Testing Policies and Procedures

Policies and Procedures for Accessibility Resources Assessment Administration

We are pleased to collaborate with you to provide services to students with disabilities who receive assessment accommodations. As a reminder, Accessibility Resources (AR) assessment administration is an option to assist in providing testing accommodations to students with disabilities but is not the only way to implement testing accommodations. Assessment administration through AR is only available to registered students with disabilities. For additional information about assessment administration, contact AR at accessibility@rmc.edu or (804) 752-3152.

General Procedures

• Students, not faculty, should schedule their assessments with AR. Exceptions may be made for pop quizzes. To Faculty: Please contact us to discuss further.
• Students should take their assessments when the rest of the class is scheduled to take them. Exceptions to this must be approved by faculty and AR and must be requested for an appropriate reason. Some examples include if an assessment would extend beyond the AR hours of operation or when a student has a class before and after the regular assessment period and, as a result, would not be able to utilized an approved assessment accommodation of extended time.
• Assessment administrators may not explain or express opinions concerning the test; however, clarifications for specific purposes (directions, procedures, etc.) may be given.
• All assessments are monitored by video surveillance equipment in addition to an in-person proctor.
• Unauthorized aids, notes, electronics, phones, etc., and cheating of any kind will result in termination of the assessment and will be reported to the faculty member. In addition, all college guidelines for academic integrity also apply to exams administered by AR.
• AR will NOT proctor assessments for remote classes, take home exams, or assessments where the rest of the class is not proctored.

Procedures for faculty

• If possible, please provide a copy of the assessment to AR at least one day before it is to be administered.
• Please email the assessment to accessibility@rmc.edu (preferred), or upload to DSO Portal.
• Include the faculty member’s name, phone number, email address, the student’s name, course information, and any pertinent information or instructions related to the administration of the examination. For example: how much time the class will receive to complete the assessment, if the assessment is open book/notes, if use of a calculator or formula sheet is allowed, etc. Please include a list of all permissible supplementary materials. Any materials not listed will not be allowed into the testing area. Additionally, it is important to provide a point of contact which can be utilized during the assessment administration should problems or questions arise.
• Completed assessments will be emailed back to faculty or returned to Peele mailboxes. We will not return exams to faculty offices, nor hold for pickup at the AR Office. Assessments requiring Blue Books cannot be emailed back to faculty due to difficulties with scanning. If a faculty member requires these assessments to be returned via email, students will be asked to complete the assessment on lined paper provided by AR.

Procedures for Students

• Students should schedule their assessment with AR at least one week ahead of the assessment date (two weeks for finals) by utilizing the web scheduling form, or paper form available in-person at AR. AR may not be able to accommodate assessments scheduled with less than the required notice!
• All exams are monitored by video surveillance equipment.
• Students should ask their faculty member, prior to their assessment, what supplementary materials, if any, are needed and whether students are required to supply them (ex. calculator, course notes, table of elements, equation sheet etc.). Supplementary materials may be examined by a test administrator prior to the start of the assessment to ensure academic integrity. Students should not bring anything with them to the testing space that has not been previously approved by AR or the faculty member.
• Students taking assessments with audio sections or who will be utilizing Read and Write Gold should bring their own headphones. Bluetooth headphones will not be permitted.
• When students arrive in the testing area, they will be asked to store backpacks and other items in the provided cubbies. Before entering the testing space, students will be asked to empty their pockets of all items except those required for their assessment. Please eat, drink, and/or use the restroom as needed prior to arriving for your assessment.
• Once students enter the testing space, they are asked to pick-up any needed materials from the testing cart prior to sitting in their assigned testing station. The testing cart contains basic materials such as scantrons, pencils, ear plugs, and scrap paper. Please note: Only take enough paper that you will use. All excess material will be thrown away after assessment completion.
• Students must be on time. When students are late, the amount of time they miss is subtracted from their allotted test-taking session. If students are more than 30 minutes late, they will not be allowed to complete the assessment without permission from the faculty member.
• An assessment administrator may periodically check on students throughout their assessment. Please expect these brief interruptions to occur.
• Students should ask for permission from an assessment administrator to leave the testing area for any reason. Any breaks from testing will be monitored.
• Other students may be testing near you and/or in the rooms around you. Students are asked to keep noise to a minimum when they arrive for their assessment, when in the HAC lobby, and when leaving the testing area.
• AR staff will collect all testing materials at the conclusion of your assessment unless instructed otherwise by the faculty member. Please do not throw away or leave the testing area with any testing materials, including any permissible supplementary materials such as course notes.