William Burgess

william.burgess@mtsu.edu

Dr. Lance Alexis

Disability and Access Center

N/A

KUC Testing Center

N/A

N/A

The Disability & Access Center (DAC) has 11 rooms divided into 30 stations reserved within the KUC Testing Center for proctoring classroom exams as a service to faculty unable to provide approved accommodations. The DAC coordinates and oversees the administration of approximately 1,500 exams a year for students registered with the DAC who have been approved for test related accommodations such as extended time, a distraction reduced environment, assistance reading and/or writing, and assistive technologies. The DAC would like to better the service through the use of technology. The proposed computer purchase will provide machines capable of functioning smoothly while running assistive technologies such as screen reading software. This will provide the opportunities for those students who need assistance reading or writing to independently interact with their tests. Currently, DAC employees read and write for students, which has limitations—the test taker is not independent, another person means another distraction and we are called to do everything we can to reduce distractions, the students are used to technology not another person so there is an extra adjustment which adds a stressor to the stress already brought on by testing, and there have been instances when the student has claimed the reader and/or writer was at fault when a poor grade was attained. We also would like to better our service to faculty by increasing our ability to monitor the test takers through the addition of software that will allow DAC employees to directly monitor the test takers’ screens from stations within the DAC. The more measures the DAC takes to increase its ability to monitor students and provide concrete evidence when an academic honesty concern arises will make faculty feel more at ease. These additions will allow the DAC to elevate our test proctoring in ways that will be beneficial for students, faculty, and the office. The following is a list of abbreviations used in this request: UAW = Universally Accessible Workstation, LD = Learning Disabilities, PD = Physical Disabilities, VD = Visual Disabilities, * = Essential for operations and ** = Solution for current obstacles to equitable access.