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Vice-President Academic and Provost

Accommodated assessments

Information for faculty and instructors

Web page last updated May 1, 2024. What's new:

Legally and morally, we have a duty to provide reasonable accommodations to students. This is a shared responsibility, and we all have a role in supporting students and creating an access-centred culture. This means that we need to work together, as a university community, to change the way we do things.

Thank you to all faculty and instructors who have worked to adopt pedagogical approaches that better support our diverse community of students. Incorporating universal design principles is one important way we can all move towards an access-centred campus, and there are several more.

Context

As reported to Senate in April 2023, there has been a dramatic increase in accommodations, both in terms of numbers and complexity of accommodation needs. The number of students with disabilities in the BC post-secondary system is anticipated to increase, as outcomes for students with disabilities and diverse needs in the BC K-12 system are showing steady improvements. 

To support increased demand while campus adopts an access-centred approach to course and assignment design, Executive Council approved additional, one-time resources into supporting accommodations in the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) and the Office of the Registrar and Enrolment Management (OREM) for Winter Session 2023/24. Our colleagues in CAL and OREM worked quickly to modify UVic's assessment support model to respond to the increased demand, support instructors, and ensure a positive experience for students.

With accommodated exam volume once again increasing in 2023/24, Executive Council approved additional one-time funding for Winter Session 2024/25 to allow time for campus to transition to longer-term solutions and approaches, some of which are outlined below.

UVic's interim approach

Everyone on campus—regardless of role, discipline or class size—needs to work towards an access-centred approach to better support students and so that CAL can focus on its core mandate of supporting complex accommodations.

Principles

UVic is taking a principled, solutions-focused approach to transitioning to an access-centred campus throughout 2024/25, aligned with our Equity Action Plan goals.

  • Prioritize the student experience in decision making and operations
  • Move towards an access-centred culture where universal design principles are embedded in curricular programs
  • Strive for efficiency while maintaining quality of service and respecting staff time
  • Be forward-looking and solutions-focused
  • Be intentional about choices within a resource constrained environment
  • Celebrate inclusivity and promote an access-centred approach across campus
  • Clarify roles, responsibilities and expectations for instructors, students, staff and leaders

While we work together towards a more access-centred campus, Executive Council approved additional, temporary central accommodation supports through Winter Session 2024/25, similar to the supports provided in 2023/24. These time-limited supports will help ensure students receive a high-quality education in an inclusive environment while providing instructors with more time to update their course and assessment practices.

Consultations and communications

A working group with representatives from VPAC, LTSI and Student Affairs continues to consult and communicate with academic leaders and instructors regarding UVic's approach to academic accommodations. Consultations include Deans' Council and Academic Leadership, Associate Deans Academic, Senate, the Instructors of First Year Courses Working Group, and Executive Council. Reports and communications include:

Accommodation resources for 2024/25

OREM will continue to take on temporary responsibilities to support academic accommodations during the transition phase in 2024/25. CAL will continue its mandate of supporting complex accommodations during the transition phase and into the foreseeable future.

Summer Session 2024 & Winter Session 2024/25

Instructors should continue to submit their requests via webform or loading sheet, both available on the CAL Assessment Program website. Once requests have been received, the instructor will be contacted by either CAL or OREM, or potentially both (we will determine which office will provide support based on the accommodations required by students registered in the class).

Please note that staff are extremely busy, and instructors are encouraged to make arrangements to meet the accommodation needs of students in their classes if able. Instructors who need assistance will need to submit their requests in advance of the relevant term-specific deadline.

The Centre for Accessible Learning and the Office of Registrar and Enrolment Management are available to support faculty and instructors with accommodated assessments during their extended business hours, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Details provided below.

