For instructors with students taking accommodated exams with DRC Testing Center, action is needed by March 18

Last updated: March 9, 2022

Due to a decrease in stigma surrounding disability on Purdue’s campus and the rising number of students with invisible disabilities related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Disability Resource Center (DRC) Testing Center experienced exponential growth that led to a 353% increase in tests proctored from Spring 2021 to Fall 2021.

Instructors always have the option to implement testing accommodations themselves, but the DRC can assist by providing space, proctoring, and other testing resources. However, with such a significant expansion of the department, students and instructors who wish to use DRC services during finals week are reminded of a few upcoming deadlines. It is vital that students and instructors do their part in the weeks leading up to final exams so the staff of the DRC Testing Center have enough time to schedule overflow rooms, copy exams and schedule the appropriate number of proctors for each test.

Generally, students using DRC testing services need to be registered for their exams five business days prior to the exam date. For finals, however, students who plan to use DRC testing services need to be registered for each exam by 5 p.m. March 31. If students fail to register, they will need to work with their professors to figure out alternate arrangements to receive their accommodations.

Faculty also have an important deadline of their own. By March 18, faculty need to have submitted a Finals Testing Instruction form, or TIF, for every class in which they are administering a final exam with the DRC. Students will not be able to register for accommodated exams with the DRC until instructors have completed their TIF. To do so or to learn about the process, faculty can visit the Final Exam Information tab on the DRC’s website.

While this may seem early, this gives the DRC Testing Center staff four weeks before finals to get everything done, from creating seating charts to reserving private rooms. Compounded with a 173% increase of students using the DRC Testing Center’s services (from Fall 2015 to Fall 2021), the staff is working to organize and plan finals in numbers they haven’t seen since before the pandemic.

Kelsey Jordan, assistant director and Testing Center manager, started planning Spring 2022 finals over the summer after being somewhat surprised by the number of students who registered for final exams, which matched pre-pandemic numbers.

“We had such high demand that we had issues trying to get staff scheduled," Jordan said. "This semester, we're trying to be proactive to prepare for even higher anticipated demand.”

Kelsey Jordan, DRC Assistant Director & Testing Center Manager, sits in her office in Stewart Center.

Not only does meeting the March 18 deadline help ensure smooth planning and execution of Spring 2022 finals, but it also ensures that faculty will not have to make any alternative arrangements for students, because this responsibility will fall to the DRC Testing Center.

The DRC Testing Center aims to support faculty in their efforts toward providing students with accommodations. For example, Jordan proactively reached out to professors during the week of the winter storm that resulted in a three-day long snow day. Jordan contacted faculty members like Dr. Donna Fekete, who had an exam scheduled at the end of the week.

Fekete teaches Biology 203 and 204, and a typical exam consists of approximately 1,100 students. Because Fekete’s exam was scheduled for Wednesday night, Jordan identified her as a faculty member whose plans might be disrupted by the storm.

“She got in touch with me early that week and said, ‘What are your backup plans?’” Fekete said.

“She kind of got me to just sort of get proactive, and I didn’t think that I was allowed to reschedule an exam unless the university had closed, but I finally ended up talking (to the registrar) because she spurred me on.”

The communication between Jordan and Fekete allowed both parties to have time to create backup plans and helped them schedule the exam for the following week.

“So with our collaboration, it helped, not just for DRC students, but also for her to have a plan for her regular class,” Jordan said.

This collaboration between Jordan and Fekete ensured that the students were not negatively impacted by things outside of their control, a goal that consistently guides the DRC and the DRC Testing Center.

To learn more about the Disability Resource Center or the DRC Testing Center, visit their website.