Testing Services - Information for Faculty/Staff

If the student has an accommodation for extended time, please extend the time associated with the exam. The student should get 2.0 times the amount of time the class is given.

A Self-Help ticket for extending time can be found at https://td.wku.edu/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=590

A “quiet testing environment” can be otherwise understood as a “low-distraction environment.” “Quiet Environment” does not guarantee silence or guarantee that the student will be alone. When meeting the "quiet environment" accommodations, the space should have minimal distractions (e.g. little to no foot traffic, conversations, phone calls, or other distractions in the room).

On the one hand, the instructor and student may prefer that the student takes exams at the SARC. On the other hand, there are benefits from the student testing with the professor, for example, they can ask the professor any questions that arise. The instructor can contact the SARC for assistance deciding where the student should test.

Students are provided accommodations in accordance with the American Disabilities Act (ADA). Be mindful of unintentional actions in violation of the ADA which include, but are not limited to:

• Asking the student to use the same time as their classmates
• Telling the student that they do not need extended test time
• Suggesting that a student do not need one or more of their accommodations
• Creating an exam that is more difficult than the exam given to the class
• Discussing their need for accommodations in front of their peers 

How To

Students are told to schedule their exams through our office, but the instructor may also schedule an exam with us. To schedule an exam through our office, please email sarc.testing@wku.edu with the date and time you would like the student to take the exam. 

Rescheduling Exams

Please contact the SARC office if you need the student to reschedule an exam. We ask students to contact both the instructor and the SARC when needing to reschedule exams. The SARC will only reschedule exams without consultation with the professor if (1) following SARC staff review, the student’s need for rescheduling is determined to be disability-related or (2) the exam materials were not received within 15 minutes of the student’s start time and contact cannot be made with the instructor or their respective department.

Exam Cancellations

If you are canceling an exam, please contact the SARC office and inform the student. 

Generally, the SARC Instructor Form is sent to the instructor once the student makes a request with our office. To get access to the Instructor Form, you can also email sarc.testing@wku.edu.  

Please specify all of the materials that the student is allowed to use on the instructor form. This includes, but is not limited to, scantrons, blue/green books, notes, textbooks, calculator, and/or scratch paper. The student will not be allowed access to ANY materials that are not delineated on the Instructor Form. The SARC will contact the instructor or their respective department with any questions or concerns.

Students are never allowed access to cellphones, smartwatches, or other devices during an exam. The SARC would prefer that professor do not grant students access to these devices. If a student needs access to a calculator or other resources, the SARC can make arrangements for the student. 

There are cameras used in all of the SARC's testing and storage areas. Video footage is monitored during the exam and can be reviewed by the SARC staff thereafter for quality assurance.

If a student is taking an exam on our computers, NetOp is used to restrict access to other programs and otherwise monitor their screen. 

When our office receives an exam, the exam is put into the student's file and is locked away until the day of the exam. All storage areas are monitored via video surveillance.

After the student takes the exam, the preferred delivery method will be implemented. If you request for the SARC office to scan and email you the exam, the exam will be shredded via Landshark Shredding soon after. 

Exams can be delivered to sarc.testing@wku.edu dropped off in DSU 1074, or faxed to 270-745-6589. We would prefer if materials were not sent via campus mail, since we cannot guarantee their timely arrival.

The completed exam materials can be hand-delivered, scanned and emailed, faxed, or picked up from the SARC. We will not send materials via campus mail or postal mail, except in unusual circumstances at the request of the professor.

The SARC office has three individual testing bays and two multi-occupancy rooms. All of the rooms are monitored by surveillance and all computers have the NetOp app.

Exams are proctored by SARC Staff & Interns. If you have any questions regarding the proctoring of the exam, please contact the SARC office. 

If the student has the appropriate accommodation, they may have access to a screenreader, typing, or dictation program. Some of our technology will not allow the student to use Respondus Lockdown Browser, but we have a program called NetOp to monitor their computer screens.

If an exam is 3 hours or longer, students will be permitted to have one bathroom break. Students are asked beforehand and the exam is split into two parts. Students can take the bathroom break in between submitting the first part and starting the next half. If the exam cannot be split up in this way, the SARC will work with the faculty and student to find a viable option.

If academic dishonesty is suspected, the SARC will terminate the exam immediately. The instructor will be emailed an incident report and access to the footage. A copy of the report will be sent to the Office of Student Conduct.

The instructor chooses the course of action regarding the incident. If the instructor determines there was no academic dishonesty or otherwise wishes to allow the student to complete/retake the exam in question, the student is welcome to do so in the SARC.