Distance Learning

Online Course Identity Verification Policy

Ensuring academic honesty in an online environment is vital to the integrity of our online classes and programs at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Accordingly, faculty members teaching online courses will be required to implement the following policy:

At least one exam that constitutes a significant percentage of the course grade, a major exam such as a mid-term or final, in every online class offered by Northwestern must be proctored. The instructor may choose to require that more than one exam be proctored. This policy does NOT require, nor may an instructor require, that students come to a campus.* Proctoring must be done using the following approved methods:

• The faculty member should always present students with the option of using an approved online proctoring service, such as Remote Proctor Now, Respondus Monitor, or Examity, as an alternative to coming to campus. The student is responsible for any fees.
• The faculty member may choose to proctor his or her own exam.
• The faculty member may coordinate with the ITV office to set aside a block or blocks of time during which students may schedule to have their exam proctored at the Alva, Enid, or Woodward campus. This must be done following the ITV Test Proctoring Schedule and in accordance with the ITV Test Proctoring Guidelines. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule a time to take the test within the window arranged by the faculty member. This proctoring service is free of charge.
• The faculty member may allow students to take the exam at the University Center in Ponca City. It should be noted that the University Center may charge the student a fee. If a fee is charged, the student is responsible for the fee.
• The faculty member may allow students to have the test proctored at a university or community college testing center. The student is responsible for the fee.
• The faculty member may allow the student to have the test proctored at a commercial testing center, such as Pearson VUE. The student is responsible for the fee.
• The faculty member may allow military students to have a commissioned officer whose rank is higher than their own proctor their exam. Military students may also have their exam proctored at a Military Education Center. If a fee is charged, the student is responsible for the fee.
• The faculty member may allow students to have the test proctored by a librarian, school administrator, or tribal official. If a fee is charged, the student is responsible for the fee.

Any proctoring arrangement not listed above must be approved by the Online Education Committee prior to implementation.

For courses that do not utilize traditional testing, or as an alternative to a proctored exam, the faculty member may include an identity-verifying, point-bearing activity such as a Zoom conference or video posting. Because submission to Turnitin.com may be completed by a person other than the student, this activity is not a viable alternative to fulfill this requirement. This exception should be requested as a part of the course proposal process to be considered by the Online Education Committee.

In all cases, a photo ID will be required for verification of identity.

All costs associated with proctoring are the responsibility of the student. Northwestern students who choose to come to a Northwestern campus will not be charged a fee.

Please make sure your syllabus clearly states the requirement outlined in this policy. The test or tests that must be completed on campus or through an online proctoring service should be identified, along with the fees involved with proctoring. This policy does NOT require, nor may an instructor require, that students come to a campus.* It should be an option together with an online proctoring service. In this regard, the student has the option of paying a fee or coming to campus, where there will be no charge.

* In courses that do not lend themselves to online testing due to unique needs, such as a need for students to create schematics or submit numerical or symbolic characters, students may be required to complete the exam or exams at one of the campuses or an approved testing center. These exceptions should be requested as a part of the course proposal process to be considered by the Online Education Committee.

Revised 11/2019