ID Verification

Prairie View A&M University verifies the identity of students enrolled in distance courses through the using a secure username (called the PantherNet ID, or PID) and password. New students log into the PV Place user portal using the secure PID and temporary password provided to them by the Center for Information Technology Excellence (CITE) when they are admitted to the University. The student is prompted to change their password at first login using a secure 12-digit code that must contain a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and non-alphanumeric characters. Passwords expire every 3 years.

After resetting the password, students can then login to the university’s Learning Management System, eCourses, for online course content. Students login to  eCourses with their PID and password. Students cannot access coursework in eCourses until the new password setup is complete. Each time a student accesses the LMS for coursework in a distance course or a for a face-to-face course with online content, the username and password must be entered. Although it is not yet a requirement, students are encouraged to add a photo to their account profile in eCourses.

Faculty require students to take tests in a proctored environment either in-person at an approved testing facility or at-a-distance in a synchronous session using a web camera. In both cases, students must provide picture identification to the proctor before accessing the test. Passwords are known only to the students.

Student Privacy

The PID and password procedures discussed above for identity verification are the same procedures used for protecting the privacy of students enrolled in distance courses. This information, along with additional information regarding student privacy protection can be found on the PVAMU’s privacy statement webpage and in the Student Rights and Responsibilities document located in the PVAMU Code of Student Conduct on the Student Affairs web page.

Testing Security

The University uses Examity for identity verification for online exams. The University pays for the Examity service, so no fee is charged to students. If instructors prefer their students to take exams in-person with a proctor, that should be stated in the syllabus. The PVAMU proctoring guidelines are as follows:

1. The student is responsible for identifying a proctor in or near his or her local area.

  • The Center for Instructional Innovation and Technology Services (CIITS) recommends a professional testing center or a testing center within an educational institution. Instructors have approved libraries in the past, but it is important to note that many libraries are unable to guarantee that an individual will be on hand to watch the student to make sure no cheating occurs.
  • The testing site must be able to provide a PC with Internet access if the student is to take the exam via eCourses.

2. The student must provide the CIITS and the instructor with contact information that can be used to verify the location and identity of the proctor. A name, phone number, email address, and website are required. The person verifying the proctor should be able to find the proctor in the institution’s directory to verify that he or she is an actual proctor at the testing site.

3. Instructors have the final say on whether or not a proctor is acceptable. The instructor can overrule the CIITS either way.

4. The CIITS recommends that the instructor send the proctor a text-based version of the exam that can be printed in case there are any technical issues. In that case, the student would submit the completed hardcopy to the proctor and the proctor would mail – and/or scan and then email – the completed exam to the instructor.

5. The student is responsible for any fees required by the testing site.