Missed the exam

I have an official policy (it's in the syllabus) that if you are absent for an exam, unless you let me know before (or later on the day of, I've given some flexibility there for people who are REALLY sick and can't get up to phone before an early class) you can't take a make up.

Because I got burned in the past by writing make-ups for people who never showed to take them. And because I don't have time to be writing extra exams, even essay-style exams. And also because it just seems to be the fairest way to require some level of accountability in these matters.

Well, I get someone today in class. I handed back an exam that they took on the 13th. He stops me after class and hands me a form. "I was on a school sponsored trip and I missed the exam."

This is where I wish I were weeks away from retirement, because I'd look at him and say, "So?"

I didn't, though. I said, "My policy is I need to know before the exam" (and, didn't add, "a school sponsored trip you would have known about in advance"). I've told others "no" in the past, either for unexcused absences or for not notifying me in a timely fashion.

He responds: "but it was a school trip."

I restated the class policy.

Finally, to get him to leave, I said I'd ask a "higher up" (saying something is "above your pay grade" doesn't just work in politics) to see if I'd be allowed. I also said I'd have to consider my time and if I had time to write a make up exam.

But all my inclinations are against it. For one thing: this is someone with a sister in my class. She could have told him there was an exam even if he was not cognizant of that fact. And my syllabus is pretty clear about the make up policy.

(I guess I need to go to my chair and get her blessing to say "No." It's not that I don't WANT to say no, it's that I'm gunshy after being called this spring and TOLD I would accept a paper late because someone was special and entitled to hand it in late even though it was in violation of class policy).

However, one thing that made me happier, I was thinking about "But the syllabus says" and all of a sudden, in my head, I heard Richard Dawson calling out "SYLLABUS SAYS...." (like "SURVEY SAYS") and then hearing the buzzer that rang on that show when someone failed the third time to guess correctly.

I kind of wish Richard Dawson was still around (and that I, like, knew him) so I could call him up and get a recording of him saying "SYLLABUS SAYS......NO!" that I could replay in instances like this.

ETA: Verbatim from my syllabus:

"Make-up work and/or unit exams will only be given to students who have an excused absence. You must get in touch with the instructor in advance even if you have an excused absence. The only exception is for immediate medical emergencies, i.e., you are in a car accident on the way to class. If you are approved to make up an exam, it MUST be made up within one week of returning to classes. All make-up exams will be in essay format."

My chair's response:  "It sounds like it's his problem now, not your problem." So I'm going to go with that. (Note that the student in question also missed the limited-time window for a make up, though given that last week was Thanksgiving....)