Undergraduate Education and Academic Success is an area within the Office of the Provost’s Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success, which oversees a wide range of academic support and engagement office units.
Our 2023 – 2024 offices and initiatives included:
A copy of the annual report is now available for download.
Questions, comments, and feedback can be directed to Dr. Dustin Grabsch (dgrabsch@smu.edu).
The Undergraduate Education and Academic Success area within the Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success will close on Monday, July 1, for a staff retreat.
We encourage our constituents to use our websites or office self-service portals during this time for answers to common questions and requests.
Units include:
We will reopen during standard operating hours on Tuesday, July 2.
The University Testing Center is pleased to offer expanded CLEP (College Level Examination Program) testing beginning June 2024.
Testing is available by appointment to any SMU student or community member seeking academic credit. At SMU, course credit is awarded when a score of 60 points or above out of 80 possible points is achieved. Community members may also test at SMU and send scores to other colleges and universities for credit.
SMU gives credit for CLEP subject examinations based on the specified minimum scores below*. American Government, Financial Accounting and History of the U.S. I and II are only available to incoming students under the 2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog and are not available to continuing students.
|
CLEP Exam |
Score (out of 80) |
Credit Hours |
Course(s) Credited |
Common Curriculum Requirements Satisfied |
| American Government |
60 |
3 |
Generic Credit – TBD | Social & Behavioral Science (SBS) |
| American Literature |
60 |
3 |
ENGL 20XX | None |
| English Literature |
60 |
3 |
ENGL 20YY | None |
| Financial Accounting |
60 |
3 |
Generic Credit – TBD | Quantitative Applications (QA) |
| History of the US I |
60 |
3 |
Generic Credit – TBD | Historical Contexts (HC) |
| History of the US II |
60 |
3 |
Generic Credit – TBD | Historical Contexts (HC) |
| Macroeconomics |
60 |
3 |
ECO 1312 | Quantitative Applications (QA) |
| Microeconomics |
60 |
3 |
ECO 1311 | Quantitative Applications (QA) |
*The above credit table is subject to change and applies to the 2024 Undergraduate Catalog.
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After Testing
When testing is complete, students will receive a preliminary score report from UTC staff. Scores will also be available in the My CLEP Student Account portal on the CLEP website. Final, official CLEP score reports will be sent directly from the College Board to the SMU Registrar, where course credit will be awarded with a qualifying score.
For more information, visit the University Testing Center or the College Board FAQs for CLEP.
At SMU, a few courses require placement tests for students to enroll. Placement testing determines a student’s current level of skills and knowledge, ensuring that they have the best chance for success.
On May 1, enrollment in MATH 1309, MATH 1337, and CHEM 1303 requires either:
Students with previous credit in MATH 1309, MATH 1337, or CHEM 1303 (whether AP, transfer, or SMU) will be able to enroll in these courses without taking the placement test. Although effective on May 1st, this requirement only applies to Fall 2024, not Summer 2024 classes.
Students who pass the placement exam will be put into a my.SMU Student Group that allows them to enroll.
These tests can be found within a Placement Test Canvas Course; students can enroll themselves in this course, but they should start with the University Testing Center’s website (smu.edu/placementtests) for the link and further information. This new course will also host the language placement exams, so continuing students no longer need to contact the World Languages and Literatures department before taking the exam.
Students are given a maximum of two attempts on each exam. If they encounter technical difficulties, they should contact the University Testing Center (universitytestingcenter@smu.edu).
Students are told within the Canvas course that these permissions to enroll will be granted within 24 hours of finishing the test, although they can see their scores immediately.
Pre-majors with questions about their test or placement can contact the University Advising Center (advising@smu.edu); declared majors can reach out to the University Testing Center (universitytestingcenter@smu.edu).
As part of the renovation of the Scholars’ Den in Clements Hall, room numbers for the University Testing Center (UTC) have changed.
Visitors will still access the UTC at the west end of the Clements Hall basement in suite G15, most directly using the side entrance facing Dallas Hall. Students and professors are to check in at the testing office (now renumbered to room G28) for test administrations and completed test pickup. Students will continue to be assigned to testing labs identified as “Peruna,” “Hilltop,” and “Varsity.”
