Distance Information

Blacksburg students and Distance students will complete the same course work.  The expectations for succeeding in the course as a distance learner are those for on-campus students.  You can review the steps to success in an Emporium course.

As a distance learner you will have access to Peer Tutors on Zoom and you can email your Instructor or attend a virtual help session or office hours. Learn more about getting virtual help.

If your course has labs, you will have a slightly different set of labs and will complete a Lab Problems Quiz for each lab.

You will need to pick a location and a proctor to help you take your tests. If possible, pick a Virginia Tech Center as your proctoring location and ask a staff member of the Center to be your proctor. VT Centers are in:

• Abingdon
• Falls Church
• Hampton Roads area
• Richmond
• Roanoke

If you are not located close to a VT Center, you will need to find a qualified testing location and qualified proctor to administer your proctored exams. The University specifies that a proctor can be a faculty member, administrator, or other professional staff member of a school or college, an employee of a commercial testing center, an educational counselor, a library staff member, a member of the clergy, or a supervisor at work. A proctor cannot be a family member or a co-worker.

Once you have identified a proctor, you must submit a Proctor Request form in the Emporium Distance Proctoring System. You may need to log in to the VT Central System with your VT PID and password. Put your proctor's name and email and please be very specific about your relationship with the proctor (see the guidelines above).

Submit your request for a proctor at least 1 week before your first scheduled proctored test so the course instructor can approve your proctor and send instructions to you both. After you submit your Proctor Request form, an email will be sent to your proctor with a link to agree to proctor your tests. The proctor must click the link, and officially agree on the resulting page. Your instructor has to approve your proctor before you can take your test.

Contact your instructor if you have problems finding a proctor. Your proctor must be approved at least one week before your first proctored exam.

You may take quizzes on your own computer from any location with internet access. You should use a current version of either the Firefox or Safari browser so that the Practice Problem System and the Quiz and Test System function correctly.

You must take your proctored exams with your approved proctor. To take your proctored exams:

1. Set up an appointment with your proctor as soon as possible to take your exam(s). As a courtesy, please always give at least three days notice before your proposed appointment. Some proctors require a week's notice.
2. You should bring a photo ID, blank scratch paper, your 2-Factor Authentication device, writing instruments, and a hand-held scientific calculator (with no graphing, derivative nor matrix capabilities). Be prepared to show your photo ID and have your scratch paper inspected before beginning. If you cannot comply with the calculator policy, contact your instructor at least 48 hours before your exam.
3. When you are ready to take the exam, LOG OUT of the testing system.
4. Go to your proctor who will use the proctor access url (the same site as the Proctor Request form), then you will log in with your Virginia Tech PID and password. You will then "click" on the proctor's name, who will put in the proctor password. Be sure to choose the correct exam. The exams have the same structure as the quizzes, and the problem pages on the exam look the same as the quiz pages.
5. When you have finished with the exam and do not wish to change any answers, click the "Grade?” link. Be sure to LOG OUT of the testing system.

Some things to keep in mind:

• Note that it is up to the proctor whether or not to allow bathroom breaks. The proctor may also enforce a time limit. This is something you need to discuss before beginning.
• You are not allowed to use your own computer or a computer to which you regularly have access.
• There is a time limit of 45 minutes per question. If you find that you need more than 45 minutes on a particular question, simply click to a new question, then click back to the previous question and your time starts over.
• Keep in mind that you are bound by the Virginia Tech Honor Code when taking your assessments. Review the VT Honor Code.
• Never use the back or forward buttons on the browser; ONLY use the buttons and drop down problem selector on the pages.