“We are often asked for larger spaces than we can provide for finals,” University Registrar William Haid said in an email.

Main Gym will be furnished with eight-foot long tables and three chairs per table to accommodate approximately 400 students. The space is accessible for students with disabilities and can meet whatever accommodation the individual student requested, Haid said. 

Some students have raised concerns about taking finals in a non-classroom environment, but Haid said students should not be alarmed or concerned at the change. 

“Finals are routinely given in spaces that are not classrooms, such as the Price Center Theatre and Mandeville Theatre,” Haid said.

Although Price Center Theatre is not a traditional lecture hall, courses are regularly held there to accommodate for larger class sizes.

According to Haid, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Stanford, MIT, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Toronto and McGill University give their final exams in gymnasiums and non-classroom spaces.

“We would not schedule an exam in a space not appropriate,” Haid said.