IUPUI unveils renovated testing facilities
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis celebrated two newly renovated testing facilities with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 12. The new spaces will accommodate even more IUPUI students for computer-based exams, quizzes and other proctored activities at convenient times.
The brief ceremony and formal ribbon cutting took place at the Engineering/Science & Technology building, site of the newest facility. The testing facility in Business/SPEA 3000 opened in summer 2011. Speakers included Dawn M. Rhodes, vice chancellor for finance and administration; Simon Rhodes, dean of the School of Science; and Trudy W. Banta, senior advisor to the chancellor for academic planning and evaluation.
"These new facilities offer an exciting opportunity for IUPUI to provide its students and faculty with expanded access, a secure testing environment and greater efficiencies in the scheduling and administration of exams," said Nasser Paydar, IUPUI executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer. He noted that the facilities will improve classroom instruction by helping faculty members reclaim time that would have been devoted to in-class exams.
IUPUI's latest testing facilities build on the foundation laid by the IUPUI Testing Center and testing centers operated by the School of Science, who together administer more than 50,000 tests every year. In fact, universities around the country are increasingly moving to a testing center model to balance campus resources with faculty and student needs.
"The IUPUI testing facilities are unique because of the collaboration among schools, departments, academic support units and the Testing Center -- not to mention external test vendors who make it possible to expand the variety of test proctoring services that benefit students, faculty and other campus constituencies," said Howard R. Mzumara, director of the IUPUI Testing Center.
The new testing facilities are truly multipurpose spaces. When not reserved for testing, they are available for open computing by any IUPUI student.
"We're using these spaces well," said Stacy Morrone, associate vice president for learning technologies and IT dean for IUPUI. "By maximizing the efficiency of the technology infrastructure and the services the testing facilities can offer, these spaces can support our educational objectives in many ways."
The IUPUI testing facilities are a partnership between the IUPUI Testing Center, School of Science, Office of the Registrar and University Information Technology Services.
Originally published Sept. 10, 2012.
