The WSU Access Center reopened for students who need specific on-site testing accommodations.

The accommodations are due to the nature of their disability, said Access Center Director Meredyth Goodwin.

Students who need accommodations can talk to their access advisor to discuss if virtual testing will meet their needs or if in-person accommodations need to be made, said Cassondra Yarlott, alternative testing services coordinator for WSU’s Access Center. In-person proctoring is available only to students approved for on-site testing.

Goodwin said student employees are working in-person to manage phones, emails and appointment schedules.

The center discourages walk-in appointments, she said. Students, staff and faculty must schedule appointments over email or phone. The proctoring office will only be open during pre-scheduled exam times.

Tutoring through WSU’s Academic Success and Career Center will be online, she said. Appointments with faculty and students are conducted over phone or Zoom.

The Access Center can accommodate a maximum of 12 students at one time to follow social distancing guidelines, she said. Students must show their daily attestation form before entering the main office. Masks are required at all times when in the center, including the duration of the exam.

Students must clean their testing space after finishing their exam. They will be supplied with disinfectant sprays for their table, chair and computer, she said. The testing spaces will be further cleaned between exams.

Students must place their personal belongings in lockers before taking an exam. After finishing their exam and collecting their belongings, the locker keys will be disinfected, Goodwin said.

More students have been using the Access Center, Yarlott said.

“We tend to meet with more students, so our student population who use our services does increase every year,” she said. “I’m not sure whether that’s due to COVID or just the normal increase.”

Yarlott said she has been able to facilitate exams from home but she is expecting to spend more time in her office as the semester continues.

Goodwin said the center could shut down for on-site testing if the number of COVID-19 cases increase on campus. More information can be found on the Access Center’s website.