The UvA student council (CSR) is instituting summary proceedings against the university’s executive board. This is because of the use of the Proctorio surveillance program during online exams.
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This can be read in the university magazine Folia.
The software ‘monitors’ during exams via a webcam and microphone when the student takes an exam online from home. For example, the program detects books lying around, people in the room and keystrokes.
The UvA uses Proctorio to prevent fraud. The program analyzes the images and sends suspicious recordings to the Examination Board, which must assess whether or not cheating has taken place.
Use software
The student council institutes summary proceedings for the use of the software; the CSR wants students to be given the opportunity to refuse this. The UvA, in turn, says that they have a ‘legitimate interest’ in using the software.
This means that the university thinks that they should not ask students for permission, because the importance of using the software is too great and exams cannot be organized in any other way. For example, without the program, students could experience a study delay.
Alternative
CSR chairman Pjotr van der Jagt says to Folia: “There is a great deal of interest in combating study delays, but whether alternative forms of testing are impossible is a discussion point.”
Van der Jagt says that the student council does not want to portray the board as ‘bogeymen who don’t care about student privacy’. They do, however, institute summary proceedings, because this verdict can be taken over by other representative advisory councils. ‘It is very nice if we get out behind closed doors, but only UvA students will benefit from it.’
From a tour of Folia it appears that more than two hundred online exams with Proctorio are planned until the summer. The summary proceedings are on Thursday 4 June at 3.30 pm in the court in Amsterdam.
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