Mission
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Testing Services provides an optimal proctored testing environment that serves the university community and external constituencies by following and adhering to the National College Testing Association’s Professional Standards and Guidelines.
Summary Narrative
Improve student recruitment and yield processes
Testing Services receives applicants’ and students’ score reports from external sources, including Accuplacer, AP, GRE, and CLEP. The efficient processing and entry of GRE and Accuplacer scores are necessary to make a timely admission determination, which in turn can affect a student’s enrollment decision. The efficient processing and entry of AP and CLEP score reports for Credit-by-Exam ensure that advisors have all of the necessary information to advise students on courses needed for graduation without retaking any course unnecessarily.
In FY23, Testing Services began analyzing and revising processes for evaluating and entering score reports to maximize efficiency. While our efforts in this area are not yet completed and we are still experiencing challenges, we have improved our efficiency through the in-house development of score tracking systems, which have decreased the time from when a score report is received to when entry is completed from 1-2 weeks to 1-2 days.
Increase access to student wellness and inclusion services
Testing Services collaborates with the Disability Resource Center and faculty to identify and provide approved accommodations for students. In FY23, Testing Services administered 766 accommodated exams.
One-third of our departmental employees have completed the UA Little Rock Safe Zone training. The office spaces of these allies display the Safe Zone symbol to signify that their space is a safe place to talk about issues impacting the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
Enhance the sustainability of auxiliary services
In addition to administering exams for current and prospective UA Little Rock students, Testing Services also administers proprietary exams for community members; for example, the exams to become admitted to police or firefighter training. UA Little Rock generates revenue from the testing companies by providing these exams, which totaled over $14,000 in FY23.
Enhance the recruitment, service, and engagement of and for UA Little Rock’s diverse student population
Testing Services collaborates with the Disability Resource Center and faculty to identify and provide approved accommodations for students. In FY23, Testing Services administered 766 accommodated exams.
At A Glance
In AY23:
- 2,682 exams administered and proctored
- 5,000+ credit-by-exams processed and test scores received and entered that were administered from testing centers around the world
- Exams administered include Accuplacer, CLEP, Emmersion, HESI, IT Competency, Miller Analogies Test, Kryterion, Meazure, NTN, ParaPro, departmental exams, and exams for students utilizing disability accommodations
- Open hours 8-5 Monday-Friday and occasional Saturdays as needed by academic departments
Assessment 1
Alignment with UA Little Rock Goal
Increase student access to transformative educational experiences that are affordable, versatile, and relevant.
Alignment with Student Affairs Goal
Develop a responsive student experience and engagement program
Goal
Fully update the Testing Services Website, remove old webpages, and make the new webpages more user-friendly
Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)
Operational
Activity or experience being assessed
Accessibility and ease of use of Testing Services’ website
Assessment artifact
Survey
Results
Due to departmental turnover, this assessment was not completed in FY23.
Continuous improvement process
Staff created a website content audit spreadsheet, which includes webpage analytics. The current website needs to be updated and analytics analyzed prior to creating and implementing applicable survey questions.
Website updating and analytics will occur in July and August 2023, survey questions will be created and included in our exam registration immediately following, and analysis will continue throughout FY24.
WHEN: AY24
Assessment 2
Alignment with UA Little Rock Goal
Access | Increase student access to transformative educational experiences that are affordable, versatile, and relevant.
Alignment with Student Affairs Goal
Develop a responsive student experience and engagement program
Goal
Complete the process for making receipt of AP (Advanced Placement) score reports online instead of paper.
Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)
Operational
Activity or experience being assessed
Ease and reliability of receipt of AP score report downloads
Assessment artifact
Receipt of scores
Results
This activity had to be postponed due to challenges with the receipt of CLEP scores. This has also created concern regarding the ability to receive AP scores electronically. Additionally, this activity was postponed pending more detailed information about the upcoming migration to Workday Student.
Testing Services began working with CLEP to receive scores electronically and the development of efficient processes is ongoing.
Continuous improvement process
Testing Services will continue working with CLEP in order to gain access to electronic score reports and with the Workday deployment team in determining processes during and after the platform migration.
WHEN: AY24
Assessment 3
Alignment with UA Little Rock Goal
Access | Increase student access to transformative educational experiences that are affordable, versatile, and relevant.
Alignment with Student Affairs Goal
Develop a responsive student experience and engagement program
Goal
Create an in-depth user guide for our scheduling website, Registerblast, to help professors use Registerblast.
Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)
Operational
Activity or experience being assessed
Ease of use of Registerblast by faculty
Assessment artifact
Survey
Results
This activity was postponed so that the department could focus on training staff. 100% of the Testing Services staff was new to the department in FY23, with 66% beginning in March. Staff needed to become familiarized with departmental processes and procedures, including Registerblast, before being able to add a survey to Registerblast.
Continuous improvement process
A survey for faculty will be created in FY24 after all testing staff have access to the necessary tools and are fully trained and certified in all exams administered.
WHEN: Fall 2024
