9
Examinations
A final exam schedule is published in each semester’s registration materials. By registering for a class, students agree to take the exam at the designated time. The School of Law rarely makes changes to the announced exam schedule. When revisions to the exam schedule are necessary, they are posted on the bulletin boards and on the Official Announcements blog as soon as they are made.
The final exam schedule giving dates, times of day, and exam room locations is posted several weeks before the beginning of the exam period. All students are expected to take their exams at the times scheduled, except as provided in the Examination Rescheduling Policy.
Exam Rules
These rules apply to all exams. Exceptions may be posted by the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to check for posted notices prior to an exam. Students should be familiar with and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy (see Chapter 8).
1. Students should write or type all answers on paper provided or on the computer using the ExamSoft program. Students may not bring any blue books, scratch paper, or other paper into the exam rooms. Students should bring their own pens and #2 pencils if they are using Scantron sheets.
2. Students may not bring cellular telephones or other electronic devices into the exam rooms unless these items can be turned off. The items must be stored in student backpacks/bags in the front of the classroom during exams. Anyone causing a disruption will be reported to the senior assistant dean for student services.
3. Students may not discuss the exam questions with each other during the exam. Faculty will not be available to answer questions directly during exams. Faculty will be available to answer questions from the head proctor or dean on duty. Proctors are responsible for being aware of instructions given by faculty, which are stated under “Professor’s Instructions” on the exam cover sheet to determine if the professor has given instructions regarding errors on exams. If there are such instructions, proctors may merely point them out. If there are no instructions, proctors may use the following default instructions:
Answer the examination as written. If you believe a mistake in drafting the examination has been made or that a question is ambiguous, state your assumptions in your answer. Your professor will review your stated assumption in grading the examination. Do not attempt to contact the professor to secure a clarification. If an examination problem appears to have no solution, contact the proctor.
4. Students may not refer to notes, casebooks, textbooks, study aids, or other references during the exams unless approved by the professor on the exam instructions. If class notes are permitted, students may not use laptops to access notes; notes must be printed out.
5. Students are free to leave assigned exam rooms for brief periods, but must return to complete the exam. Students must sign in and out of testing rooms. Heafey Law Library is off limits during in-class exams.
6. To protect anonymity, students should use only their SCU School of Law blind grading ID number on exam questions and answers. Prior to the posting of final grades on the E-Campus system, students may not reveal their blind grading ID number to their professors. Students should not include their names on any exam materials.
7. When finished writing an exam, it is the student’s responsibility to place the exam answers, Scantron sheets, questions, used scratch paper, and all other exam materials in the envelope provided. Each item should be identified with the student’s blind grading ID number. It is also the student’s responsibility to ensure that all testing materials are returned to the proctor. Students should seal the envelope and give it to the proctor. Professors may refuse to accept any portion of an exam that is taken out of the testing room.
8. Time is called at the end of the exam period. If a student continues to write after time is called, it is a breech of the law school policy, and the proctor will report that fact to the instructor.
9. If the proctor detects a student who appears to be using unauthorized materials, looking at another student’s work, talking with another student, or otherwise behaving in a manner suggestive of cheating, the proctor is obligated to submit a written description of the behavior observed to the instructor and the senior assistant dean.
10. In order to begin exams at the time designated, proctors begin exam instructions thirty minutes before the start time. Students arriving late to an exam must enter quietly. No extra time will be given to complete the exam. Students who arrive significantly late for an exceptional reason should petition the senior assistant dean for student services to reschedule the exam.
11. To avoid undue confusion, disruption, and noise, students who finish their exam within the last five minutes of the allotted time must remain in their seats until time has expired. Students who finish earlier may turn in their exam and quietly leave the building. When final time is called, students should remain in their seats to allow the proctor to collect the exams in an orderly manner.
Illegible Exams
The first time an instructor finds an exam answer to be illegible, arrangements to have it typed are made by the School of Law at no cost to the student. The student may be required to assist in decoding the paper. Whether or not a student is consulted in the typing, the student is notified that an exam was typed and thereafter will be eligible to have exams typed under the rules outlined below. For students who, once notified concerning an illegible exam paper, choose not to have future papers typed at their own expense, their original handwritten exam will be the only one provided to the instructor.
