Testing Information for Faculty

Confidentiality Notice:  Faculty and Staff have a responsibility to maintain confidentiality around student accommodations and any disabling conditions they may self-disclose.  Accommodation information is released on a need-to-know basis to ensure the student's equal access to the College and to assure compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Below you will find information organized for faculty regarding testing accommodations.  Testing accommodations are treated as a shared responsibility, meaning students may request these accommodations within the classroom environment but can also request to take the exam with SAS.  If you have additional questions, please contact tests@ithaca.edu. 

  • Students are responsible for scheduling tests at least five business days prior to the test date

  • Students must schedule exams using the  Alternative Testing Request Form 

  • Faculty should not schedule exams with SAS for the student since specific accommodation information is needed from the student

  • Students receiving their accommodations in the classroom only need to communicate their testing needs with the professor, and do not need to schedule through SAS

  • Once a request is submitted by a student, the professor and SAS will receive notification of the request

  • Faculty need to approve or deny the requested date and time through our online system 

  • Faculty can add denial reasoning or special exam instructions on the request form

  • SAS may follow-up with faculty about denials depending on their nature and the nature of the student’s accommodations   

If faculty are unable to provide accommodations for pop quizzes in the classroom, the following procedures should be followed: 

  • Five business days before the quiz faculty should email tests@ithaca.edu with the quiz, the student’s name, the date/time of the quiz, how long students in class will have for the quiz, and detailed instructions 

  • Pop quizzes cannot be uploaded through AIM because the student will not be able to schedule them through the online portal

  • Faculty will need to tell SAS that the student should not be made aware of the quiz 

  • On the day of the quiz the professor will send the student to SAS.

  • Please do so in a way that does not publicly identify the student as an individual with a disability.  Emailing the student shortly before the start of the pop quiz is an option. 

  • Please note that some SAS students may prefer to take pop quizzes in the classroom

Please send tests to SAS as soon as possible or at least 24 hours in advance of the exam date.  This enables us to process them based on accommodation needs such as alternate format, and to securely package your exam for the proctor.  

Uploading exams through our Alternative Testing Request Form is the best and preferred method of sending a test to SAS. By doing so you ensure that the exam is inherently attached to the correct procedurally generated exam request eliminating exam administration errors. 

Alternative Testing Request Form 

  • This is the quickest and most secure way to submit your exam to SAS.  Upload the exam through the Alternative Testing page and SAS will print it for each of your students.

  • Exams submitted online are accessible only by SAS staff. 

  • You only need to upload one exam, and SAS will provide it to all students in that class/section.

Manual Delivery 

  • Manual delivery of exams is discouraged for several reasons:

    • Certain accommodations, like alternate format, require a digital copy.   

    • We cannot easily duplicate for multiple students.  

    • Does not automatically connect test to request submitted by student.

  • If you must manually deliver an exam you may hand it off, in a campus envelope, to an SAS team member in the Garden Level of the Peggy Ryan Williams Center, between 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, during the regular semester or between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM during finals week.

  • To ensure the correct test is given to your student, please include:

    • Student’s name 

    • Course name 

    • How long the class will have for the exam 

    • Date and time of the exam  

    • Any special instructions (e.g. what color scantron is needed) 

Email 

  • Email is discouraged because it does not connect the test to the student request.

  • If you must email, send the test to tests@ithaca.edu.  

  • To ensure the correct test is given to your student, please include:

    • Student’s name 

    • Course name 

    • How long the class will have for the exam 

    • Date and time of the exam  

    • Any special instructions (e.g. what color scantron is needed) 

SAS attempts to recreate the environment (including test procedures, allowable items, etc.) that the student would have in the classroom testing environment. Special instructions, not listed in the Testing Agreement, should be included in the Notes section of the AIM request form.  These include: 

  • Is the test broken up into multiple parts?

  • Are audio files included? 

  • Any other information needed for exam administration 

  • Exams taken online are submitted to faculty through the exam portal (Canvas, Connect, etc.).

  • Completed exams, not taken online, will be uploaded to the instructor page in the Testing Center portal by 2:00 the following day 

  • Any remaining exams, that are designated as “hold for professor” will be uploaded to the instructor page in the Testing Center portal if not picked up by the end of the following day 

Extended Time 

Extended Time is provided to students at the rate specified within the accommodation plan letter.  The calculations are determined by the amount of time the class has for the exam.  Extended time is allowed only for students whose documentation supports this need and is not provided to all SAS students. 

Low Distraction 

Low distraction environments attempt to limit distractions such as noise, windows, other students, etc.  Whenever possible SAS provides: 

  • White noise machines 

  • Access to ear plugs 

  • Blocked windows 

  • No more than 10-13 students per room 

  • Separated workspaces 

  • Scheduling considerations 

Isolation 

Isolated testing allows a student to take a test in a room by themselves.  This may be provided for students who are unable to focus in a room with others, or who may be the source of distraction to others.  Students who read out loud, have certain medical conditions, or who need to move around the test space will require an isolated space.  Isolated students are monitored by an SAS proctor.

Auditory Presentation of Test 

SAS readers provide an auditory presentation of the exam, verbatim, without interpreting the content for the student.  Readers do not assist in answering the exam questions.  Some students will also use assistive technology to have the exam read to them electronically. 

Scribe 

A scribe will record exam responses, verbatim, from the test taker, via Scantron or essay.  The scribe will then read the responses back to the student for accuracy. 

Use of a Computer 

Computers are provided as an accommodation for students who use assistive technology or for exams with writing components.  Students may not use outside resources or have internet access without professor approval and are monitored by SAS staff to ensure test security. 

Computers for exams that require audio/visual files or use of Canvas or other electronic resources can be provided to students without this accommodation upon request.  Please inform SAS several days in advance that a computer will be needed.

Enlarged Font 

To ensure formatting as well as the prevention of unintentional distortion of images or charts, faculty should enlarge the font before sending the exam to SAS.  The font size is found on the AIM request form in the notes section.  SAS can assist faculty who are unsure of how to enlarge an exam if appropriate time is given along with a digital Word document of the exam. 

Tests at Alternate Time 

Tests at alternate time can be both proactive and reactionary.  Some students may have disabilities that require extra time on tests, who cannot take more than one exam per day, or who may require consideration around the time of day.  

This accommodation may also support students who have emergent disabilities that may unexpectedly exacerbate, resulting in a reconsideration of the exam time.  

Students must communicate when this accommodation is needed so that faculty, the student, and SAS can work together on an alternate time that does not detract from the course objective and fits scheduling needs. Tests must be made up within a reasonable timeframe or the alternate time accommodation may be nullified. 

Breaks During Exams 

Students who need breaks during exams, as documented in their accommodation plan, must leave their test material with the proctor and may not take their belongings with them.  Proctors are aware of how long students are gone and monitor them when they return.