Faculty

A student in my class receives alternative media. What do I do?

If you know that a student is registered with the Disabled Students' Program, please feel free to contact the Alternative Media Unit of DSP for help.

It is best practice to create an accessible version of your course before you are notified that a student has an accommodation. See the "Questions about Inclusive Instructional Practices" section of this FAQ for information about how to do this.

How can I check if the documents that I am using in my class are accessible to students who are blind or who use assistive technology?

Use the accessibility checker for the format of your document.

Google Docs: Use the GrackleDocs Add-on

PDF Documents: Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker and the Make Accessible Action Wizard

MS Word Documents: ...

How can I create accessible materials for my class?

OCR Scanners

Before you scan a document for use in your class, first check if the document is already available electronically through one of the Library’s subscriptions. If the book is in the public domain, you can also check for electronic copies at Project Gutenberg

If you cannot locate an electronic version of a text and...

How can I prepare my classes so that they are accessible to students who use alternative media (braille, large print, e-Text)?

Adopt your textbooks and prepare your course reader based on the students' Accommodations. (Click to learn more)

If you are using a print shop for a course reader, retain a digital copy of the course reader files. DSP may need to request the digital version of your course reader for conversion purposes.

Create accessible versions of class...

Make-up Exams: Is it okay for me to give the student a grade of Incomplete and ask them to take the final exam with next semester’s class?

The day of my final exam, a student in my class had a disability-related absence. The student now wants me to provide them with a make-up exam, which their accommodation letter allows for. Is it okay for me to give the student a grade of Incomplete and ask them to take the final exam with next semester’s class?

If the student is in good standing in your class at the time of the missed final, you can offer the student the option of an incomplete grade to allow them to take a make-up exam when they are well enough to do so. However, you cannot require a student to wait a full semester to take the final exam with another class if the student requests to take the exam earlier. In most cases, if a student has missed an exam due to a flare in the impact of their disability, the student will be able to take the exam within days of the flare subsiding. If this is the case, it would not provide...

When should I drop off exams to the DSP Proctoring office?

Exams must be delivered to us in one of the following ways:

Email the exam in an attachment to proctoring@berkeley.edu no later than 4:30 PM 2 BUSINESS DAYS prior to the date of the exam. Please include the Department and course number in the subject line. Upload exams through your Faculty Portal no later than 4:30 PM 2 BUSINESS DAYS prior to the date of the exam. Hand-delivered in person at the Proctoring Center no later than 4:30 pm one business day before the date of the exam.

What measures are taken to promote academic integrity?

DSP Proctoring takes academic integrity very seriously. All of our proctors are well trained and are constantly monitoring exams in our testing locations. Students must show a photo ID when they arrive and agree to all conditions before an exam begins. Cell phones and smart watches must be turned off in front of the proctor and stowed away for the duration of the exam. Students are asked to sign in/out when using the bathroom, and proctors are continually walking the floor to deter any potential for cheating. Any suspicious activity is logged and reported to the instructor...

When can I pick up completed exams from the DSP Proctoring office?

Exams must be picked up in person in our office beginning at 8:30 am the day after the exam. Pick-up hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.

If a student misses their exam, can they reschedule with DSP Proctoring?

If an instructor would like us to reschedule a student’s exam, please email our office at proctoring@berkeley.edu. We will be happy to reschedule the exam at the instructor’s request. Please do not have students contact us directly to reschedule an exam. Exams can only be scheduled with faculty approval.

If a student is late to their exam, do they receive their full amount of time?

If a student is late for their exam, they will not be granted any additional time. If they are more than 30 minutes late, they will not be allowed to start their exam unless we get approval from the instructor. We will call the contact number submitted on the proctoring request form for approval.