After the above procedure is initiated by an instructor, students wishing to continue to provide typed copies of written exams should notify the senior assistant dean for student services of that election. A duplicated copy of the exam will be provided to the student, who is responsible for having it typed. The typed exam must be returned to the senior assistant dean for student services promptly after it was given to the student. That typed copy will be compared to the original copy, and both copies will be given to the instructor.
Exam Rescheduling
If a student’s exam is approved for rescheduling, it is left to the discretion of the senior assistant dean for student services to determine the day and time of the rescheduled exam. Exams are always rescheduled for a date after the regularly scheduled exam and never before the exam. An exam may be rescheduled for one of the following reasons only:
1. Three exams in two consecutive calendar days; i.e., not simply in any 48-hour period
2. Two exams scheduled back to back; i.e., one exam at 6:00 p.m. and another at 8:30 a.m. the next morning
3. Two exams on the same day
4. The student’s serious illness or other medical emergency
5. Extraordinary and compelling reasons beyond the student’s control
- For (1), (2), and (3) above, the student must notify the Student Services Office at least two weeks prior to the start of the exam period.
- For (4) and (5) above, the student must submit a request for rescheduling of exam to the Student Services Office as soon as possible, but prior to the start of scheduled exam. The senior assistant dean for student services, in consultation with the professor, determines if the exam will be rescheduled.
Note: Students who are ill at the time of their exam should consult the head proctor prior to opening their exam packet. Once students see the exam, it is not possible to reschedule.
Use of Laptop Computers
The law school encourages students to use laptops for taking exams. To do so, students must use the SofTest program, from ExamSoft, which provides a simple and secure word processor. SofTest blocks access to any stored files during exams which means that students still need to bring books and notes to open-book and limited open-book exams.
SofTest is available for Windows 2000 or higher. Students may use SofTest on either PC laptops, or Apple Intel-based laptops running Windows via Bootcamp. Students who wish to use their laptops for exams will need to install certain program files on their computers ahead of time. These files may be downloaded from www.examsoft.com/sculaw. Support for installation and setup for exams is available from Law Technology and Academic Computing.
Any attempt to disable or tamper with the security features of SoftTest will be prosecuted as a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy. The software itself records all keystrokes, and any attempts to override the system’s security will be noted.
Students must be familiar with their equipment by the time of the exam. Students are not permitted to delay the start of an exam due to computer problems. In the event of a computer malfunction, proctors and other support staff will provide a limited amount of support. Students should be prepared to complete the exam by hand writing if the problem cannot be resolved in a timely fashion.
The option of using a computer to take exams is offered to students as a convenience and a privilege, not as a right. Students assume all risk of equipment or power failure, and should take appropriate steps to aid in the successful completion of their exams. Students should make sure they have a well-charged battery as an emergency power source. While wireless network connectivity is available in our exam rooms, we strongly recommend that students bring their own network cables, as connectivity is required at the conclusion of each exam and a wired connection is the most reliable.
All computers are subject to inspection before and after an exam. See Chapter 15 for more information about laptop use and support.
Accommodated Exams
Students with disabilities may receive accommodation in the exam process. Students must submit requests for accommodation to the Office of Disabilities Resources (www.scu.edu/advising/learning/disabilities/index.cfm) in a timely manner. Late requests may not be possible to accommodate. All requests must be supported with appropriate documentation in keeping with the law school’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policy.
LL.M. in U.S. Law and Foreign Exchange Student Exams
LL.M. in United States Law and J.D. foreign exchange students for whom English is a second language in which they have not reached academic competence may request additional time up to time and a half for exams. These students may also request the use of a translating dictionary. Students must submit requests to the senior assistant dean for student services at least two weeks before the start of the exam period.
Distribution of Graded Materials
Faculty members individually determine how their graded exam materials may be accessed by students. They may distribute the materials to the students, meet with students on an individual basis to review the exam, or return materials to the students by appointment through the Faculty Support Services office. Exam materials are retained for a period of one year only.
