UvA in court: ‘If we don’t use proctoring, students will commit fraud’
Is it lawful for the UvA to use proctoring software during exams? The Central Student Council and the Student Council of the Faculty of Economics & Business don’t think so and have taken the university to court.
The summary proceedings were started by the Central Student Council, the Student Council of the Faculty of Economics & Business and student Peter Dobson. The parties asked the judge to rule out all use of proctoring software until the student councils vote in favour of it. Moreover they argue, the university should instruct Proctorio to delete all of the data of UvA students.
The university, however, is of the opinion that surveillance during exams is necessary to prevent fraud and study delay. The legal representation of the UvA said that the university is unable to find an alternative that is more privacy-friendly and that secures the validity of testing to the same degree, especially in the case of ‘exams with a high fraud risk’ such as re-sits. ‘If we don’t use proctoring, students will cheat. There are already rumours that answers of a test were sent around in Whatsapp group chats.’
During the session, the judge urged the students and university to reach a compromise, but their positions were too far apart. Central Student Council chairman Pjotr van der Jagt said that a ruling would also help students at other universities in the Netherlands, and that it was therefore important to hear what the judge will rule.
On Thursday 11 June the judge will hand down a judgment. Until then, the UvA is permitted to use proctoring software during exams.
