Changes in finals locations to eliminate JSB

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Final exams at BYU will be administered in five locations for Winter 2014 classes, which means the Joseph Smith Building will no longer serve as a finals location in Fall 2014.

Students toil in the testing center. Students will have a new option for finals locations this semester. Photo by Ari Davis.
Students toil in the testing center. Students will have a new option for finals locations this semester. Photo by Ari Davis.

The five testing locations are the Heber Grant Building, the JSB, room 3220 of the Wilkinson Student Center, the George Albert Smith Fieldhouse Annex and room 146 of the Richards Building.

In the past, final exams were administered in three locations. Four locations were offered Fall 2013. New to this year’s list is the Richards Building.

Students eagerly attest that long lines and overcrowding make finals a dreaded time of the semester. BYU administration is continually assessing the needs of students and is working to make finals time less of a hassle for students.

The testing center administration is exploring different options to replace the overcrowded JSB auditorium. Testing center manager Linda Shipley said the plan is to stop using the JSB by Fall 2014.

[wpbp_blocks set=”all” ids=”368472″]Many students dread taking tests in the JSB. Caitlin Arntsen, a junior from Chandler, Ariz., majoring in exercise science, said she is always frustrated by taking finals in the JSB.

She said the desks are small, the room is crowded, and she’s even been stepped on.

“It’s really distracting,” Arntsen said. “I hate everything about taking tests in the JSB.”

Arntsen was excited to hear that finals will no longer be administered in the JSB. “I’m really glad about that, but I really hope the testing center lines aren’t longer because of it,” she said.

Shipley believes lines would be shorter if students would verify their test location before waiting in line. Students receive an email before finals week explaining location changes, and large signs are posted at the testing center, but students still go to the wrong testing locations.

“It’s just a guess, but I would say a couple hundred (students) a day,” Shipley said.

Steve Baker, facility administrator and assistant to the dean of students, oversees the Richards Building and Smith Fieldhouse. He is excited to see shorter lines and offer students a more adequate location for taking final exams.

“We’re happy to do whatever the university needs us to do,” Baker said.

Baker said use of the Richards Building and and Smith Fieldhouse will not interfere with scheduled activities.

Students are encouraged to visit the testing center website to learn where and when they can take their final exams.

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