Test Center

Faculty Information

 

The Test Center is located on the third floor of Bancroft Annex, Room 312. Our hours of operation are:

Fall/ Spring: Monday – Thursday from 8:00am – 5:30pm and Friday from 9:00am - 1:30pm.

Summer Hours: Monday – Thursday from 8:00am - 5:00pm and CLOSED on Friday.
All testing is by appointment only. Staff and seating are limited.

 

The Office of Accessibility works with 5-600 students each year and the majority have testing accommodations. Slow and busy testing times are interwoven. Many of these students need extended time. Whether they actually use it or not, the Test Center must plan the schedule based on the potential length of time needed. We appreciate you working with us and thank you for your continued support!

 

Who can use the Test Center?

• Winthrop students registered for testing accommodations through the Office of Accessibility. They are located on the third floor of Bancroft Annex, Room 307 and can be reached at ext. 3290.
   
  • NOTE: Student’s registered with the Office of Accessibility for testing accommodations may take their make-up exam at the Test Center ONLY if they were scheduled with us for the original test date For example, if the student originally requested to make use of their testing accommodations (e.g., extended time, Word, reduced distraction environment, etc.) with the Test Center, but for whatever reason, was unavailable on the day of the test, they could take their make-up exam at the Test Center (with the instructor's approval per the classroom make-up policy). If the student was not originally scheduled to take a test at the OA Test Center, the student would need to speak directly to their instructor regarding their make-up options.

• Non-Winthrop Distance Learning students.

• Individuals in the community needing proctored standardized tests.

 

What security measures are in place?

• All students are required to present their Winthrop student ID upon arrival to the Test Center. No tests will be administered without proper identification.

• Typically, tests are to be taken in one sitting unless a student has an accommodation that would necessitate bathroom breaks. You will be notified if your student leaves the room for any reason during testing. Because classroom policies vary on this matter, any action taken beyond that notification is at your discretion.

• Test proctors utilize random walk-throughs, security mirrors, computer monitoring software, and lockdown browser software to ensure academic integrity.

• Students are limited to approved testing materials at the test stations. Lockers are provided to store their personal belongings.

• In the event of testing irregularities, a report documenting the incident will be sent to you and the Dean of Student’s Office. Signs indicating this reporting policy are posted at each test station as an additional deterrent.

 

What can I expect if I have a student who uses the Test Center?

• Students registered with the Office of Accessibility for testing accommodations, must request that their professors receive a Letter of Accommodation. This letter will notify you of their approved accommodations. Once that happens, you will use the link provided in the letter to approve any Alternative Testing Agreements for the semester. This can be customized per individual student or for that entire section of the course.  You may also submit an Alternative Testing Agreement through the Faculty AIM portal. Enter the same login credentials as you would use for your Winthrop email account and Wingspan.
• If a student has registered with the Office of Accessibility for testing accommodations, they will sign a Test Center Guidelines form. You may view the Test Center Guidelines.

• Students are required to request all tests at least 5 business days in advance to ensure timely processing. This allows adequate time to locate seating availability, work out any accommodations, contact you for approval, and for you to submit testing materials/instructions. Students must log in to our AIM software to request each exam they plan on taking at the OA Test Center. To schedule their exam, they must log in to the Student AIM Portal. Under the "My Accommodations" tab, they will select "Alternative Testing." From there, they will find their class schedule and select "Schedule an Exam."
  
  
• If you are experiencing students frequently not honoring the 5 business days rule, please help us reinforce the importance of adequate notice. Students have a tendency to wait until the last minute and neither you, nor Test Center staff, can operate on such short notice.

• To ensure academic integrity, we ask students to schedule when the rest of their classmates are taking the exam. Please keep in mind that some testing accommodations may require that a student test outside of your classroom hours (e. extended time will interfere with another class or cause student to go past our hours of operation). If the student has reached out to you and, due to extenuating circumstances, is requesting to test at a different time than the class, it is ultimately up to you to approve or deny the request.

• You may drop tests off at the Test Center and pick them up upon completion. If dropping tests off, please be mindful of the preparation that goes into preparing for a student’s accommodation. For example, some students use computer software that reads the test to them. That means the Test Center assistant must convert the test to a compatible format and place it on a flash drive. This is not easily done at the last minute.
  
  
• You may also scan and email tests as an attachment. Tests can be returned that way, as well. Please be advised, blue books are difficult to scan and your student will be given lined notebook paper as an alternative.

Other OA Test Center Resources and Info

Frequently Asked Questions for Accessible Online Classes

OA Accessibility Guidelines

Questions or Concerns?

We always welcome feedback. If you have suggestions that would improve the scheduling process or other concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the Test Center Operations Manager, Karen Medlin. Her office is located on the third floor of Bancroft Annex, Room 311 and she can also be reached at ext. 6173.