Testing and Proctor Guidance

IMPORTANT NOTE:  In response to the recent decision in the Ogletree v. Cleveland State University case, it is recommended that instructors remove the requirement for a room scan if they plan to give a proctored exam. To do this in Respondus, uncheck the Environment Check box upon activation of Respondus Monitor.

 

When proctoring an exam online, ensure that:

  1.  The YSU supported proctoring service listed below is used. Do not proctor an exam through unsecured applications such as Zoom, Webex, or MS Teams.
  2.  Students are never required to make their personal testing environments visible to their peers or to anyone other than the official proctor.
  3.  Proctoring expectations and requirements are clearly stated in the syllabus that is distributed at the beginning of each term. Students should have plenty of time to make alternative arrangements if desired, such a finding a public testing facility.

Remote Proctoring

YSU offers online protctoring and identity verification solutions. To learn how to use these services, please see the instructions below or contact the Department of Cyberlearning's Instructional Design and Development Center (IDDC) at x3244 or by email at iddc@ysu.edu.
 

Respondus

Respondus is an online automated proctoring service directly intergrated with Blackboard, offering two products that can be used independently or together depending on your needs:

  1. LockDown Browser: Locks the browser so that students cannot open other applications while taking an exam.
  2. Monitor: Enables automated proctoring with video recording.

Training

https://web.respondus.com/webinars

Resources for instructors

Quick Start Guide (Blackboard Ultra)

Resources for students

Quick Start Guide (Blackboard Ultra)
Troubleshooting Guide

Respondus Support

https://web.respondus.com/support/
 

In-Person Proctoring

Youngstown State University is a member of the Consortium of College Testing Centers (CCTC) which is a service offered by our professional organization, the National College Testing Association (NCTA). It is recommended that you have your students check for local College Testing Centers at the Consortium before widening their search to alternative organizations. CCTC are trained test proctors and adhere to standards that guarantee exam security and a controlled environment.  

Faculty can refer to this simple list to help them determine who is an appropriate proctor for their students:

Acceptable Proctors:

  • Official testing center at a college/university—including, but not limited to those listed at the CCTC
  • Certified librarians at a library, college/university, or school
  • College/university administrators, instructors, or academic advisors
  • Learning/tutoring centers
  • Educational officers of a corporation, military installation, or correctional facility
  • County extension offices

Unacceptable Proctors:

  • Relatives or spouses/partners/significant others
  • Friends and/or roommates
  • Co-workers or business associates
  • Peers
  • Undergraduate students
  • Athletic coaches
  • Anyone who does not have a professional email address (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. are unacceptable)
  • Anyone who cannot monitor the student during the exam