TCRR Instructor Guidelines

Students with approved accommodations from Disability Services (DS) for testing have the right to request testing at the TXST testing center responsible for that course. DS- approved testing accommodations can be provided for any student at either the San Marcos (ATSD) or the Round Rock (TCRR) testing center. Accommodations also may be provided by a faculty member, instructor of a course, or the designee of an instructor. If an instructor chooses to administer an in-class assessment, then he or she is responsible for providing the student with all relevant accommodations approved by DS. If the in-class assessment is to be administered at one of the TXST testing centers, then the instructor must adhere to the policies and procedures listed in the Instructor Testing Guidelines for that testing center.

Eligible Assessments

Eligible assessments will meet the following criteria: 1) must be an in-person exam/quiz for any TXST course including an online or hybrid class that meets in-person for the assessment, and 2) an assessment which requires the assistance of TCRR staff or use of resources in the testing center to meet accommodations. An example of an ineligible exam/quiz is a take-home exam, except those with an accommodation that can’t be met at home by another means such as text-to-speech software in lieu of a live reader. Please direct any questions concerning exam eligibility to the TCRR Supervisor.

Identification Policy

All students must present a valid government issued photo ID or a TXST Bobcat card photo ID at check in. Testing won’t be permitted without ID.

Support at TCRR

Instructors may contact TCRR at rrc-testing@txstate.edu or 512-716-4020 or drop in at Avery Building, Room 209 to discuss any questions or concerns.

TCRR School Closure Policy

If a weather-related issue or emergency causes Texas State University to close the Round Rock Campus or the Avery Building, testing at TCRR will not occur. Students and Instructors will be notified how to proceed. All affected students and faculty should monitor their Texas State email accounts for communication from TCRR regarding rescheduling instructions. The new date and time of testing will be contingent on faculty approval.

Recommended Syllabus Statement

Students who are approved for testing accommodations with Disabilities Services (DS) have the option to take an in-class assessment with their testing accommodations at the testing center responsible for this course, either ATSD in San Marcos or TCRR in Round Rock. Any student who schedules an assessment with a testing center must schedule the assessment during the in-class scheduled test time, or seek instructor permission for any exception, and is expected to arrive at the testing center on time for the appointment. If a student schedules a test with a testing center, but decides to take the assessment in the classroom, the student is responsible for notifying the testing center and the instructor prior to the class start time.

Requesting Assessments

It is the student’s responsibility to make all testing requests for each assessment in their AIM portal. When making appointments, students must follow TCRR’s Student Guidelines, the instructor’s syllabus and student policies, and the Testing Agreement the instructor has submitted to the testing center. Students are required to request a testing date/time as close to the date/time for the class, but which allows the student to access all approved accommodations including any extended testing time and not miss any class time. Students are encouraged to discuss testing options with their instructor prior to making an exam request in AIM.

Assessment requests cannot be approved without an instructor’s submitted Testing Agreement in AIM. When a student makes a request, AIM will send a notice to the instructor. Additionally, instructors may submit a testing agreement (TA) through the Faculty AIM portal using their TXST credentials. Instructors may approve or make concerns known to the testing center.

Assessment Testing Times

TCRR’s testing start times are in place to ensure all students receive their accommodations with minimal distractions. TCRR is open Monday – Friday 8AM to 5PM with exam and quiz testing start times at 8:30AM, 10:30AM, 12:30PM, and 1:30PM. All exams must end by 30 minutes before closing. Final start times are 8AM and 12:30PM. Appointment requests set up through AIM must select one of these start times or the student will get an error message.

Only at TCRR may TXST students with an approved accommodation through Disability Services request an early morning or early evening exam appointment start time. Early morning start times are available Monday – Friday beginning at 7:00AM. Early evening start times are available Monday – Thursday if the exam will complete by 6:30PM. Students must contact TCRR directly at least 14 business days prior to the exam date to request this testing service. Or an instructor may contact TCRR directly at least 14 business days prior to the test date to request this option for multiple students. Making these arrangements at the beginning of the semester or as early as possible is highly encouraged.