Room number identification will be updated on the UTC website, the UTC portal for test registration, and in information handouts for both students and professors.
Please contact the UTC at 214-768-6064 or universitytestingcenter@smu.edu with any questions you may have.
The University Testing Center (UTC) will be closed for testing during Spring Break, March 11th – 15th. The testing office will be open during standard operating hours, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Testing is suspended due to computer installation and scheduled upgrades in the center.
Testing will resume on Monday, March 18th.
For questions, please contact us at 214-768-6064 or at universitytestingcenter@smu.edu.
All the best for a wonderful break!
The University Testing Center (UTC) is excited to announce a new proctoring software that allows Canvas tests to be administered with the Respondus LockDown Browser (LDB).
The new software, NetSupport School, replaces a previous program, iTalc, that could not facilitate real-time surveillance of students taking Canvas tests with the Respondus LockDown Browser on UTC computers.
With NetSupport School, professors will no longer have to create non-LDB versions of Canvas tests administered at the UTC — classroom test versions with LDB can now be used without issue. And, on test day, students will not have to search for a “UTC version” of a Canvas test different from what is given in the classroom.
With its expanded features, NetSupport School streamlines the student and faculty testing experience while enhancing the UTC’s commitment to test integrity and security.
Various academic departments and professors utilizing the testing center suggested this feature and service enhancement, and we are excited to offer this new ability.
For more information, please contact the UTC at 214-768-6064 or universitytestingcenter@smu.edu.
Welcome back to campus! It’s hard to believe that the University Testing Center (UTC) has completed its first operation phase since opening in August 2022. We look forward to continuing our specialized testing services for Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies (DASS) students needing accommodated testing and our student-athletes needing early or make-up testing due to travel during the competitive season. Beginning this summer, we’ll expand our services to include standard academic make-up testing, fee-based testing for non-SMU students in the local community, and credit-by-exam testing (CLEP) for some SMU courses.
Testing at the UTC is done by appointment weekdays between 8:30 and 3:30 p.m. with extended hours during final exams. Appointments must be made at least 48 business hours before classroom testing dates using the UTC Portal at www.smu.edu/utcportal.
The UTC Portal’s updated exam submission process allows professors to determine when eligible students can test at the UTC, automatically upload tests by course name and section number, and retrieve completed tests with proctoring documentation. Stop by the UTC in the basement of Clements Hall to tour the facility, meet the staff, and have a one-on-one consultation to make the testing experience easier for you and your students!
Scantron Exam processing at the University Testing Center ends May 10th
The University Testing Center (UTC) scanning and reporting service for exam Scantrons will end after AY 2023-24. A few faculty members use the service as the migration to Canvas continues, as directed by the Office of the Provost. This, along with increasing maintenance costs and staffing needs for new testing services at the UTC, was a deciding factor in ending the service. Official announcements will be sent periodically to faculty users through various channels so they may prepare for alternatives.
The University Testing Center will be closed on Monday, October 9th, and Tuesday, October 10th for Fall Break.
Testing will resume on Thursday, October 12th.
Good luck on midterms, and enjoy the break!
The 2022-23 academic year brought many exciting changes on the SMU campus, including a three-phased opening of the University Testing Center (UTC) in Clements Hall last August. During phase one, the center began providing accommodated testing services previously proctored by Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS), except scribe and reader tests.
This fall, phase two operations will expand testing services to student-athletes during their sport’s competition season, which necessitated a migration from DASS Link to a new test scheduling software to increase student group access.
The new UTC Portal offers a comprehensive, streamlined approach for delivering additional academic testing and credit-by-exam services to SMU students and local community partners during the phase three expansion in Spring 2024.
Watch our new video overviews for students and professors to learn more about our new system. Professors can schedule one-on-one consultations to be oriented to the new platform.
The UTC is certified by the National College Testing Association (NCTA) and adheres to professional standards ensuring exam integrity and accessibility for both examiners and examinees.