Arranging Accommodations for Exams

Below is information for faculty on providing accommodations for tests, quizzes, and other timed assessments. For more information on the rights and responsibilities of faculty in providing accommodations to students with disabilities, please read through the Rights and Responsibilities page.

STUDENTS

Students are expected to notify their faculty members of approved accommodations by providing them with an Accommodation Letter prepared with the student by Accessibility Services.

STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR:

• Approaching faculty in a timely manner each semester to provide a copy of their Accommodation Letter
  • • Students do have the right to disclose their accommodations at any point of the semester, however accommodations are not retroactive
    • While faculty cannot set a limited timeframe for accepting Accommodation Letters, they are not required to provide accommodations until receiving the letter
• Discussing arrangements for approved accommodations (as indicated in the Accommodation Letter) with faculty members, prior to each exam date, with ample time for the arrangements to be made
• Arriving prepared for each exam, at the scheduled time and location, as arranged; if a student is late to a scheduled exam, the end time does not need to be extended
  
  

FACULTY

Faculty are expected to arrange for providing accommodations for students directly, unless it is impossible or impractical to do so, as this provides you with the greatest control over the exam environment, and gives the student direct access to you in the event of questions or problems.

FACULTY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR:

• Keeping Accommodation Letters in a confidential location for reference throughout the semester
• Discussing appropriate options with students, who have provided an Accommodation Letter, in a confidential manner so as not disclose the names of the students to each other or others in the course
• Making arrangements for accommodations, and notifying students of available arrangements, for each exam:
  • • Faculty and/or the department’s Administrative Assistant are asked to reserve a room nearby to the classroom for students with accommodations, such as extended time or distraction reduced environment (in most cases, students with similar accommodations can be in the same room together; if a private exam location is recommended, the Accommodation Letter will specify a “separate testing environment”)
    • Extended time is based on what ALL students are allowed for time (for example, if all students have the option to arrive early, a student with 50% extended time would be permitted 50% more than the TOTAL time allowed), and location arrangements should be reserved accordingly
    • Faculty can arrange for a CA or TA to proctor if needed (or other student worker from the department)
• Contacting Accessibility Services, as needed, for consultation on arranging exam accommodations or assistance with identifying a proctor
• Additional information is available online:
  • • A description of the most common accommodations can be found on the Reasonable Accommodations Page
    • Answers to common questions faculty may have can be found on the Faculty FAQ Page
      
      

ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES

Accessibility Services can help you find a suitable location, or assist with identifying a proctor for the space you have reserved. On occasion, when other arrangements are not possible, an arrangement may be made for Accessibility Services to proctor an exam.

WHEN ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE FOR THE OFFICE TO PROCTOR AN EXAM:

• Exams are typically scheduled for proctoring within normal business hours (M-F, 8:30am – 5:00pm)
• Faculty are responsible for:
  • • Delivering the exam to the office (hardcopy or email)
    • Specifying any instructions, including any materials permitted by the student
    • Providing best method of contact during the exam time
• Accessibility Services is responsible for:
  • • Providing the exam and instructions to the students, and periodically checking in on the room to monitor the integrity of the exam environment
    • Relaying student questions to the faculty member by means of the contact information provided; the proctor will not explain or express opinions concerning the exam
    • Returning the completed exam to the faculty member, or departmental Administrative Assistant, as soon as possible, or emailing a scanned copy until delivery can be made; faculty can request other arrangements for delivery or pick-up in advance, such as delivering to a mailbox or personally picking up from the office
      
      

PLEASE NOTE

The best way to ensure accommodation arrangements are planned for ahead of time is to provide accurate exam dates and times in the syllabus, and discuss arrangements with students when receiving their Accommodation Letter.