Assessment Request Deadlines

Students are encouraged to submit all testing requests at the beginning of the semester for all classes and all assessments. For quizzes, exams and makeups, students must submit their request by 3PM at least 3 business days prior to the test date. Changes to approved requests must be made at least 24 hours prior to testing time. For the Final, students must submit their requests by 3PM at least 10 business days prior to the test date. TCRR is closed on weekends and TXST holidays.

Pop Quizzes

DS-approved testing accommodations apply to all in-class quizzes unless the student waives this right. We encourage instructors to give pop quizzes at the end of class to provide the greatest flexibility for managing the experience. Instructors may provide pop quizzes with full accommodations in class or outside of class. Or an instructor may discuss testing options with TCRR to arrange pop quizzes to be taken in the testing center. If a pop quiz is to be proctored by TCRR, then contact TCRR directly at least 3 business days prior to the pop quiz date.

Incomplete Courses & Graduate Comprehensive Exams (Comps)

Students won’t be able to request these appointments in AIM. The student must contact TCRR directly at least 3 business days prior to the exam date.

Student Fails to Report for a Scheduled Assessment

If a student arrives too late to be admitted for an appointment or doesn’t show for an appointment, TCRR will notify the instructor. If the student contacts only the instructor about missing an upcoming appointment or decides to test in class, TCRR appreciates a notice from the instructor.

It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor to request approval to submit another exam request in AIM. The instructor may allow another test date at TCRR, have the student test in class with or without accommodations, or arrange testing with accommodations outside of class based upon the syllabus and student policies for the course.

If an exam was submitted for a missed appointment, TCRR’s policy is to hold that unused exam for one week, then shred it, unless the instructor contacts us with other directions.

Test Security

Testing security at TCRR includes:

  • Trained proctors and staff
  • Use of closed-circuit TV to monitor examinees
  • Storage of non-allowed and personal items in lockers
  • Use of monitoring software on TCRR computers
  • Use of AIM system for securely uploading exams & exam instructions
  • Secure testing facility
  • Use of policies and procedures to ensure testing integrity

Proctors and staff at TCRR must sign confidentiality statements and are trained on ADAAA, HIPPA, and FERPA compliance. Student employees are prohibited from proctoring exams for their current classes or any student with whom they have a personal relationship. All employees are trained on recognizing academic dishonesty.

Academic Dishonesty

All students are expected to follow the TXST Honor Code, the Code of Student Conduct, and the policies and procedures outlined in the TCRR Student Guidelines. All students using testing services at one of the TXST testing centers are required to acknowledge their responsibilities to abide by policies in these documents when making their first exam request in their AIM portal each semester.

Students suspected of violating the Texas State Honor Code will be subject to the following procedures:

  1. When a proctor suspects a student is breaking the Texas State Honor Code, the TCRR Supervisor or Supervisor Designee is called to view the student’s behavior or video tape of the behavior.
  2. The Supervisor or Supervisor Designee may consult with the Director to make the decision if the student is in violation of the Texas State Honor Code.
  3. If a violation occurs, the Supervisor or Supervisor Designee will briefly stop the test to remove the student from the testing room.
  4. The Supervisor or Supervisor Designee will explain the incident and may confiscate non-allowed items related to the incident or have the student place the item(s) in the student’s locker.
  5. The student will resume the test while the instructor is contacted for instructions on how to proceed.
    1. If the instructor is successfully contacted, the Supervisor or Supervisor Designee will follow the directions of the instructor on how to proceed.
    2. If the instructor cannot be reached, then the test is completed as normal.
  6. When the student completes testing, or if the instructor requested to stop the test, the student will review the proctor’s allegations on the TCRR Alleged Academic Dishonesty form and can fill out the student portion. The form will be scanned and emailed to the instructor.

