Exam Accommodation Policy

Students with disabilities have a legal right to alternative exam accommodations to ensure their academic knowledge is being fairly evaluated.

A fair testing situation suitable to the disability must be provided. Some appropriate accommodations may be a private room, accessible test site, special equipment, reader, writer, interpreter, large print or Braille copy of a test, sufficient uninterrupted time, and a quiet environment.

Student Responsibility

• The student must discuss any special testing needs with the professor to determine whether faculty will provide the testing accommodation or if DRC will administer the exam with accommodation.
• The professor must then fill out the DRC Exam Accommodation Form and return it to the DRC.

If the DRC is to Administer the Exam

• The student must schedule the exam with the DRC at least one school week (or three weeks for finals) in advance to ensure the adequate space, equipment, etc. are available.
• Notify the DRC immediately if the exam is postponed or canceled.
• Notify the DRC if you withdraw from the class.
• If you do not show up for an exam, you must call the instructor for permission to reschedule. If this is not done, the exam will be returned to the instructor within 48 hours of the exam. DRC will reschedule a missed exam only with the approval of the instructor.

If you are caught cheating, or suspected of cheating on an exam administered by the DRC, we will stop the exam and gather all materials. The incident will be reported to the instructor and all materials returned to the instructor.

Exam Accommodation Service

The University of Louisville is committed to providing equal opportunity for qualified students with disabilities in accordance with the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Students with disabilities may be eligible for accommodation in testing if functional limitations prohibit access to the exam. The purpose of the accommodation in testing is to permit students to be evaluated on the basis of their knowledge of course content without undue interference from their disability. Examples of possible exam accommodations include extended time, testing in a reduced distraction environment, use of assistive technology, conversion of the exam into an alternative format such as large print or Braille, etc.

The intent of these guidelines is to ensure to the maximum extent possible that students with disabilities and their respective faculty understand how exam accommodations are requested and provided.

The student with a disability who anticipates the need for accommodation in testing must first contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to submit documentation of their disability for verification and registration purposes. For information about documentation and submission guidelines view the Guidelines for Students with Disabilities

Once eligibility for accommodation in testing has been determined by the appropriate services coordinator, the student is expected to contact the DRC early (immediately after registering for classes is recommended). Once a service request form and current class schedule have been submitted the appropriate services coordinator will prepare instructor letters that will include information about accommodation in testing for faculty.

The student is expected to pick up their instructor letters and deliver them to their respective faculty member the first week of class. When presenting the faculty member with the letter the student should discuss their testing accommodation needs. Determining who will administer the exam (the faculty or DRC) is critical. Sometimes the student will prefer and the faculty will agree to provide the testing accommodation directly with the student. It is the right of faculty to do so as long as they can provide the appropriate accommodation. In other cases, the faculty will prefer that the DRC staff administer and monitor the exams with the appropriate accommodation.

Once a decision is reached the faculty member should fill out the purple Exam Accommodation Permission Form. The form can be sent directly to the DRC or the faculty member may ask the student to return it to the DRC.

If the faculty member indicates the student will take the exam in the DRC, the student must contact appropriate DRC staff to schedule their exams. At least one weeks notice is required to schedule exams, however all requests will be considered but untimely requests may jeopardize the provision of the accommodation. At the time of scheduling, students are expected to have their syllabus present and to indicate what accommodation(s) in testing will be needed. It is recommended that students schedule all of their exams for the entire semester at one time. Note: Students are required to inform DRC of any change in dates of scheduled exams.

Students are expected to take their exams at the same time that other class members are taking the exam (with allowance for additional time as appropriate). This promotes the integrity of the exam. If it is impossible for the student to take the exam during class time (due to a conflicting course schedule for example) the student should discuss the problem with their faculty member and seek permission to take the exam at an alternate time. This permission must be sought before scheduling the exam. If at any time the student has difficulty identifying an alternate time they should contact the DRC for assistance.

DRC staff will contact faculty and make arrangements for obtaining and returning of all exams. This contact will be made using the preferred method of contact indicated by the faculty member on the Exam Accommodation Permission Form. It is preferred that faculty e-mail or hand deliver exams to the DRC when possible. If this is not possible, other arrangements are available. The DRC will coordinate return of the exam with the faculty member as well.

Special Note Regarding Evening and Weekend Courses

The DRC conducts office hours of 8:00AM – 5:00PM during the week. Administration of exams during other times may be available with sufficient notice, and is dependent on staff availability. The DRC appreciates the willingness of faculty teaching evening or weekend courses to allow students to complete their exams at the DRC during normal business hours or to provide the accommodation themselves.

Problem Resolution

If the student or the faculty experience any problems regarding accommodated testing that cannot be resolved through discussion between student and faculty, the DRC staff should be contacted by the student and/or the faculty for assistance in problem resolution.