Providing Exam Accommodations

Individual faculty and staff have a legal responsibility to make sure that each course or activity is accessible. The administration of examinations is the responsibility of the faculty and course instructors. Students with disabilities may require accommodations to ensure they have equal access to the examination process. 

Faculty may choose to provide exam accommodations themselves. Alternatively, faculty may choose to collaborate with the Student Access Center to administer accommodated exams in the SAC Testing Center. In such cases, the SAC Testing Center should be viewed as an extension of the classroom.

Accommodations

  • Students seeking accommodations must complete two steps to initiate the test request process: 
    • Request accommodations in each class via Access Online and discuss the implementation of those accommodations with their instructor. If the instructor directs the student to set up the exam with the Student Access Center (SAC), student will need to make a request. 
    • Submit exams requests via the Access Online portal with at least three (3) business days’ notice.* Once they have done so, the instructor will be contacted by the SAC. 
      • If a student fails to provide our office with proper notice of an exam, we cannot guarantee a seat in our Testing Center. 
      • Students must schedule the exam for the same day and time as the exam occurs in the classroom.  
        • If this causes a time conflict with another class(es) or with SAC business hours, the student should work with the instructor and the SAC to have an alternate time approved.  
  • Instructors must submit an Instructor Testing Agreement to the SAC before we can administer an exam on their behalf.   
    • A link to this form will be included in the accommodation letter of each student who requests testing accommodations for a particular class and section.  
    • Once the form is filled out, the link will stop appearing in subsequent request letters as it is automatically copied to all other students in the same section.  
  • The Instructor Testing Agreement communicates to SAC the following information: 
    • Instructions for and format of the exam and approved aids (calculator, dictionary, notes, etc.) 
    • How the proctor can contact the instructor with a student question during the exam  
    • Preferred return method for completed exams  
    • Note that some exam preferences may not be possible in the Testing Center such as oral or listening portions of exams, timing of slide shows, etc.  
    • Changes to the preferences and instructions for proctoring exams after the Instructor Testing Agreement has been submitted should be communicated to the Testing Center at SACTesting@ku.edu   
  • Two to three business days before the exam, you will receive a confirmation via email from the SAC Testing Center, requesting that you provide a copy of the exam (and any supporting materials, such as tables, charts, formulas sheets, etc.).  
  • Exams and supporting materials can be  
    • uploaded to the link included in the email  
    • emailed to SACtesting@ku.edu   
    • dropped off in our main office in Room 22 Strong Hall   
    • Exams should NEVER be sent via campus mail.  

* Accommodations for final exams must be scheduled by twelve (12) business days before the last day of classes, and all exam conflicts must be worked out by then. Please double-check the KU final exam schedule before posting the date and time. Our office adheres strictly to the registrar-scheduled start times, and incorrect information can cause major problems in scheduling accommodations for final exams.

  • Students will be supervised by SAC Staff. Faculty-provided instructions will be closely adhered to and time limits strictly enforced. 
  • It is the instructor’s responsibility to communicate to the SAC any changes or corrections made to the exam after the beginning of the regularly scheduled exam. 
  • Faculty are always welcome to visit the Testing Center to check in with students or deliver additional information during exams but should be aware that other exams may be in progress during that time. 
  • Instructors may collect completed exams from our main office in Room 22 Strong Hall after they are complete, or SAC staff can scan and return your exam electronically. 
  • Exams will be returned as soon as possible but depending on the volume of exams on a given day may be slightly delayed. All exams are returned as quickly as possible.  
  • We DO NOT deliver exams via campus or federal mail. If you have questions about alternative methods of delivery, please contact the Testing Coordinator at SACtesting@ku.edu.  
  • Exams will always be scheduled for the same time they are administered to the class, except when extended time creates a conflict with another KU course, or when the instructor has given explicit permission for another start time.  
  • All regular semester quizzes and exams administered in the SAC Testing Center between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.   
  • Final exams given during final exam week are administered 7:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Friday.  
  • Missed exams can be rescheduled with the SAC only if instructor has granted permission to reschedule the exam and provided a deadline for rescheduling the exam.  
  • The SAC Testing Center does not provide make-up exams or scribe exams for students who are not registered with the SAC.  
  • The SAC does not provide accommodations for temporary illnesses or injuries. This includes testing accommodations for make-up exams or scribes for broken hands or other injuries creating a barrier to writing or typing. Students and instructors will need to create a plan to work through temporary illness or injury including completing exams.