Instructor Role in Accommodated Testing at TCRR

-- Assessment Notification to Students

Instructors are encouraged to provide students sufficient notice of assessment dates so that students can meet testing request deadlines in AIM. Student deadlines for quizzes and exams are by 3PM at least 3 business days from the test date. Finals must be requested by 3PM at least 10 business days from the test date. Students are encouraged to make all exam requests for all classes at the beginning of the semester to avoid missing deadlines and access to limited testing center resources.

Faculty are encouraged to list all testing dates, times, and durations in their syllabus so students can make testing requests as early as possible to ensure a space and resources are available for them in the testing center. Late requests may not be approved due to availability of testing center resources and may require an instructor to provide testing with accommodations for their student.

--Testing Agreement

It is the instructor’s responsibility to submit a Testing Agreement (TA), through the link in the AIM email sent to your TXST email. Or you may use your Faculty AIM portal to submit a TA or conduct other actions such as upload an exam. This agreement helps TCRR know your overall preferences for how you want your exams conducted for a course. Changes to the TA can be done by contacting the testing center or updating through your Faculty AIM portal. AIM requires submission of a TA before a student’s request can be approved. If there are multiple students with accommodations in a class, then the TA for that class can be copied and applied to each student. To assist students when making testing requests, students can view only the information in the TA that refers to test dates, times, and durations.

--Exam Instructions

Instructors are requested to use the link in the email from AIM or to use their Faculty AIM portal to upload an Exam Instruction (EI) document for each assessment. This is the same link used to upload a digital exam or other digital exam documents such as a formula sheet. The EI provides specific instructions to TCRR to conduct a particular assessment. If the instructor doesn’t upload the EI, then the instructor needs to contact TCRR with exam specific instructions so TCRR can proctor the exam. An EI is only seen by testing center staff.

--Providing Assessments and Exam Instructions to TCRR

TCRR must have time to review each assessment, collate all testing materials, assign staff to proctor the exam, ensure all testing accommodations are administered properly, and meet all directions of the instructor. To ensure each exam is administered properly, TCRR must receive a quiz or exam by Noon on the business day prior to the scheduled exam date. Finals must be received by Noon on the first reading day of the semester. Note, if TCRR doesn’t receive a final exam ready to be administered by the student’s scheduled appointment, then the instructor will be responsible for providing accommodated testing for the student within the instructor’s department.

If a student requires enlarged print exams, then the instructor is asked to provide the exam to TCRR already in the font size needed by the student by Noon at least one business day before the exam date. If TCRR needs to enlarge the exam, then the instructor is requested to provide the exam by Noon at least one business day prior to the exam date and in the MS Word format which can be readily enlarged and/or uploaded into screen reader software. If TCRR receives the exam in a format such as PDF or Canvas, then TCRR will need additional time to retype the exam in the needed font size and MS Word format. The instructor is asked to provide the exam by Noon at least 3 business days prior to the exam date.

For exams to be converted to Braille, the exam must be in MS Word format and instructors must contact TCRR as soon as possible to coordinate this service with DS.

Instructors are requested to provide exams and exam instructions by one of the following methods:

  • use the link in the AIM email for uploading the exam and exam instructions
  • use your Faculty AIM portal to upload the exam, exam materials, or instructions
  • deliver a physical exam to TCRR: Avery Building, Rm 209 Round Rock Campus Note – if the TXST courier is used, allow up to several days for receipt
  • email the exam and exam instructions to TCRR at rrc-testing@txstate.edu
  • use TXST File Transfer

Exam instructions should include the course and exam name, date/time/duration in class for exam, testing method, allowables, any codes or additional testing materials, and preferred return method.

--Completed Exam Return

TCRR will return exams based upon instructor preferences. Return options available to instructors are:

  • Scan and email to the instructor, original shredded one week after the exam
  • Scan and email to the instructor, original couriered to the instructor’s department
  • Instructor or instructor designee picks up the exam from TCRR. Note, designee must have photo ID to pick up the exam.
  • Uploaded into AIM; original shredded one week after the exam
  • Uploaded into AIM, original couriered to the instructor’s department