Testing Accommodation Guidelines
Students who are eligible for testing accommodations, and instructors who receive notification of a student's eligibility for these, should review the following guidelines and contact DAR as soon as possible with questions or concerns.
Timing of student requests and faculty notification
To ensure there is sufficient time for coordination of testing accommodations, students must submit their course accommodation requests through the DAR student portal at least 10 days prior to an exam/quiz. This ensures that faculty will receive an accommodation notification email from DAR at least 1 week prior to the exam/quiz.
If faculty receive an accommodation notification email from DAR less than 1 week prior to an exam/quiz, DAR asks faculty to make reasonable efforts to provide accommodations within the available time frame, acknowledging that sometimes it may not be possible to coordinate testing accommodations without sufficient advance notice.
Clarifying logistics: The where and when
Once an instructor has received an accommodation notification email from DAR regarding a student’s eligibility to use testing accommodations, the instructor should communicate with the student in person or via email to clarify logistics prior to any upcoming exams/quizzes.
The instructor should inform the student of the following:
- Location where student will take their exam
- Start and end time, taking into account the student’s accommodations
- Location where student will pick up and drop off the exam, if applicable
Depending on the instructor's preference, a testing plan may be created for all exams/quizzes at the start of the semester, or coordination may take place prior to each test.
Booking a testing space: Instructions for faculty
If a reduced distraction or private testing room is needed for a student to take an exam, instructors may book a testing space by emailing Conference and Events Planning (CEP) at cep@reed.edu. Instructors may also assign students to use other available spaces, provided the space would offer the student a reduced-distraction testing setting.
If booking through Conference and Events Planning, CEP will typically reply within 24 hours. Depending on availability, CEP may book an empty classroom for use as a testing space, or they may book one of the spaces in the Library testing rooms.
- Prior to emailing CEP, review the student’s accommodation letter to determine whether the student requires a reduced distraction or a private testing space, as well as how much additional testing time the student will need.
- Email cep@reed.edu and include the following information in your request:
- Student's name
- Whether the student requires a reduced distraction or private testing space
- Start and end time for the room reservation
- Preferred building/location (eg, Library testing rooms, or Vollum, or as close as possible to Psych, etc). You may also include preferred alternative locations, in case your preferred location is not available.
- Once you have received your booking confirmation from CEP, email your student with the following information:
- Where and when to pick up and drop off their exam
- Their testing space reservation and time (example, Library 144 Space B, or Vollum 120). Note that there are two library testing rooms, and one of the rooms has 6 testing spaces, so be sure to specify which room/space the student has been assigned to.
- Their official exam start and end time.
*NOTE: Computers are not available in the Library testing rooms or in empty classrooms. Students will need to bring their own device if they will be taking an exam on a computer.
Library testing rooms
Students who require a reduced-distraction testing space may be assigned to take an exam in an empty classroom, another appropriate space, or in one of the Library testing rooms. Students assigned to the Library testing rooms will need to review the Library testing rooms web page for additional instructions on how to access the rooms.
Scheduling and travel time considerations
When calculating the start/end time for an exam, instructors should take into account travel time for the student. Keep in mind that students will need time to find their way to their new testing location, and if they are using the Library testing room, they will also need to check out a swipe card from the circulation desk before they can access the testing room. Travel time to and from the testing location should not be part of the student’s "on the clock" testing time.
Case scenario: Exam is originally scheduled to take place in Vollum from 10:00-11:00. Student is eligible for 1.5x extended time. Student is instructed to pick up exam in Vollum, take their exam in the Library, and return their completed exam to the professor’s office in Eliot. Sample schedule:
- Student picks up exam at 9:40 in Vollum, travels to Library, and checks into the testing room.
- Student begins exam at 10:00 and has until 11:30 to complete their exam.
- Student packs up their belongings and travels to Eliot. Student must return the exam to faculty office in Eliot by 11:50 am.
Scheduling conflicts
At times, a student’s use of testing accommodations may result in scheduling conflicts with other courses; overlapping exams; or a very long day of testing (e.g., more than 7 hours of testing in one day). In such cases, the student may ask their instructor to reschedule an exam for a different day or time. Students should preview their course and exam schedules, and contact faculty at least 1 week in advance to request rescheduling of an exam.
Proctoring
If a proctored exam is desired, each faculty member or department is responsible for proctoring their exam. Proctoring is not provided in the Library testing rooms.
Academic integrity and student confidentiality
All students who use testing accommodations are required to sign the following agreement once per semester. The signed agreement is saved in the DAR student portal.
“Please read and sign the following document, indicating you understand and agree to the terms associated with taking exams while using testing accommodations. The expectations outlined here are consistent with Reed’s academic conduct policies, which apply to every student at Reed.
Academic integrity and honesty are central components of a student’s education. Academic misconduct is a violation of Reed’s Honor Principle in its most fundamental form and is contrary to the idea of scholarship.
- I agree not to speak with anyone else about the contents of my exams. I will not seek information about exams from other students, nor share information about the contents of exams with other students.
- I agree to maintain student privacy and confidentiality by not speaking about any other students I may encounter who are using testing accommodations.
- I agree not to access any unauthorized materials or resources during an exam. Exam administrators have the right to stop any exam at any time if academic dishonesty is witnessed.
- I acknowledge that academic misconduct is subject to an academic penalty and/or a disciplinary sanction as noted in Reed’s academic conduct policies.