Exam Reminders for Faculty
LSS regular testing hours are as follows:
- Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.
LSS final exam hours are as follows:
- Saturday of Final Exam Week, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
- Monday-Friday of Final Exam Week, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
Space is limited for exam proctoring and is available on a first come, first served basis. LSS provides proctoring for students with specific disabilities requiring exam readers, private rooms, and/or special equipment. Students who receive extra time to complete their exams will be accommodated to the best of our ability with the resources we have. This may cause faculty to have to support their own exams for some students. We ask students to check with professors before making an exam proctoring appointment. If faculty can provide the appropriate testing accommodations without assistance from LSS, please speak to the student so they can cancel their appointment.
When a student books an exam, faculty will receive an email. Please double check the start time for the student—it may be different based on when we can find a seat. If a professor has a question about when the student has booked the exam, please reach out to the student and proctoring@villanova.edu to confirm the reason.
Blackboard exams:
- If there is a password, please be sure to provide this to LSS in advance of the exam.
- Faculty can set up the testing accommodations for individual students based on their specific start time and end time. UNIT has created a guide with directions for how to do this.
- Please consider proctoring exams with audio components. We have found that headphones often do not work when Lockdown Browser is being used. Students trying to listen to audio files or videos then have no way to access that section of the test without disturbing other test-takers.
- Please consider allowing LSS to monitor the length of the exam. Unless you are confident that the exam is set to start and end at the correct times, LSS can help by letting the student know when their time is up, regardless of the end time on Blackboard.
Making sure LSS has the exam:
Faculty can upload the exam to ClockWork, email it to proctoring@villanova.edu, or drop off a copy to the LSS Office in Falvey 212. Please submit tests to LSS in a timely manner. Please keep in mind that when tests are submitted electronically (on ClockWork or via email), we then need to print them along with the testing information for the proctor. Regardless of delivery method, please take a moment to fill out the Instructor Information Form on ClockWork. This helps us administer and return your exam in a secure manner.
Returning exams:
Most professors request that we scan completed exams back to them. Please check your email for the exam before contacting LSS about a missing exam. We generally send the exams from our Xerox machine, so they will arrive from the following address: Learning-Support-Xerox@villanova.edu
A note on blue books:
If you would like students to take exams using a blue book, please specify this in the ClockWork form. LSS cannot scan blue books. The pages are thin and the scan is very difficult to read. Professors choosing to use blue books must pick up the completed exam in the LSS office during regular business hours. If a student has an accommodation to use a laptop (instead of writing an exam by hand), we will allow them to use word processing instead of a blue book.
Troubleshooting:
There are times when we need to reach out to professors during the exam during the exam in case there are typos, student questions, or issues with technology. If a cell phone is the best way to reach you, please provide your cell phone number in the Instructor Information Form on ClockWork.
- Can I reach out to students about their testing accommodations?
- Is LSS able to proctor remotely?
- Can you proctor exams for students who are not registered with your office?
- If I plan to give the whole class extra time, do I need to provide additional time on top of that for students with testing accommodations?
- What if LSS is fully booked and cannot assist with proctoring?
- What happens if I have a change to my plans or availability?
Can I reach out to students about their testing accommodations?
Yes! Please feel free to reach out to your class early and directly about a plan for students needing testing accommodations.
Sample email for when you will be able to provide extended time:
“We have a test coming up in two weeks. I will be able to provide extended time for students with approved testing accommodations through LSS or ODS. If you need additional accommodations that I cannot provide, please book a seat in ClockWork by ___________."
Sample email for when you know you will be unable to provide testing accommodations:
“We have a test coming up in two weeks. Because of scheduling or space restraints, I will be unable to provide any testing accommodations to students registered with LSS or ODS. If you plan to use your testing accommodations, please book a seat in ClockWork by ___________."
Is LSS able to proctor remotely?
No. LSS Staff cannot accommodate remote proctoring requests. Please see Alternative Proctoring Solutions.
Can you proctor exams for students who are not registered with your office?
No. LSS is not a general testing center. We cannot assist with proctoring students who miss due to routine illness or other University-approved absences. We can only proctor exams for students who are registered with LSS. Thank you for understanding.
If I plan to give the whole class extra time, do I need to provide additional time on top of that for students with testing accommodations?
Yes. Extra time needs to be calculated based on the time you give the class. For more information, please see How to Calculate Student's Accommodated Extra Time on Tests.
What if LSS is fully booked and cannot assist with proctoring?
LSS assists faculty with proctoring for students needing accommodations, but we are limited in both space and staffing. Providing testing accommodations is a shared responsibility. If LSS cannot assist, try booking a room or using departmental conference space. Consider asking a TA, GA, or colleague for assistance or review Alternative Proctoring Solutions to see if there is a technology solution that might work for you.
What happens if I have a change to my plans or availability?
If you plan to provide a student with their approved testing accommodations and then an issue arises, please do not assume LSS will be able to assist. We will do our best, but we cannot guarantee last-minute support.
Similarly, if you change the date of your exam, please know this may remove LSS as an option for proctoring assistance. For example, if a student books a seat for an exam on Monday, and then the professor emails the class Sunday that they are pushing the test to Wednesday, it then puts the student past the 3-business day booking window. It is possible LSS does not have the same availability on Wednesday, so you will need to provide the testing accommodations to the student.
Student Testimonials
“I can honestly say that the support I received from LSS was key to my success as a student at Villanova and today as an ongoing student of life.”
~ UG Alum, Class of 2021, Mathematics
"LSS has constructively impacted my experience as a learning-disabled student at Villanova. [They] empowered me with the courage to advocate for myself and relinquish some of my pathological anxiety."
~ UG Alum, Class of 2022 & MA Alum, Class of 2023, Communications
“Working closely with Villanova LSS starting the first week of my freshman year really changed the trajectory of my academic career.”
~ UG Alum, Class of 2022, Psychology
"During my time at Villanova, LSS was the most helpful academic resource available. The LSS team is extremely friendly and are always there to make sure you achieve your academic goals!"
~ UG Alum, Class of 2023, Mechanical Engineering