April 10, 2020

This message is distributed to SBFACU-L, SBNSF-L, SBNSOTHER-L, and SBADM-L.  (Click here to view description of distribution groups.)  

The following is being sent on behalf of Jeffrey Stopple, Associate Vice Chancellor, Office of Undergraduate Education
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Dear Faculty Colleague,

Thank you for your work to prepare and offer your remote courses. I know that you have invested many hours to create high-quality courses for all of your students.

As you know, at the end of winter quarter as the COVID-19 emergency began, we suggested that faculty could use ProctorU as *one* option for final exams, though we also required faculty to have alternative exams for students. This is because of issues associated with equity and privacy associated with ProctorU. The UCSB Faculty Association has also highlighted these issues in several messages to faculty.

As we move into Spring quarter, some faculty are considering more extensive use of ProctorU. If you are considering this option or have already registered for an account, this message conveys three requests. In making them, I wish to acknowledge the concerns raised by the Faculty Association, and the work of the ad hoc committee on academic integrity which included faculty, administration and staff.

Here are the three requests.

1. Please consider a non-proctored option for your students. Research has shown that lower-stakes assessments, such as consistent quizzes and/or tests that build knowledge consistently, often support more effective learning. If you must administer a high-stakes assessment, consider instead an open-book exam, or short answer exam or a multiple-choice test that randomizes a large number of questions from an existing quiz bank.

2. If you must proceed with a proctored exam, please inform students about the requirements of ProctorU. The Faculty Association’s investigations have raised especially important issues associated with data privacy and student consent. If students are not able to meet the requirements for any reason, you must provide them with a non-proctored exam that tests the same material, administered during the same period as the remote exam. (For example, an open book exam option as described above.). Faculty must not assign a “NG” or “I” to students and then require them to take a face-to-face exam at a later date.

The requirements of ProctorU include:

Specific technologies (webcam, microphone, Windows or Mac operating system
Designated private space for examinations
Consent to being recorded

Please inform students that you will use ProctorU and provide them opportunity to let you know if they will require an alternative exam, using the following language:

"ProctorU is an approved online proctoring service at UC Santa Barbara. This product monitors individual students and behaviors using video and video analysis during a remote exam to preserve exam integrity. ProctorU uses video recording and/or other personal information capture for the purpose of facilitating the test environment. The data collected is used solely for this purpose and the vendor is prohibited from redisclosing this information. Likewise, UC Santa Barbara does not use the data for any other purpose. Please ensure that you have reviewed ProctorU’s privacy policy. If you cannot or would prefer not to use ProctorU for any reason, please notify me immediately. I will provide an alternative, non-proctored exam during the same period as the remotely proctored exam.”

3. Please select the Review+ option for Proctor U. This option provides a live proctor at the beginning of the exam and recorded proctoring, which is reviewed by ProctorU personnel, thereafter.

Let me know if you have questions about these requests.  You may contact me at jstopple@ltsc.ucsb.edu
 

Jeffrey Stopple
Associate Vice Chancellor
Office of Undergraduate Education