Failure to Proctor
The following proceeds from e-mail discussion among Psychology Department faculty in November, 2001, discussion in the Department Senate meeting of November 20th, 2001, discussion in a Graduate Studies Committee meeting March 4th, 2002, and discussion (and adoption of the resolution) in the Department Senate meeting of March 21st, 2002. This new policy is effective immediately.
Background: From the department's Graduate Manual: "Teaching assistant duties include assisting in proctoring examinations for large undergraduate classes. In order to fulfill the department's need for proctors, ALL students on state funding should expect to proctor 3 or 4 (or more) semester exams and 1 to 2 final exams each term (in addition to proctoring for a course to which they have been assigned as a teaching assistant). Students must be available to proctor during the final examination periods (or make arrangements for other students to serve in their place)." Graduate students are permitted to sign up for only those exams that do not conflict with their graduate courses and other obligations. Each graduate student then receives a complete roster of proctoring commitments in his or her mailbox (as do the instructors). This list is also posted in Park Hall Room 207 A (or 204), so that students pass it daily going in and out of the Mail Room.
Rationale: Graduate students who do not honor their commitment to assist with proctoring force the administration of an examination under conditions that can be conducive to cheating. This undermines the efforts of instructors to administer exams that are fair to all students, especially those who have studied hard in preparation for the exam, and it undermines the real and perceived integrity of the department's teaching, of course grades, of degrees that are granted, and of the University. Some faculty may be requesting extra proctors in anticipation that one or two will fail to appear. If so, this increases the number of proctoring assignments for graduate students beyond what is necessary. If all proctors showed up all the time, then the number of proctoring assignments for each graduate student would likely be fewer.
Survey Results--faculty responses to survey regarding number of proctors needed (in addition to the instructor and the teaching assistant):
| Enrollment | Responses | Range | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 to 100 | 2, 0, 1, 1, 1 | 0-2 | 1 |
| 101-200 | 2, 4, 1, 3, 2, 2, 2 | 1-4 | 2 |
| 201-300 | 6, 3, 3, 2, 4, 4 | 2-6 | 3 |
| 301-400 | 8, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 5 | 2-8 | 4 |
| 400+ | 9, 4, 4, 2, 4, 6 | 2-9 | 4 |
Resolution
The Department of Psychology Faculty Senate calls upon the Director of Graduate Studies and the Chair to adopt the following procedures when a graduate student fails to fulfill his or her obligation to proctor for semester or final examinations. In order to ensure fairness in these procedures, it is essential that all course instructors and all fellow proctors report all instances in which graduate students fail to fulfill their proctoring obligations.
- For an explained, unavoidable absence without providing a replacement (e.g., being in a car accident en route), the student should sign up for 1 additional proctoring assignment (if possible, taking the place of another student).
- For an unjustified late arrival or failure to show up or send a replacement (e.g., oversleeping; not allowing enough time to find a parking space; just forgetting):
First offense: The student should sign up for 3 additional proctoring assignments (if possible, taking the place of three other students); and the student's advisor and Area Head should be notified, with a copy for the student's department file; and there should be periodic notification to department faculty of graduate students who are both reliable and unreliable.
Second offense: The student should be excluded from department teaching opportunities for three semesters (for example, spring, summer, fall); and the student's advisor and Area Head should be notified, with a copy for the student's department file; and there should be periodic notification to department faculty of graduate students who are both reliable and unreliable.
Third offense: The student should become ineligible for department assistantship support for the following semester. If the student is in the last semester of support, then this support should be terminated immediately (through withholding of the next and all subsequent paychecks); and the student's advisor and Area Head should be notified, with a copy for the student's department file; and there should be periodic notification to department faculty of graduate students who are both reliable and unreliable.
The first, second, and third offenses for unjustified late arrival or failure to show up or send a replacement are cumulative over all years of department assistantship support.
Passed unanimously (with one abstention) by the Psychology Department Senate, March 21, 2002.