Exam periods in which 450 exams have to be administered and up to 2400 students have to sit a single exam at the same time: Ron Tempelaars is the one who makes it all happen. This not only involves a lot of planning, but also close cooperation with the departments, supervision of 130 proctors and, above all, a high degree of flexibility.

What time do you clock in?

“Outside of exam periods, I’m usually here around 7:15 AM, and during exam periods, it’s usually around 6:45 AM. I like to get some things prepared in advance because from 7:30 AM, the proctors start arriving in waves. So I want to have peace of mind and be ready to welcome them at that time. If I still need to arrange things by then, it’s bound to turn into a mess.”

What does your day look like?

“That varies a lot. Exam periods are truly all-consuming. First, I need to set things up and receive the proctors. After that, it’s mainly a matter of putting out fires and dealing with last-minute changes. For example, the format of an exam might change at the last minute, a room may suddenly be unavailable or the number of students is higher or lower than expected. I also have to make sure that the exams can be delivered to the Auditorium. When the exams are taking place, I walk around to check if any help is needed, if there’s any noise disturbance and if people are following the rules. Fortunately, I now have two lead proctors to help me.”

“Outside of exam periods, I’m busy preparing schedules, hiring proctors, conducting evaluation interviews and rewriting procedures, work instructions and regulations. They’re also very good at holding meetings here at the university, but I try to avoid those as much as possible. When I receive the definitive numbers of students and exams, two weeks before the exam period, I start scheduling the rooms and proctors.”

What led you to this position?

“As it happens, I recently went out for dinner with colleagues to celebrate my 40 years of service at TU/e. I basically grew up here. My father used to work here as a photographer and my mother worked here as well. There used to be a printing office with a photography department in Atlas. I first had a summer job there. Then I went into military service and when I came back, I first started working at the print shop again and then, through connections, I ended up in the archives. After that, I started working at the Facilitair Bedrijf (now the Facility Management Center), in ICT, where I became the help desk coordinator. Fifteen years ago, I applied for my current position and was hired. It was a whole different world, especially because of the proctors. I really enjoyed that and I’m glad I made the switch.”

What is the best part of this job?

“I get a lot of energy from working with the proctors. On the one hand, it’s exhausting sometimes, and after exam periods, I’m completely worn out. But the proctors are so enthusiastic. I’m always amazed at how active they still are. They’re often a bit older, but they’re still busy with all kinds of activities. For example, one of the lead proctors works in radio, enjoys bicycle racing and plays in a band. I get tired just thinking about it. Most proctors are also very passionate about proctoring, they can’t get enough. And they’re always willing to go the extra mile.”

And the least enjoyable part?

“That I often have to solve problems caused by others and that people don’t stick to agreements. That’s very frustrating. Instead of people being held accountable for their responsibilities and tasks, I’m asked to remind them to complete certain tasks within the deadline going forward. I find that very strange. It’s also become a bigger problem in recent years. I think that’s because this is a bit of a revolving-door workplace. There’s a lot of turnover. And new people often don’t know what they’re supposed to do. There are also several forms of “support” at each of the departments, but they don’t communicate with each other about their responsibilities. So then I get the same request three times. There’s room for improvement there.”

What are you most proud of?

“That we manage to pull it off every time. That always amazes me. Sometimes I think: this is going to be a disaster, but then it works out in the end. For example, this past summer, the Auditorium was closed due to renovations. The Auditorium is our home base; that is where we set up the exams, where proctors check in before exams start, where exams are delivered and stored, and where all the supplies are kept. We organized two exam periods from Metaforum instead, which meant we had to move all the equipment, adapt work instructions and inform the proctors. That was a major operation. So, I’m proud that everything went well.”

“I’m also proud of the proctor app we developed. I can import the schedule in the app and use it to assign proctors. They can also enter their availability. It works very well.”

What time do you clock out?

“Normally at 4:30 PM. And around 7 PM during exam periods. Sometimes I’m already in my coat, ready to go home, when I get a call and have to scramble to make some last-minute arrangements. 10 PM is the latest I’ve ever made it home.”

What do you do off the clock?

“I’m a bit of a handyman and I took some woodworking courses in the past year. So I often do odd jobs in and around the house and I also do a lot of garden work. During exam periods, I do very little, although I do still try to work out as much as possible. But usually I just cycle home, have a bite to eat and enjoy a glass of wine on the couch. And the next morning, the alarm goes off at six.”