Senate Policy 117.1
Policy on Online Course Examinations
(Proposal 18-17)
To maintain the academic integrity of its online courses, Michigan Technological University
requires that students in online courses follow these guidelines for examinations*.
- Students that reside within a 30-mile radius of Michigan Tech must complete
examinations on campus at the Michigan Tech Testing Center (MTTC), with the
instructor, or with a designated proctor (as defined below). - Students outside of the 30-mile radius are responsible for finding a proctor (as
defined below) when taking exams at alternate location. - Students that cannot meet these requirements or who have special needs should
contact the instructor as soon as possible to request alternate arrangements, which
can reasonably be expected to maintain academic integrity at a level consistent with
those examples above.
*An “examination” is defined as a set of questions or exercises students are asked
to
complete individually in a limited amount of time (usually less than 3 hours) with
limited
access to outside resources, which constitutes more than 15% of an overall course
grade.
Students violating this policy are guilty of academic misconduct, and subject to disciplinary
actions as defined by Michigan Tech Senate Policy 109.1. Proctors who violate
examination rules or the academic integrity policy of Michigan Tech will be reported
to
their employers.
Proctor Guidelines
A proctor is a person that administers examinations to students within the parameters
established by the course instructor. Final proctor approval rests with the instructor.
Michigan Technological University instructors reserve the right to deny or terminate
a
proctor at any time, for any reason.
Michigan Tech requires that proctors regularly monitor students during examinations,
either in person or by video and audio. Proctors must be sufficiently proficient in
English to
fully understand and implement examination instructions.
Approved proctors are, in order of preference:
- A Michigan Tech faculty member, graduate student, or academic staff member.
- A staff member, administrator or educator at a designated testing center** affiliated
with another university, a military education center, or operating independently. - A person from the students' place of employment may proctor, with instructor
approval, provided there is not a direct reporting relationship. - A public librarian or a public library testing center staff member.
If none of the above is available, an online proctoring service can be arranged through
MTTC for an additional charge. An educator, counselor, librarian or administrator
in
another collegiate or high school educational system or other individual may also
be
designated with instructor approval. A proctor CANNOT be a relative, close personal
friend, student, spouse or significant other or anyone else who might appear to have
a
conflict of interest.
Michigan Tech students can take course exams with Michigan Tech faculty or through
the
MTTC free of charge. All other proctoring fees are the sole responsibility of the
student.
Students are responsible for providing all required proctor contact information indicated
on
the proctor form. An alternative method of providing equivalent information may be
specified by an instructor.
To allow adequate time for needed proctor-instructor communication, students should
provide this contact information to the instructor at least 5 business days before
an exam
occurs. Instructors should confirm its acceptability to students as soon as possible
after
receiving it. Emergencies due to proctor or student unavailability (proctor illness,
family
death, power outages, etc.) which require changes in proctoring arrangements within
this
5-day window should be communicated to the instructor as early as possible. Changes
will
be allowed at the instructor’s discretion. The instructor may require formal documentation
or proctor confirmation of the emergency.
**A designated testing center is defined as an organization or unit within an organization
that routinely provides classroom, accommodated, or sponsored examinations. This
organization should meet typical testing standards such as providing lockers for disallowed
materials, using security cameras, and verifying student identity. A list of such
testing
centers associated with the National Collegiate Testing Association (NCTA) can be
found
at http://www.ncta-testing.org/cctc/find.php.