By Whitney Ransom
Some BYU students may get out of paying a late fee on the last day the test is open - if they are in the right department - while others may pay up to five dollars if they procrastinate.
Fees have always been a part of the Testing Center, said Bud Wood, BYU testing center manager.
'Taking a test late is a privilege, and students pay for those privileges,' Wood said. The money from late fees goes to support the Testing Center and pay for expenses, Wood said.
'There is nothing secret about it. We don''t try to hide where the money is going. We don''t divulge it. It is a university affair,' Wood said.
Professors are not required to set up a late fee; it depends on the department - some mandate fees and others do not, Wood said.
'I have also had classes where they don''t make you pay a fee at all. You don''t even have the option of taking it late, and I think that is the better choice,' said Diana Renell, 20, a sophomore from Boise, Idaho, majoring in political science.
Wood also said the Testing Center is not making a profit from students paying late fees. The departments charge for the services that they provide.
The Testing Center has a full-time staff of four, and about 80 student employees, Wood said.
These staff members facilitate approximately 3,500 students who come to the Testing Center daily. Students taking general education courses usually are the largest concentration of students in the Testing Center, Wood said.
Fees must be instituted so that every student does not wait until the last day to take a test, said John Dexter, BYU-Idaho testing center manager.
According to the Testing Center Web site, the Testing Center is open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday from 8-10 p.m.; and Saturday from 10-4 p.m. The last test is handed out one hour prior to closing time.
Professors are required to schedule tests three days prior to the opening date of the test. Then, the space available for tests is on a first come, first serve basis, Wood said.
Academic honesty is also encouraged. Unfortunately, some students seek a better grade by cheating. Students caught cheating are referred to the Honor Code Office and also to their instructor for appropriate disciplinary action, Wood said.
'We see cheating more than we would like,' Wood said.
The number of students cheating has also increased at BYU-Idaho, Dexter said.
'It''s not that large of a problem. The number of students we catch with real problems can be counted on one hand,' Dexter said.
With or without late fees, BYU''s Testing Center is unique, Dexter said.
Other universities have testing centers, but BYU has the largest facility, seating 750 people at one time, Wood said.
'There are about 12 universities that use this system. Most of them are in Utah,' Dexter said.
Wood and Dexter are part of the National Testing Association, and have made presentations to other universities about the benefits of testing centers, Dexter said.