Testing Center Pilot Program for Students Requiring Special Accommodations
From Dr. Kenneth Lutchen, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer ad interim
In recent years, many within our community have expressed a need for a centralized testing facility for students requiring special accommodations. In addition to supporting those students’ specific needs and making a dedicated testing space available for faculty and staff, such a facility would help advance Boston University’s ongoing commitment to an accessible and inclusive work-study environment for all members of our community. To this end, I am pleased to announce the launch of a pilot program to evaluate the scope, scale, and feasibility of a University-wide testing accommodations center.
The pilot phase of this program will begin on Monday, April 1 and will be available for all undergraduate and graduate students with approved testing accommodations through Disability & Access Services. Detailed information about the operation and how to participate in the pilot will be available on the Disability & Access Services website beginning on Saturday, March 23. To facilitate initial planning, I am providing important information for your consideration below.
Key considerations for the testing pilot:
- To manage demand, testing spaces will be available for students to reserve via the Accommodate portal on a first-come, first-served basis. Exams must be scheduled seven days in advance.
- During the pilot phase, test administration will take place between the hours of 9 am-5 pm.
- Exams must be delivered to/from the testing facility electronically, via Accommodate or other secure means.
- Staff and student proctors will be on site to monitor testing activities.
- Feedback from students and faculty will be gathered for long-term analysis and planning.
- More information will be available on Disability & Access Services website beginning on March 23. Any questions in the interim should be directed to testing@bu.edu.
I would like to extend gratitude to Dean of Students Jason Campbell-Foster and Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs Amie Grills and their teams for their collaboration and leadership to bring this pilot to our community. Their work will continue to be enriched by your participation and feedback during this initial phase.
Testing Center Pilot Program for Students Requiring Special Accommodations – 3.18.24