Pictured: URI’s Academic Testing Center located in Chaffee Hall. PHOTO CREDIT: Hannah Charron| Staff Photographer
The Academic Testing Center (ATC) at the University of Rhode Island was recently awarded the Testing Center Certification by the National College Testing Association (NCTA).
This makes URI the first University in the state of Rhode Island to have this certification, according to Lisa Macaruso, assistant director of the Testing Center.
“Access and academic integrity are vital to the URI learning community and this certification signals that we center test validity and inclusivity,” Macaruso said.
The ATC strives to provide a comfortable alternative testing environment for students. Having this distinction in Rhode Island puts URI on the map and has caused other universities to reach out and ask for advice on the improvement of their own centers, according to Kathleen Torrens, professor of communications and interim director of the Office for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.
“They base it on the professionalism of the center in terms of policies, procedures, workplace training, security of testing, the integrity of testing and all kinds of things that indicate a high level of oversight in the exam proctoring process,” Torrens said.
Macaruso notes the importance of preparing the center and taking feedback from NCTA to gain the most credibility. The center was required to provide official documentation and artifacts to prove their professionalism. They also had to go through observations from NCTA officials and import their feedback.
This certification was a big win for the center coming out of the coronavirus pandemic, which caused the center to close down for two years.
“In that time, teaching, learning and assessment continued to evolve in higher education,” Marcaruso said. “Justice, equity, diversity and inclusion also became more centered than ever before – including in the field of testing. Each policy, procedure and practice at the ATC was evaluated against the rigorous standards of the NCTA and URI’s Academic Affairs Anti-Racism Agenda for Change.”
The efforts to create a more inclusive testing center that caters to the needs of students who learn differently has set the URI ATC apart from other statewide centers according to Torrens.
“I think that it’s about student success and allowing students to, if they have to, take exams or other assessments, to do so in a way that best suits the way that they demonstrate their learning,” Torrens said.
The center and the staff who work there aim to create the most comfortable environment for students while still maintaining their academic integrity, according to Torrens.
According to an email sent out by URI communications on Nov. 14, the ATC is able to “continuously reflect on processes and approaches and seek to dismantle systemic barriers that may disproportionately impact underrepresented students, staff and faculty.”
There is recognition that not all students are alike and this is one step in the effort to impact testing centers across the state level according to Torrens.
Macaruso hopes that the certification will be able to help the center continue its long-form goals of meeting students’ needs and serving the URI community, both students and staff included.