Faculty & Staff

The DRC Faculty Portal provides instructors online access to students’ accommodation letters and requests to test in the DRC.  Students registered with the DRC will send their accommodation letters and test requests electronically.  Faculty will be notified via email from the DRC Faculty Portal. 

Instructors use the Portal to:

• Review and confirm receipt of their students’ accommodation letters;
• Keep track of students who have accommodations in each of their courses;
• Review and confirm student test requests for the DRC to proctor tests;
  • The DRC will only proctor tests for students requiring a reduced distraction setting, separate setting, or specific assistive technology.
• Upload tests materials and administration details to the secure system.
  • Test materials must be uploaded by noon, two business days in advance of the exam.
  • For security purposes, the DRC does not accept tests or exams via email.

ACCESS THE FACULTY PORTAL

Trouble logging in to the Faculty Portal? 

Log in using your UNCW email address and password.  Use a laptop/desktop computer and a secure network connection (e.g., Hawkwifi).  A "guest" network does not meet our minimum security requirements.

You may have to do Duo2Factor Authentication.  Contact DRC@uncw.edu if you still have trouble.

Proctoring Information for Faculty

DRC Proctoring Hours

Monday – Thursday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (all tests must be completed by 5:00 PM)
Friday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

*During finals week, the DRC operates under the schedule determined by the Registrar’s Office. Exams can only be scheduled at 8:00 AM, 11:30 AM, or 3:00 PM. The DRC will stay open until 7:30 PM during finals week to accommodate extended time. Students should plan to schedule their finals accordingly.

**The window for scheduling finals to be proctored in the DRC opens approximately one month before finals begins and closes one week prior to the start of finals.

Faculty Responsibilities

Overview

Use of the DRC for testing is not required to meet accommodated testing needs. The DRC provides proctoring as a courtesy to students and faculty. Should a student and faculty member choose not to utilize the DRC and work out alternate testing arrangements, they are free to do so. Faculty members are not required to notify the DRC about alternate arrangements. For this document, all assessments (e.g., quizzes, tests, exams) will be denoted as “tests.”

• Tests and testing appointments will be funneled through and coordinated via the DRC Student and Faculty Portals. Faculty will use their UNCW email address to access this portal.
• The process starts with the students.  They are responsible for scheduling their own proctoring appointments at least four business days in advance of the test date through their Student Portal. Faculty will be notified electronically of scheduled proctored appointments.
• Due to the hours listed above and student accommodation needs, appointment times may need to fall outside of the regular class time to adjust for extenuating circumstances, such as back-to-back classes.
• Faculty members should be aware that the DRC cannot honor unannounced, day-of tests for students and will need to make alternate arrangements with their student(s).
• The decision to reschedule testing appointments is at the discretion of faculty, unless permitted by the student’s accommodations. A student should inform their faculty member and cancel their appointment in their Student Portal if they are/were unable to keep their appointment.
• DRC staff will not notify faculty if a student does not show up for their scheduled appointment.
• DRC staff will not proctor tests if a student is over 15 minutes late.  If a student is over 15 minutes late, they will need to make arrangements with faculty to take the test. Additional time will not be added to the end of a student’s test. The testing clock starts at the scheduled start time. 

Responsibilities

1. Faculty will be prompted to complete the Test Proctoring Form prior to the student’s testing appointment. This form must be completed by the faculty member in the DRC’s Faculty Portal for each test to be taken at the center regardless of the test delivery method (e.g., Canvas, online platforms, etc.).
   
   • It is the faculty member’s responsibility to complete the Test Proctoring Form in its entirety and submit it at least two business days in advance of the student’s testing appointment.
   • The test and testing materials should be included and uploaded, if applicable, at this time.
   • Failure to submit tests or proctoring information within this time frame may result in the need to reschedule the test at the DRC’s and the student’s convenience.
   • The DRC will not accept hand delivered or emailed tests.  All tests need to be uploaded into the Faculty Portal.
2. The faculty will indicate on the Test Proctoring Form their preferred method of exam return. These options include:
   • In-person pick-up at the DRC during operating hours,
   • The student who took the exam can deliver it back to your department or,
   • When available, a DRC Student Worker will deliver the test back to the location indicated on the Test Proctoring Form within 48 hours.
     • If no one is available to receive and sign for the test when the Student Worker attempts to deliver, faculty will be notified they need to pick up the test from the DRC.

Test Security & Integrity

The DRC will do everything in its power to maintain the security and integrity of tests that are entrusted to us. Proctoring staff are actively monitoring cameras and periodically checking in on testers.

• If we confirm via video monitoring that an honor code violation is occurring, the student’s test will be stopped and all materials will be collected.  We will notify the instructor and the Office of the Dean of Students via email regarding the incident.
• In some instances, we may suspect but are unable to confirm, an honor code violation while a student is testing.  If through video playback we observe suspicious activity, we will notify the instructor and the Office of the Dean of Students via email.

Additional Information

Inquiries about DRC test proctoring can be made via email at DRC@uncw.edu or by calling our office at 910.962.7555.

