Passed: October 2019
Sponsor: University Faculty Committee
Senate Discussions: September 2019
The Resolution
Whereas the Code of Academic Integrity specifies that “during in-class examinations no student may use, give, or receive any assistance or information not given in the examination or by the proctor.”
Whereas instructors, proctors, and exam-taker share a responsibility to prevent exam-related Code violations,
Be it resolved that unless the instructor or Student Disability Services grants an explicit exception, students may not handle or access a cell phone or electronic device at any time during an exam. This includes smart watches, smart clothing, fitness bands, earpieces, or any device that has a recording, internet, or communication capability.
Be it further resolved that during an exam all such devices shall be turned off or disabled and placed out of sight if so requested by the proctor;
Be it further resolved that watches provided by the student shall be placed out of sight if so requested by the proctor and there is wall clock (or equivalent);
Be it further resolved that the use of writing instruments provided by the student can be disallowed if alternative writing instruments are supplied by the proctor.
Background
Technology has created new opportunities for cheating during exams, e.g.,
Earpiece+bluetooth pen sets
Earpiece+ spyglass set
A cheating smart watch with proctor panic button
For demonstrations, get into YouTube and enter “smart watch exam cheating”. The testing agencies have caught on: ACT, SAT, etc.
For background here is a recent article and another recent article. The point of this resolution is to call attention to the problem and to offer a framework for instructors that would make device-enabled cheating much more difficult.
