Students are expected to take all examinations on the scheduled dates. The course director determines the rescheduling of an examination if circumstances warrant (e.g., documented illness, previously identified religious holiday, or death in the family). If a student fails to take a scheduled examination without obtaining permission from the course director prior to the examination, the student will receive a “zero” on that scheduled examination. Examinations are timed and the examinee will be given no extra time to complete the examination unless the student at the start of the semester is assessed by the Office of Accessible Education Services.
All students that have accommodations to take an exam in another area will be scheduled with the Program Office to be taken in a designated room, which can be observed by faculty and staff members of the LMU-Tampa PA Program or a representative from the Office of Accessible Education Services.
The purpose of creating a computer-based written exam policy under the SMS is to maintain exam integrity, ensure compliance, manage risks, and mitigate software threats, and set appropriate expectations for students across all programs.
To maintain a secure and fair testing environment, the following policies apply on exam day:
- Arrival and Entry: Students are expected to arrive prior to the start of exams according to the guidelines set by the individual program. Students who do not arrive early for the exam may not be eligible to take the exam.
- Required Materials: Students must bring their testing device (laptop, etc.), power cord, and privacy screen (if applicable) with them on the day of the exam. Students must ensure the exam is downloaded (if applicable) to their device before exam day, as instructed per individual programs.
- Permissible Items: See individual program policies for permissible items and resources. Possession of unauthorized devices (e.g., phones, watches) will be considered cheating and is a violation of academic integrity policies.
- Confidentiality and Integrity: Exam content is confidential. Any discussion, dissemination, or congregation to discuss the exam is a violation of academic integrity and may result in a referral to the individual program’s Student Progress Committee (SPC) or designated faculty committee according to the program’s handbook.
- Exam Conduct: Students must remain silent in the exam area and are not permitted to communicate with others. Students should notify the proctor(s) of any technical issues; students must not engage the proctor(s) for exam content questions, if applicable.
- Finishing the Exam: Students must submit the exam when completed and show confirmation of the completed exam to the proctor or proctoring software. Failure to follow these submission procedures may result in penalties.
- Academic Integrity: Any attempt to disable exam software security or engage in dishonest behavior, including unauthorized possession or duplication of exam questions, use of unapproved materials, or unauthorized collaboration, is strictly prohibited and will lead to disciplinary action.
Individual programs may establish instructions or guidelines according to their individual program needs. These additional programmatic guidelines would supplement this policy and not supersede it.
Definitions
- Proctor: Person(s) responsible for supervising students or test-takers during an examination to ensure it is conducted fairly and securely
- Privacy screen: A thin, removable filter that attaches to a laptop screen to limit the viewing angle; enhances privacy by preventing others from viewing the contents of the screen from the side
- Exam software: Digital platform or application designed to create, administer, and manage exams electronically
Compliance
Potential consequences or penalties for failing to comply with this policy will be determined by the LMU-Tampa PA Program Student Progress Committee (SPC) or designated faculty committee according to the LMU-Tampa PA Program Handbook.