Proctoring Essay

A few courses at the University of the People are considered proctored courses. Proctoring means “one appointed to supervise students, as at an examination” (“Proctor,” n.d. para 1). University of the People require Proctored exams because, as many other universities agree “Proctors are used to ensure academic integrity during the exam.” (Exams and Proctoring. n.d.). This would also indicate that this person is impartial or unbiased toward the student when supervising them. It wouldn’t be much good to have a person supervise a student, if they will allow them to cheat, have someone else help them, or commit some other act of unseemly exam practices. University of the people requires Proctored Exams to be completed to successfully pass proctored courses, and University of the People has a required amount of proctored exams per degree. These need to be successfully completed prior to graduation. Undergraduate Catalogue. (2016),
It is the Student’s sole responsibility to choose
a proctor. One will not be chosen for them, but students have options. A proctor can either be an 'offline' proctor, where you would meet with the Proctor in person, or an online proctoring service where you may take your exams online at home, using a webcam and a reliable high-speed internet connection. If an ‘offline’ proctor is chosen, they cannot receive payments for their services.
Compulsory criteria for a proctor to be considered as appropriate is as such: They must be at least 21 years old, be a reputable person of integrity, cannot be a relative of the student, they cannot be a student at the University of People or an applicant of the University, cannot have a conflict of interest or have any vested interest in the student's grade or performance on his/her exam, and must have adequate and reliable access to the Internet, including email services. Proctored Exams – Instructions to the Student. (2016).
A student at the University of the People needs to register a proctor prior to the registration period close.
Also the proctor needs to confirm their involvement prior to close of registration. To register a proctor with the university a student will select the “add a proctor” link to the course, during online registration for courses that require a proctor. They will be prompted to add information to confirm the proctor, such as: The proctor’s first and last name, their email address, contact information such as telephone number and place of residence, and occupation. As mentioned earlier a Proctor must be unbiased and as well as someone of integrity. This could be a local official, supervisor at work, religious figure, an online proctoring service such as ProctorU or librarian to name a few. I, myself, have already spoken to our local Librarian to understand their availability, and gathered information I will need to register them. University of the People Course Registration guide.
(2016)
The proctoring service, although an extra step for many involved, allows for a fair exam taking practice across all students. This ensures that upon graduation, every student is aware that he/she is graduating on their own merit. This extra step has value and serves the greater good.