 

Background and Legal Information 

Under the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008, “A public entity must reasonably modify its policies, practices, or procedures to avoid discrimination. If the public entity can demonstrate, however, that the modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of its service, program, or activity, it is not required to make the modification” (ADA Title II Technical Assistance Manual). 
Through various Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights case resolutions, the federal government has clarified that colleges and universities must: 

1. engage in an individualized, interactive process with each student request for accommodations and avoid blanket statements or policies regarding accommodations (OCR No. 10-16-2203), 
2. the student must not be left to negotiate their accommodation with faculty (OCR No. 01-16-2113), 
3. the decision of whether an accommodation may fundamentally alter an essential course/ program objective must be made by a group of knowledgeable and trained individuals at the University within the program and the Disability Resource Center (OCR No. 01-16-2120; 03-14-2248), 
4. the group pursues a thoughtful, careful, rational review of the course/program essential objectives and requirements (OCR No. 01-16-2120) and 
5. considers a series of alternatives and modifications that does not fundamentally alter the course/program even if it is not the accommodation originally requested (OCR No. 01-16-2120). 

Overview 

• Whether a requested accommodation would fundamentally alter an essential requirement of a course or program will generally need to be determined on a case-by-case basis and is not the sole determination of one individual.  
• The goal in determining whether a fundamental alteration exists is to separate out general expectations and what has always been done, from the truly essential objectives and components of the course or program.  
• Methods of instruction and assessment can be examined to determine how information is taught and what alternative opportunities are available for teaching and learning the information, the format of materials, skills etc. Flexibility in achieving outcomes may be appropriate depending on the nature of the course and its requirements.  

Essential Objectives 

Essential course and program objectives are identified as the core learning outcomes (such as skills, knowledge or licensure requirements) that all students must demonstrate, with or without accommodations, which are part of the interconnected curriculum of the degree or academic program. 
Established essential objectives and requirements: 

• Clearly articulate the overall purpose of the course/program, 
• Identify required mastery of specific skills, knowledge, principles and concepts, 
• Convey the framework used to set academic and program standards, 
• Ensure fair deliberation with qualified campus professionals when determining if a requested accommodation would be a fundamental alteration. 

Procedures 

If a faculty member is concerned that an accommodation fundamentally alters an essential requirement or objective of a course or academic program, the following process will be used: 

1. The faculty member should complete the Fundamental Alteration Process Form within 3 business days of accessing the student’s accommodation letter.  
2. The DRC may involve campus partners as needed, such as faculty members within the academic program/course, the Chair of the academic department and other knowledgeable and trained faculty or administrators deemed appropriate in determining the reasonableness of the request, fundamental requirements of the course or program or the possible alternatives to accommodate the student. 
3. After deliberation between the applicable campus partners, the DRC informs the student, and, if needed, the faculty member, of the final decision from the group of knowledgeable college professionals engaged in the process. If the accommodation is denied or modified, the DRC will provide written explanation of the reasons why it was denied or modified and opportunities for the student to respond to the decision. 

To determine the essential requirements for a course or program, faculty and DRC staff will consider the following questions: 

1. What fundamental course objective does this accommodation alter? 
2. What practical function does this fundamental objective serve in the academic program? 
3. Please provide documentation of the fundamental course objective (e.g. syllabus, professional association certification requirement, technical standard, etc.). 
4. How does the requested accommodation alter this fundamental course objective? 
5. Has this accommodation been approved to students without disabilities or for any other situation or reason in your class in the current semester or in the past? If so, why? 
6. Is there any alternative way the student could demonstrate competence without undermining the essential course objectives? For example, an alternate accommodation that would not alter the essential objective of the course/program. 

It is recommended that the following alternative format and accommodation statements be used where applicable.

Alternative Format Statement 

This statement should be printed in an easy-to read type size and placed in a location that is easy to notice.
This publication is available in alternative format on request. Please call (insert telephone number).

Accommodation Statement

This statement should be printed in any publication that describes a specific program or special event (e.g., seminar, film, speaker, performing arts series, employment programming, etc.).
UNCW (or insert your office name here) encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact (telephone number of the sponsor) in advance of your participation or visit.

Abbreviated Accommodation Statement 

(Use the abbreviated version only when space constraints are severe.)
Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations or who have questions about physical access may contact (telephone number of the sponsor) in advance of the program (or film, event, etc).

Non-Discrimination Statement and Need for Reasonable Accommodation Disclosure

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is committed to complying with all federal, state, and local requirements of nondiscrimination. UNCW supports the right of enrolled students to a full and equal educational opportunity and is committed to reasonable accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities or who are impacted by Title IX concerns.

Students with disabilities for whom accommodations may be necessary must be registered with and provide official notification through UNCW’s Disability Resource Center. Once established, responsibility for disability-related accommodations and access is shared by DRC, faculty and the student.

Individuals who wish to report any form of gender-based discrimination or sexual misconduct/harassment—and those requesting related accommodations—should contact UNCW’s Title IX Office. Students may also report incidents of misconduct to their faculty; however, be aware that faculty are required by law to notify the Title IX office.  If students wish to seek confidential resources without reporting an incident, three departments at UNCW are exempt from mandatory reporting requirements: CARE: Interpersonal Violence Prevention & Response, University Counseling Center and Abrons Student Health Center.

UNCW Faculty and Staff should use this form when referring a student from your office to the Disability Resource Center (DRC).  DRC staff will review and respond to your submission within 24 business hours. 

Please be advised submitting this form does not guarantee the student will be eligible for accommodations.

UNCW FACULTY & STAFF STUDENT REFERRAL FORM