During business hours (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

Centre for Accessible Learning
Instructor teaching students in a studio classroom

Accommodation resources available through CAL

If you have an exam between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., here are the resources available to you through the CAL Assessment Program:

  • Scheduling exams and deferred exams
  • Invigilation
  • Troubleshooting technology issues
  • Printing exams (2 business days in advance)
  • Exam collection and returning completed exams to departments
  • Providing amalgamated lists to instructors of students/accommodations upon request
Contact CAL
Registrar & Enrolment Management
Student studying in the library

Accommodation resources available through OREM

If you have an exam between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., here are the resources available to you through OREM:

  • Scheduling in-term, final, and deferred exams
  • Invigilating face-to-face, paper-based, time-limited exams
  • Collecting and returning completed exams to academic units
  • Updating accommodation information provided by CAL on student bookings
  • Questions related to the administration of exams
Email OREM

Online exams

Weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Division of Learning and Teaching Support and Innovation (LTSI) can support online invigilation through the Online Assessment Room (OAR) or Brightspace. LTSI cannot guarantee a particular day or time but will do their best to accommodate each request. OREM is not available to invigilate online exams.

The online exam guide can help you design, build and administer online exams.

Evening and weekend exams

For assessments outside of regular business hours, Brightspace is available any time for instructors providing their own invigilation. LTSI has information on how to support students with accommodations during a Brightspace exam. You may also wish to consider alternative forms of assessment.

Course design resources

LTSI can support you with the transition to access-centred teaching and learning. LTSI provides a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guide to help get you started. LTSI offers one-on-one support, group support, self-serve support, ecosystem support and partnerships. This includes tailored workshops for specific disciplines and departments, networking and community building opportunities.

Learn from your colleagues

Explore how your colleagues are using UDL principles in their classrooms, labs and studios:

Learn how to integrate assistive technology for diverse learning needs at UVic.

Contact LTSI

Student resources

Students may borrow laptops from UVic Libraries, for short-term use. During the exam period, laptops are available for use outside of the library, for up to 4 hours.

The Centre for Academic Communication and Math and Stats Assistance Centre can support your students proactively in accessibility through coaching in learning strategies and coordinating referrals to CAL as well as other student support services.

AC1205 renewal

A review and renewal of policy AC1205—our academic accommodation policy that outlines our duty to accommodate—is underway, in the context of UVic’s Accessibility Plan that launched September 2023. We have reconstituted the Accessibility Committee who will help with this process and expect to bring a revised policy to Senate in 2024 for discussion and then approval.

Assessing the midterm pilot

The spring 2024 midterm pilot was small in scope, with 8 courses (some with multiple sections) in two faculties (science and social sciences) opting to participate. Midterm exams were centrally scheduled on Feb. 9 and 10, 2024. Following the pilot, OREM surveyed students, instructors, TAs and others who assisted in the pilot and prepared a report for the May meeting of Senate.

Joint Working Group on Student Accommodations and Faculty Workload

The mandate of the Joint Working Group, co-chaired by the AVP Academic Programs and FA President, is articulated in Appendix R of the Collective Agreement. The group first came together in September 2023 and submitted their report and recommendations to the Provost on April 10, 2024, for consideration. As per the LOU, the Provost will respond to the recommendations within six months.

Course outline guidelines

In December 2023, Senate approved revised course outline guidelines for the undergraduate and graduate calendars, effective May 1, 2024. The approved revisions are intended to provide instructors with detailed information on what should be included in a course outline.

Policies & linkages

External resources

Additional information

We will update this web page as new information and resources for instructors become available.

If you have questions about academic accommodations services offered by either CAL or OREM, please contact the appropriate office as indicated above. If you have questions about universal design or other pedagogical resources, please contact LTSI.

For other matters, please connect with your chair or director who can address or escalate to your Associate Dean or Dean if necessary. We are engaging with Associate Deans Academic, Deans' Council and Academic Leadership, the Accessibility Committee and other established committees to position UVic for our access-centred future, together.

This page is maintained by the Office of the Vice-President Academic and Provost (vpaccomms@uvic.ca), with support from Student Affairs and LTSI. Originally published April 4, 2024.