The issue is that our SOC 101 exam is scheduled for Monday, November 24th, during Thanksgiving week — a time when most professors at the University at Buffalo have cancelled their classes to allow students to travel home early, manage family obligations, and avoid the heavy stress and costs of holiday travel.

For many students in our class, this week involves long-distance travel, limited transportation availability, and higher travel costs the longer they wait to leave. Many of us already planned our trips based on the common understanding that Monday would be a light or cancelled day, just like it is for the majority of other courses at UB.

Instead, Sarah Ford (Professor of SOC 101) is holding a full exam, which places students at a clear disadvantage compared to their peers. This decision forces many of us to either:
• delay our travel and pay more
• rebook transportation entirely
• drive long distances late at night
• or miss valuable time with our families

This isn’t about getting out of an exam — we all want to learn and perform well. The issue is fairness, consistency, and student well-being. Nearly every other professor on campus has adjusted their schedule to support students during this heavy travel period, yet SOC 101 students are being held to a different standard that creates unnecessary stress right before the holiday.

We are simply asking for the exam to be moved to a more reasonable time, either earlier in the semester or after Thanksgiving break, in line with the practices of other UB professors and in the best interest of student success and well-being.