Use of Enterprise-Level Scheduling System for Departmental Classrooms

The following e-mail was sent to the TC-DDD List on May 31, 2006:



TO: Deans, Directors and Department Heads

FROM: Terry Bock, Associate Vice President, Academic Health Center

Craig Swan, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education



RE Use of Enterprise-Level Scheduling System for Departmental Classrooms





We write concerning the use of Resource 25 (or "R25") for scheduling

Twin Cities departmental classrooms. We have been using Resource 25

software as part of a suite of automated scheduling systems to

support 300 general purpose/central classrooms on the Twin Cities

campus. This initiative will now expand the use of the Resource 25

software to the 270 additional UMTC campus rooms designated as

departmental classrooms (Use Code 120 in the U of M Space System).

It is part of a larger Administrative Service and Productivity

project that addresses scheduling of space more generally.



The initiative to expand R25 as the standard tool for scheduling Twin

Cities campus instructional space began three years ago with a pilot

program involving departments from AHC, CLA, GC and CEHD.

Subsequently, 32 departments in 12 colleges have implemented R25 for

their departmental classrooms.



The use of R25 to schedule space has been endorsed by a number of

groups as a model project demonstrating the ability of a single

enterprise system to reduce duplication of administrative processes

and their associated support structure.



Under this initiative, The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) will

administer the system and will:

- fund the departmental R25 software licenses

- provide necessary training to departmental users

- support R25 operations in a terminal server environment for Mac and PC

users

- enter and maintain the departmental room data base within the R25

structure

- implement the initiative by start of Fall semester, 2006



Departments will:

- designate users for training (approx 4 hours) in Summer 2006

- provide departmental classroom and space characteristics data via

the OCM website

- implement R25 for scheduling departmental classrooms by start of

Fall Semester 2006



Departments retain autonomy and responsibility for scheduling their

own departmental rooms. R25 allows departments to monitor their room

assignment efficiency using a common space utilization measurement

system. Departments are encouraged to use R25 for other types of

instructional space (for example, CBS is now using R25 to schedule

its labs). A number of reports in R 25 will provide important

information about room usage that can be used in future planning.



Other benefits of using Resource25 include the system's on-line

interface with PeopleSoft that eliminates the need for the department

to "double-enter" scheduling data. It also expedites the flow of

important course scheduling information to systems, staff and

students, and prevents double-booking of department space. R25

generated Departmental Web Viewers visually display room activity in

graphic or tabular form, and allow for a quick search of a room's

availability. In response to user requests, and as a new added

feature for participants, OCM will implement increased web viewer

functionality in the near future. Additionally, R25-driven digital

signage is also under investigation by OCM.



Specific implementation details will be provided to department

scheduling contacts by email. Additional information is located on

the OCM website Departmental Resource25 Support Page,

from Bob Quinney at 4-2399, or by email addressed to R25-Support@umn.edu.



cc: Frank Cerra, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences

E. Thomas Sullivan, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Kathy Brown, Vice President and Chief of Staff

Stakeholders - Your OCM Balanced Scorecard is available

Are you a faculty member or student who teaches or learns in any of the
300 UMTC central classrooms? Do you administer courses or schedule
events in any of the 60 East Bank, West Bank or St. Paul central
classroom buildings? Are you a University Services, OIT, NTS, or other
partner with OCM in supporting teaching and learning in central
classrooms?



If you answered YES, then you are a stakeholder in the Office of
Classroom Management's effort to make our central classrooms those of a
top-three, world-class university.



Please see the OCM Balanced Scorecard on the web to see how we are doing. We welcome your comments and feedback.

Central Classrooms Surpass 80% Tech Threshold!

UMTC Classroom Tech Upgrades Reach New High!



As of the start of the Spring 2006 semester, 83% of all University of
Minnesota Twin Cities central classrooms have been upgraded to meet the
UMTC "Projection Capable Classroom" standard. This is a dramatic
turnaround from just a few short years ago, and demonstrates the
strength of University of Minnesota classroom teaching and learning
support programs.



The campus breakdown of tech equipped central classrooms meeting the "PROJECTION CAPABLE CLASSROOM" standard:

East Bank: 163 of 202 classrooms - 81%;

West Bank: 65 of 72 classrooms - 90%;

St. Paul: 26 of 31 classrooms - 84%;

TOTAL: 254 of 305 classrooms - 83%.



The PROJECTION CAPABLE CLASSROOM standard includes the baseline level
of technology specified for all UMTC central classrooms: fixed data
projector, instructor internet connectivity, "smart" control system
with standard UMTC user-friendly laptop interface, control system
networking option, various I/O devices including DVD and VCR,
accessibility features, Classroom Hotline phone, wireless student
networking, and other features.



In addition to the 254 central classrooms that have been brought up to
this level of technology, departments and colleges have purchased
another 115 systems from OCM's Classroom Technical Services ISO unit
for use in their own rooms.



All of these systems use the same operator interface and protocols.
This means that our faculty and students can walk into some 370 rooms
across the entire campus and confidently face a proven and reliable
technology system with which which they are familiar and comfortable.
Additionally, the campus benefits from the economies of scale in
production and reduced cost of this essential teaching and learning
technology in classrooms.



For additional details on the Tech Upgrade program, please see the OCM Web site at www.classroom.umn.edu.