Case Study: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing achieves stronger test integrity and reduced cheating with Software Secure's Remote Proctor PRO

How Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Built Integrity in Its MSN Program and Reduced Test Cheating

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) faced rising concerns about the integrity of its MSN distance-learning assessments: some exams were taken off-campus and unproctored, there were documented cases and student reports of cheating, and the existing mix of personal proctors and LMS security couldn’t reliably verify identity or block unauthorized resources. These issues created fairness problems for students, administrative burdens for faculty, and increased scrutiny from accreditors and the Department of Education.

VUSN implemented Software Secure’s Remote Proctor solution (later migrating to RPNow), combining biometric identity verification, a lockdown browser, webcam environment scans, and an exam management portal, backed by strong vendor and internal IT support. The change reduced cheating incidences, increased confidence in student authentication and assessment integrity, lowered proctoring overhead, and freed face‑to‑face time for higher‑value teaching.

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

Jerry Murley

Assistant Dean for Educational Informatics