OFFICIAL

Policy and Procedure Statement 2.17

Proctoring Distance Learning Examinations

Issued: 6/04

(29 paragraphs)

Review Cycle: June 1, ENY

 

Review Date: 6/01/06

 

Reviewer: Director, Office of Correspondence, Extension & Study Abroad Programs

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

1.      Texas State is committed to meeting the needs of distance-learning students who for whatever reason are unable to complete course examinations at the university campus.

2.      The population of distance learners and course offerings is growing and requires the university to develop a policy and procedure that addresses the administering of proctored examinations for resident credit.

3.      Faculty use of the procedure outlined in this document is voluntary. However, faculty who choose to use this procedure are expected to identify the use of proctored examinations in their course syllabus and notify the Office of Extended & Distance Learning that proctored examinations will be administered.

4.      This PPS identifies the procedure for students requesting an examination to be proctored, criteria for approving an examination site, proctor responsibilities, and procedures for administering examinations by a proctor.

PURPOSE
  1. The purpose of this PPS is to establish policy and procedure relating to the administration of examinations for resident credit courses at sites where the instructor and student are geographically separated. The procedure outlined in this PPS is often referred to as a proctored examination.
  2. Proctored examinations for distance learners may be administered via “paper and pencil” or electronically via the Internet. The method chosen is the prerogative of the instructor of record.
  3. This PPS conforms to the rules and regulations of the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System (BOR), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), and to the quality standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

POLICY
  1. In order for a proctored examination to be administered at a site where the instructor and student are geographically separated, a procedure must be followed that ensures the integrity of the academic examination process. Proctoring examinations involve the student, the instructor of record, the proctor, and the examination site.

PROCEDURE
  1. It is the responsibility of the instructor of record to determine if an examination is to be proctored. The instructor reserves the right to establish any specifications related to the administration of the examination including but not limited to date and time of the examination, materials to be included and not included, and hardware and software requirements. Specifications must be sent to the Office of Extended & Distance Learning a minimum of two weeks prior to the examination date.
  2. A student and/or a faculty member can propose a secured test site. However, such proposals (which state site name and contact information including email address) must be submitted to the Office of Extended & Distance Learning for approval. Since this approval process may take some time, both students and faculty should submit proposed sites early in a given semester. In addition, the Office of Extended & Distance Learning will keep a list of approved sites on record so that both students and faculty can select from this list rather than having to locate a site themselves. While faculty can choose to use unsecured testing environments without an approval process, secured testing sites must have prior approval so that appropriate proctor and equipment needs can be met.
  3. When an approved secured test site has been identified, the Office of Extended & Distance Learning will send a copy of this PPS to the test site administrator, unless other arrangements are made.
  4. When a proctored examination is to be administered in hard copy and sent by mail, the instructor must send the examination to the Office of Extended & Distance Learning a minimum of two weeks prior to the examination date. If the examination is to be transmitted or administered electronically, it is not necessary for the Office of Extended & Distance Learning to receive a copy of the examination. If the examination is to be sent via email, it is the prerogative of the instructor of record to send it directly to the test site administrator.
  5. A proctored examination location must be a secure testing site. The following are approved proctored examination locations for distance-learning courses:
    • testing centers (e.g., commercial or institutional),
    • Texas State University-San Marcos campus locations (e.g., San Marcos Testing Center ) or centers (e.g., RRHEC), or
    • other educational institutions, military bases, and public libraries at the discretion of the instructor of record.
  6. It is the responsibility of the test site administrator to select a qualified proctor.
  7. A proctor must be a qualified professional staff member of one of the institutions listed in #12 above. All proctors must administer a test at the approved testing site.
  8. A proctor may not be a family member or a co-worker.
  9. Students request an opportunity to take a test at an approved location by having a Testing Agreement Form (Attachment A) completed by the site administrator. The site administrator determines whether they can fulfill the request. If they can, the site administrator signs the form and along with the student's signature, returns the form to the Office of Extended & Distance Learning. If they can't, the student must seek another site to take the test.
  10. Distance-learning students are responsible for payment of all fees associated with costs of administering proctored examinations. In most cases, the administering site will charge the student directly at the time the examination is administered.
  11. A student may not take a proctored examination unless a Testing Agreement Form (Attachment A) is on file in the Office of Extended & Distance Learning at least two weeks prior to the examination date.
  12. Proctors are responsible for providing an appropriate examination environment (See Attachment B) and answering questions about examination taking, but not questions about examination content.
  13. The Office of Extended & Distance Learning will send examinations with instructions to testing site administrators. Instructions should include information related to administering the test, e.g., materials to be included and not included, date of test, time of test, length of exam taking.
  14. It is the prerogative of the testing site to determine if a fee will be charged for administering the examination and returning the forms and examinations to Texas State University .
  15. If examinations are to be administered electronically (e.g., Internet), the Extended & Distance Learning Office will communicate specific instructions (including passwords) to the testing site. The Extended & Distance Learning Office will provide contact information to the testing site in the case of a technological problem.
  16. When the examination is a hard copy or an electronic document, the proctor is responsible for keeping the examination secure prior to and immediately following the taking of the examination; notifying the Office of Extended & Distance Learning or the instructor of record that the examination has been received; and sending taken, as well as untaken examinations, to the Office of Extended & Distance Learning immediately following the examination period.
  17. Both the student and proctor are required to sign the Proctor Report Form (Attachment C), which is sent to the Office of Extended & Distance Learning. If the examination is written, the Form is sent along with the examination. If any irregularities occurred during the examination, the proctor and student identify them on the Proctor Report Form.
  18. The Extended & Distance Learning Office maintains a record of all Testing Agreement and Proctor Report Forms for the semester in which they are applicable and forwards a copy of the Forms to the instructor of record.
  19. The testing site sends written examinations directly to the Office of Extended & Distance Learning upon completion of the examination.
  20. When a proctored examination is to be completed online, there is an expectation the proctor will be technologically proficient to administer the examination.
  21. In order to supervise an online-proctored test, a test site must have the minimum hardware and software as specified in Attachment D.

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

  1. This PPS has been approved by the reviewer listed below and represents Texas State's Division of Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

Review Cycle: _____________________________

Review Date: _______________________

Reviewer: ________________________________

Date: _____________________________

Approved: ________________________________

Date: _____________________________

 

Perry Moore

 

 

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

 

 

Texas State University-San Marcos
Last Updated: June 28, 2005
Send comments and questions to: sr27@txstate.edu