Students may access digital materials during fully open book exams
On February 16, Associate Dean Christopher Essert announced that starting in the upcoming Winter 2022 examination period, students may refer to electronic materials during their open book exams. Students will be permitted access to documents such as electronic summaries that are saved on their hard drives, but they remain unable to access the internet. The adjusted policy applies to fully open book exams in which professors allow students to refer to any material they wish.
The Faculty’s historical policy only allowed access to printed notes during exams. However, when examinations were conducted remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students were permitted access to their computer files and the internet.
Last semester, as the Faculty moved back to in-person examinations, Yiwei Jin (2L) spearheaded a petition to allow students access to their computer files during examinations, citing the financial and environmental consequences of the historical policy. Although 148 students signed the petition, the Faculty decided against changing the policy, citing concerns with academic dishonesty and technology licensing agreements.
In a statement to UV, Associate Dean Essert stated that the Faculty wished to properly weigh different considerations, which explains the lengthy process. “[W]e were able to work with the software vendor […] to ensure that sufficient protections to address the important academic integrity considerations could be in place,” he added. The Faculty also consulted with faculty members about their preferences before amending the policy.
The Students’ Law Society (SLS) has advocated for this policy change throughout the year. “Since October, the [Student Life and Academic Committee (SLAC)] executive has raised this issue at nearly every meeting with the administration,” commented SLS Vice-President Academic Eloise Hirst (2L). “In the Fall, we were informed that the Faculty had purchased a subscription to Examplify that would not allow for hard drive access in exams while disabling internet access. It was for this reason, we were told, that hard drive access would be disabled for all exams.” When SLAC investigated the software’s functionality and suggested that the Faculty should be able to disallow internet access while retaining hard drive access, the Faculty advised it was not possible to upgrade the subscription.
In January, SLAC drafted several motions for Faculty Council’s consideration—a novel move due to the uncertainty around Faculty Council’s jurisdiction. Among these motions was one permitting instructors to record lectures, and another that would enable hard drive access during open-book exams. “Before the [February 9] Faculty Council meeting, [we] met with Dean Brunnée and Associate Dean Essert to discuss the proposed motions,” said Hirst. “We were informed that the Faculty had been considering these policies, but that these motions expedited the process, such that changes would be announced in mid- to late-February.” SLAC decided not to bring forward the motions at that meeting.
“After these efforts, the SLS is delighted to see these changes to the Faculty’s long standing policies that have been a source of student frustration for many years,” concluded Hirst.
“The policy change is good and long overdue,” commented Jin. “It’s clear that various advocacy efforts, including the petition, forced the administration to confront and come to terms with its policy’s effects on students.” He hopes that this change makes students more inclined to collective action in the future.
