Faculty Use of ACC Testing Centers
Testing Centers provide testing support services for faculty and students in approved courses. This page provides faculty-focused information about the upcoming changes for faculty use of ACC Testing Centers.
ACC Testing Center Guidelines
Prior to the pandemic, we had three workgroups that helped provide us with excellent guidelines on how we could utilize our ACC Testing Centers more effectively in the teaching and learning process. The Testing Center guidelines make it clear that online (ONL) courses should administer tests online without the requirement that students travel to campus for testing. Further, the Guidelines require that the vast majority of face-to-face and hybrid courses administer tests face-to-face in the classroom as part of the students’ regular schedules. This will allow the Testing Center staff to concentrate their services on administration of tests for assessment, make-ups, accommodations, and licensure purposes.
Guidelines
The ACC Testing Centers will allow ONLY the following for in-person testing and testing time will be limited to the class time, typically one and one-half hours. Review the Campus Testing Guidelines for Faculty.
1. Student Accessibility Services (SAS) Testing: All approved SAS testing.
2. Assessment Tests: Institutionally approved assessment tests (e.g., TSIA or CASAS) are approved for testing.
3. Placement Tests: Placement tests (e.g., the ALEKS) are approved for testing.
4. Make-Up Exams (for students who missed the original test): Make-up testing is available for all lecture courses but will be limited to no more than 25% of students enrolled in each section for each of four tests.
5. Programs incorporating an industry certification exam: Such programs (e.g., Microsoft, Adobe, etc.) may utilize the ACC Business Assessment Center for the industry certification exams (BACT) at HLC or RRC.
The Campus Testing Transmittal form is now online through TestACCess, our instructional testing software. This will allow your testing information for approved tests to upload directly into our program, making your test available to your students in less time. Paper tests and other documents will still need to be emailed to testctr-transmittals@austincc.edu or delivered to testing centers.
Testing staff will continue to accept the latest version of the paper transmittal in the forms inventory. Go to the ACC Forms Inventory: Testing Center page to download and complete the Campus Testing Transmittal Form and submit it to testctr-transmittals@austincc.edu.
Updates
2021 – July
The Online Testing and Proctoring Memo from Dr. Cook outlines the Fall 2021 Testing Center Guidelines.
2020 – February
Revised Administrative Response to DE Committee: Provost Memo revises the number of DLC tests allowed in the ACC Testing Centers from four to six. Results will be studied as well as the preferences of students at the end of the 2020-21 year.
2020 – January
Administrative Response: Provost memo outlines the ACC Testing Center Guidelines set to take effect in Fall 2020.
2019 – August
Third Testing Center Workgroup Report provided an overview of the activities of all the Testing Center Workgroups including supporting documents. This last workgroup suggested a new list of accepted uses of ACC testing centers, along with a new method for petitioning for exceptions. Missi Patterson, and Gaye Lynn Scott acted as co-chairs for the final TC Workgroup.
2019 – July
Third (current) Testing Center Workgroup created – The latest group was charged by Provost Cook to present clear guidelines on the proper usage of the Testing Centers. See Appendix C of the Third Testing Center Workgroup Report (August 2019) to read the charge.
2019 – May
ASAC discussed the criteria presented by the Second Testing Center Workgroup and it was decided
that additional work was needed to create a policy under which classes could and could not use the testing centers, along with a process for applying for exemptions and a timeline to institute the final changes. The ASAC voted to create a subcommittee of ASAC as a final testing center workgroup to accomplish these tasks.
2019 – January
Provost Memo to Faculty Senate President
2018 – October
Provost Response to the Second Testing Center Workgroup
2018 – March
Charge to the original Testing Center Work Group – The purpose of the workgroup is to examine the Instructional Testing Center Mission, its policies and practices, and provide recommendations to ensure that testing services at ACC meet student needs and promote student success.
A workgroup was convened to examine the testing center usage of red scantrons due to changes in the technology that supports such scantrons. The workgroup also examined some broader issues of testing center usage. Dr. Charles Cook, Provost, accepted all recommendations from this first workgroup. Read the Final Report: Testing Center Workgroup Recommendations, September 2018.
Provost Cook requested a second workgroup to focus on the issue of testing center usage and to develop recommendations around criteria for using the Testing Centers.
Second Testing Center Workgroup focused on a faculty survey to collect their comments on testing center usage. Faculty and staff were also invited to examine current policies and proposed usage criteria with reduced reliance on testing centers for re-tests, make-up exams, and first time tests for face-to- face classes. Based on these activities, criteria were drafted for testing center usage and presented to the May 3 meeting of the Academic and Student Affairs Council. See Appendix B of the Third Testing Center Workgroup Report (August 2019) to view criteria and membership.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
If you have a question not listed in the FAQ, please share your question via email to:
Holly L. Delacroix-DeRouen, MEd, Director of Testing, Austin Community College, email: hdelacro@austincc.edu.
These changes went into effect in Fall 2021.
To read the background and decision-making history, please visit the Updates section of the Faculty Use of ACC Testing Centers page.
These changes do not impact academic freedom. Regardless of these policies, faculty are free to give as many exams as they wish in their face-to-face and online/hybrid classes. They are only limited to how many times they can use the Testing Center for each class.
These policies have been through our Shared Governance process, and as such, went out for comment by all employees. The commenting period is over, but if you have suggestions for improvement, you can send them to:
Dr. Gaye Lynn Scott, Associate Vice President, Academic Transfer Programs
gls@austincc.edu
Dr. Gretchen Riehl, Associate Vice President, Workforce Education
gretchen.riehl@austincc.edu
No. Exams are time limited to ensure that students can focus and be successful and also to ensure that the Testing Center can have availability for as many students as possible.
To ensure equity, only students with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) accommodations should be given extra time on tests. Faculty can encourage students to visit a SAS office to learn about options for students who self-identify as needing more time to be successful on exams.
You can provide feedback for correct and incorrect answers in Blackboard, and students can receive immediate feedback after they submit their test. Using Blackboard eliminates the need to make copies and waiting for tests to be returned via interoffice mail.
For help with uploading your exams to Blackboard, please contact a Faculty Instructional Support Specialist (FISS). They are available on ACC Campuses and can help you upload your tests to Blackboard. You can schedule a one-on-one appointment with a FISS at your campus.
For weekends and evenings, the ACC Blackboard Knowledge Database is available for reference. You can also visit the Blackboard Help page for additional help options.
The new guidelines do not allow courses leading to a licensing or certification exam to use the Testing Center as some have done in the past. However, students may take the actual licensing or certification exam in the Testing Centers.
For instance, there is an Accounting track that leads to the CPA exam; the courses in that track cannot use the Testing Centers just because they lead to an external exam. Courses in Automotive Technology may lead to various certification exams (e.g., certification in brake repair or ASE certification). Many Health Sciences programs lead to a licensing or certification exam. The course exams are not exempt from Testing Center guidelines, but the licensing or certification exam may be taken in a Testing Center if allowed by the licensing entity.
Consultants trained in pedagogical strategies are available to help you explore different assessment strategies. Please visit the Teaching Consultations & Support page to schedule a consultation and get started.
Get Help
Schedule a Consultation
Consultants can provide ideas and strategies for a variety of assessment options and information on additional ACC resources. Please visit the Teaching Consultations & Support page to schedule a consultation and get started.
Blackboard Help
Need help with Blackboard? Visit our Blackboard Help page for a comprehensive list of available help options.
CONTACTS
Holly L Delacroix-DeRouen, MEd
Director of Testing
Austin Community College
Phone: (512) 262-6541
Fax: (512) 262-6896
Email: hdelacro@austincc.edu