Faculty Information

Testing Services coordinates accommodated classroom testing on behalf of instructors for students with disabilities who are registered with Accessibility Resources. Students intending to utilize accommodations must notify instructors by presenting an emailed Accommodation Form originating from Accessibility Resources. Students are encouraged to engage the instructor in how their needs will be met throughout the semester, and then each instructor should acknowledge the Accommodation Form sent by the student. Instructors are encouraged to keep a copy of the emailed Accommodation Form for their records.  

Instructors are welcome to provide accommodated testing services to students. If instructors are unable to or prefer not to, Testing Services can be utilized to proctor tests for students. If you would like to provide these accommodations directly to the student, Testing Services' staff is happy to assist you in ensuring that the accommodations you provide are in compliance with ADA law.

Testing Services' professional staff and graduate student workers take the security of instructors' exams very seriously. Instructors and teaching assistants are welcome to stop by our office to view the facility's security features and meet our staff.

If instructors elect to have their students utilize Testing Services, the following procedures outline the faculty, student, and Testing Services roles and procedures.

1. Student presents an emailed Accommodation Form. The student will send the instructor an emailed Accommodation Form, which the instructor will review and acknowledge to the student. If an instructor has questions about an accommodation listed on the Form, they should contact Accessibility Resources (contact information at bottom of webpage) for clarification. Instructors may maintain a copy of the student’s Accommodation Form for record-keeping.
2. Student uses the Accommodated Registration System. Students will utilize an online registration system to register to take their exams. Student requests must be made three days prior to the date of the test for tests given during the term and one week prior to the day of the test for finals. They may register any time from the first day of the term. Students that do not follow this timeframe will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and may have to take the test with the rest of the class and without accommodations. As an alternative, instructors can also provide the student with testing accommodations.
3. Students must schedule their exams for the same time the class will be taking the exam. Students are instructed to schedule their tests for the same time as the rest of the class; however, this may not be possible in all situations. There are two situations that may cause the student to request an alternate time:
   • The student's accommodations would cause their test to overlap with another class. If the student receives extended time, for example, and has a class immediately following yours, you must allow them to test at an alternate time so that they receive their full accommodation. You may choose this time as long as it fits into the student's class schedule and the Testing Services hours of operation. You may also proctor the exam for the student on your own at a mutually agreed upon time.
   • If the time of the test falls outside of Testing Services business hours, we ask that you work with the student to find a time that is suitable for you both for the student to test. Throughout the semester, and including finals week, testing is available 8:00am to 8:00pm Monday through Friday. All tests must be finished by the closing time, including any time extensions received by the student.
   • If the student requests to test at a time other than when the class is taking the test for any reason other than those just mentioned, you have the right to approve or deny that request at your discretion, as you would with any other student request to reschedule an exam.
4. Instructors receive automated emails. When a student registers to take an exam in Testing Services, instructors receive an automatic confirmation email with information regarding the testing appointment. Please review the information carefully, and reach out to the student with any issues regarding the date and/or time the student has chosen. If the student requests to test at a time other than when the class is taking the test for any reason other than those just mentioned, you have the right to approve or deny that request at your discretion, as you would with any other student request to reschedule an exam.
5. Instructors submit testing materials to Testing Services. In the confirmation email, there is a list of options for test submission and a link to our Accommodated Testing Cover Sheet. You may fill out this form and select the "Submit" button to submit the form and test to us via email. You may also send us the test via campus mail (ML 0078) or drop it off in person at 1000 French Hall West. We strongly discourage allowing students to handle blank or completed exams, although we do have white, 9x13 envelopes with the cover sheet printed on it that can be used for students to pick up their tests from you. Except for extreme or unusual circumstances, Testing Services will not deviate from the instructions on the cover sheet without explicit instructions from the instructor. For this reason, we strongly encourage instructors to provide an email address and/or cell phone number where they may be reached during the exam.
   
6. Testing Services proctors and exam return. The completed test will be returned according to the details that instructors list on the Accommodated Test Cover Sheet (email, campus mail (not recommended due to inability to track), hold for pickup in our office, or student return). We strongly discourage allowing students to handle blank or completed exams, but we do have yellow 9x13 envelopes that can be used for student return. Testing Services will seal the yellow envelope with special red tape that makes tampering evident. Once a student leaves an office with their exam for student return, Testing Services is no longer responsible for the exam. Testing Services makes every effort to scan and return exams within 24 hours of the student completing the exam. We will include beginning and ending test times, materials used, and any incidents noted with the returned tests. For any tests that are scanned and emailed, we will hold the paper copy of the exam for 30 days in a locked filing cabinet and then shred it, unless you give us other instructions.

• Testing Services suggests to students that when they share their Accommodation Forms to you, they have a conversation with you (in-person, over the phone or virtually) to discuss the specifics of their accommodations and how they will be met for the term.. The discussion could include letting the students know how exams will be delivered to Testing Services, such as if the student should remind you in person or email prior to each test or if the reminder email sent by the registration system will suffice, if there is a TA who also needs to be notified of the exam, when the student may take exams that fall outside of Testing Services normal hours, etc. It is the student's responsibility to initiate this discussion with you.
• Students are entitled to accommodations by this process only if they are registered with Accessibility Resources and follow the required registration procedures. Please do not send students to receive testing accommodations unless they are registered with Accessibility Resources. Accessibility Resources is happy to assist students with understanding the process to become registered. 
  
• If you are a Course Coordinator in your department, please contact Coordinators, Liz Wright (main campus), or Mike Forbes (health campus) to discuss details on how we can work together to make the testing process as smooth as possible for you and the instructors you represent, students with testing accommodations, and Testing staff.