funny, too, lol. Serves you right, you loser nerds.”
Students have expressed displeasure over the rescheduling of final exams. Organic chemistry student Max Dorcas commented on the situation, “If I have to take a Christmas final, this may be my final Christmas.” Many students are “taking matters into their own hands” and refusing to sit exams on Christmas Day with a reported 650 chemistry majors dropping out altogether. Those that remain are reportedly threatening mutiny. One CHEM 6A professor shared, “It would not be an understatement to say that I fear for my life.” For some faculty members, though, “the risk is worth the reward.” One professor expressed his support for the decision: “The best gift you could receive on Christmas is the gift of knowledge.”
While no other changes are expected to accompany the extension of the quarter, this move has reportedly sparked other departments’ interest. When asked about his thoughts on the decision, Dr. Vincent Doyle, chair of the Department of Mathematics, said, “Honestly, we wish we thought of it first.”
