A Day in the Life of an Exam Proctor

Judith R. Dortz, a retired administrator who has proctored Harvard exams for several semesters, said that during the three-hour finals, “you can only sit and stare at a wall for so long.” She admitted to glancing at exams before passing them out or working on a crossword puzzle occasionally during her breaks to avoid boredom.

The so-called “geriocracy,” which proctor Judith R. Dortz likened to an Elderhostel program, is mostly composed of experienced retirees recruited by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Final Examinations Office. Although most have some background in education, proctors come from varied walks of life.

Anne Conneely and Beryl Noble, proctors of a psychology exam held yesterday, said that proctoring allowed them to meet different and interesting people who are not necessarily affiliated with the University. Conneely, calling herself a less-typical proctor, said that she learned about the opportunity through a friend of her mother and decided to take on the job part-time to earn some extra money in this economy.

“There is a certain camaraderie among proctors,” Dortz said. “Over the years, you encounter the same people and develop quick relationships with the other proctors.”

Joseph G. Pike worked in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health before he took an interest in proctoring. Pike said that one of the most important tasks of proctors is to promote fairness by enforcing the designated start and finish times of the exam and monitor test-takers for cheating. “A proctor should regulate the examination environment to make sure that the experience is the same for each student,” he said.

The duties of a proctor range from the mundane to more serious administrative responsibilities. The practical measures can include requesting that the University adjust the temperature of the room or halt distracting yard work such as snow blowing, Pike said.

At other times, proctors are called upon to ensure that the health of the students is not compromised during test-taking, as in the case of the young woman who lost consciousness during a Life Sciences 1a exam, he added.

Pike said that proctoring small classes, those with 50 or fewer students, is usually less stressful than monitoring exams featuring several exam booklets or exam sessions in which multiple small classes are proctored at the same time.

Some students said that although they find proctors helpful, proctors can’t replace TFs.

“My proctors have generally been responsible and are on your side, but I really appreciate it when course heads have TFs there as well to answer course-specific questions,” Ellora B. Berthet ’10 said.

—Staff writer Danella H. Debel can be reached at debel@fas.harvard.edu.