Professors Administering Exams with Accommodations

If a professor has agreed to provide exam accommodations, the student should have submitted their Letter of Accommodations and discussed how the exam accommodations will be administered. Students should submit an exam request form to our office and ODS will provide a confirmation of the students accommodations to the faculty member prior to their exam.  

This page will outline some important information to help professors understand how to make appropriate testing arrangements if they choose to accommodate a student's exam accommodations.

Things to remember:

  • You are not alone. ODS is here to answer any questions, and assist professors as needed.
  • Respect the students confidentiality. It is recommended that the professor and the student speak in private when discussing the exam arrangements.
  • Read the Letter of Accommodations. All of the student's approved accommodations are listed on the student's Letter of Accommodations. Students are responsible for ensuring that their Letter of Accommodation meets their needs for their particular courses. If there are any changes necessary or the letter does not address the specific needs, the student is responsible for notifying ODS as soon as possible.
  • If professors have questions about any of exam accommodations, the professor should contact the student's coordinator listed on the bottom of the Letter of Accommodations.

Professors or Departments should provide appropriate exam arrangements:

  • Adhering to equal standards. The student should take their exam under the same conditions (i.e multi-part exams, use of a calculator) applied to other students in the class.
  • Securing appropriate space. All testing arrangements should be in a quiet location away from distractions, such as: ringing phones, typing sounds, running copier machines, loud fans, and areas with high foot traffic. For these reasons, offices or hallways are not ideal testing locations.
  • Adhering to the accommodations listed on the Letter of Accommodations.  Keep in mind that in many cases the student will be approved for extended time, which may run beyond the time a class is scheduled in the room. Please make arrangements with the student that allow for the extended time and provide an adequate testing environment.

 

Did You Know?

The Office of Disability Services has a dedicated exam testing space, room A137 in Lucy Stone Hall. This room is just across the hall from our exam check-in office, LSH A138, and will accommodate students in a private, quiet environment.