Course Scheduling & Coursedog

Approved by EVC Simpson, 2/16/99

Space Utilization Preamble

Campus enrollment growth and subsequent increase in the number and size of courses increases scheduling conflicts. Space planning methodology requires the campus to justify building new classrooms by demonstrating maximum utilization of existing space. It is in the best interest of the campus to include maximum enrollments along with student progress and pedagogical quality when determining scheduling priority.

Policy

To maximize campus space utilization, student progress, and pedagogical quality, classrooms for scheduled instruction and examinations will be assigned by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with division deans or designees.

Priority in general assignment classrooms is determined by the Office of the Registrar per campus policy approved by the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor.

Guidelines

Initial assignments will be made based on projected enrollment being equal to or greater than 80 percent of room capacity.

Divisions must schedule no more than 60 percent of their primary sections during prime-time hours. Prime time is defined as Tuesday/Thursday 9:50 A.M.–4:55 P.M., and MWF 9:20 A.M.–3:45 P.M. (updated AY 2024).

Specialized facility needs will be considered and accommodated whenever possible.

Requests that underutilize space will be scheduled after other scheduling needs have been met.

Department space may be scheduled for general campus use only when no general assignment classroom space is available between 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. Scheduling agreements will be negotiated between the Office of Planning and Budget, the Office of the Registrar, and affected departments.

Conflict Resolution Process

Scheduling conflicts not resolved using the above guidelines will be resolved by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with the deans’ designees. Space utilization, student progress and pedagogical quality will be the deciding factors.

Practices

Department projected enrollments will be used for initial classroom assignment. Projections that exceed the course’s historical growth rate must be justified.

Departments are advised that college core courses are historically scheduled at the fall MWF 9:30 A.M. time slot.

After room assignment and prior to student enrollment, course capacity will default to maximum room capacity at the request of the course sponsoring agency.

Schedules that are severely out of 60/40 balance may be returned to the division for revision. Relative 60/40 balance is considered a tiebreaker in manually scheduled courses.

Courses that do not follow standard time patterns will be scheduled after courses that do. Courses with specialized pedagogical design will be given appropriate consideration.

At a department’s request, room changes may occur following enrollment if demand exceeds capacity of the assigned room. Course may be moved to smaller classrooms with equivalent media if actual enrollments are below 80 percent of room capacity.

Less-desired spaces will be shared among departments.

Departments will distribute course schedules in proportion to the availability of time slots (fewer slots on the TT than on MWF).

Requests for secondary section days and times will be submitted when requests for primary sections are submitted.

Courses proposed after the initial scheduling deadline has passed will be assigned classrooms on a space-available basis.