New Lighting for Carlson School of Management

The twenty-one general purpose classrooms in Carlson School
of Management (CSOM) have received a new lighting system. OCM partnered with
Energy Management and Facilities Management in order to have the new lighting
system installed. The benefits of the lighting system include:

• $3,600 annual electric savings
• $12,000 annual maintenance savings
• 32.5 tons of annual CO₂ emissions avoided
• Creating a better learning environment for faculty and students

OCM is committed to improving energy efficiency in general purpose classrooms and continually works with Facilities Management and Energy Management to review areas of improvement for classrooms. For more information about OCM lighting projects check out OCM's project page.

New Furniture Provides Options for Students

In an effort to increase accessible seating in classrooms, OCM has added a height adjustable table to classrooms with tablet arm seating. The initiative was accomplished in coordination with Disability Services. The new furniture is included as part of the classroom's capacity and is available to any student if the table is not needed by a disabled student.

If a Disability Services registered student needs to have the table adjusted please contact Disability Services at ds@umn.edu.

If you have any questions about the new height adjustable tables, please e-mail classrm@umn.edu.

OCM Faculty Survey

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) e-mailed survey invitations on December 8 to faculty and staff who taught in a general purpose classroom during fall semester. If you received an invitation please complete the survey by December 28. The survey helps OCM understand faculty satisfaction with classrooms and allows OCM to plan for classrooms of the future. If you have any questions about the survey please call the Classroom Support Hotline at 612-625-1086 or e-mail ocmhelp@umn.edu.

Science Teaching and Student Services Building Update

A lot of work has been accomplished despite all of the weather challenges.

McGough has completed installation of the precast brick panels
with the exception of the section for the temporary elevator. 144 of the 300
glass panels for the curtain wall are installed and all of the panels will be installed by the end
of the month. The mechanical penthouse on the roof is close to completion.



The building contractors are building interior walls, installing stairs, and
running pipes, ducts, and wires.



All of the hard work on the building is paying off. Thank you for your patience
with traffic jams are the building site during this time.

Nightly Online Class Schedule Update Failed

The nightly update to the online class schedule failed last night, November 16. This means that changes you may have made yesterday to courses in electronic course scheduling (ECS) are not appearing in the online class schedule today.

The updates will appear in  the online class schedule tomorrow. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Fall 2010 class schedule production

Fall 2010 Electronic Course Scheduling period one opened Monday, November 16. During period one department schedulers are expected to update course information (i.e., delete, add, change) and submit all requests.

Course scheduling tips:

• Set enrollment limits and requested room capacities based on previous term's course enrollment +/- 10%.


• Spread course load across standard times and all five weekdays.


• Delete sections that are not going to be offered fall 2010.


• Move non-standard courses to a standard time.


• Increase utilization of departmental classrooms.

Please remember all courses meeting at a non-standard time will need a Request for Approval of Non-Standard Meeting Time/Day Pattern form.

For more information about scheduling policies, critical dates, and resources visit the OCM Web site or e-mail the scheduling unit at classrm@umn.edu.

Scheduling University 2009 Presentations

Scheduling U 2009 has finished its three week run. The sessions were well attended and created great discussions. Click on the links below to review the presentations.

This years session topics included:

• How to get the room you need
  
• Fall 2010 scheduling update
• Classrooms of the future and Active Learning Classroom handout
  
• Scheduling 101
  
• Using the Web viewer
  
• Electronic Course Scheduling FAQs
  
• Using reports
  
• Classroom support

If you have any questions or topic ideas for future Scheduling U's, please e-mail classrm@umn.edu.

Science Teaching and Student Services Building Update

The following is an excerpt from the October 19, 2009 Capital Planning
and Project Management construction update regarding the new Science
Teaching and Student Services Building (ST+SS):



Delivery traffic will be heavy along Pleasant Street over the next two
weeks. Both glass curtain wall panels and precast panel deliveries are
landing simultaneously - a hard push to get the building enclosed
before winter.



The street may be closed at times by a flagman for a few minutes in
order to get truck in and out of the staging area. Please plan your
travel around the area accordingly and use alternative routes whenever
possible.



Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

MNSCU Resource 25 User Symposium Presentations

Presentations delivered by Nate Meath and Bob Quinney at the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities Resource 25 User Symposium on October 16 at Hennepin Technical College.

R25, the Interface, ECS at the U of MN.pdf

Understanding Classroom Use.pdf

Scheduling University 2009

The Office of Classroom Management's scheduling unit will be hosting Scheduling University (Scheduling "U") 2009 on Monday, October 26 through Friday, November 13 for approximately one hour each day.



Scheduling "U" will be held in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, covering topics such as:

• 
  Scheduling 101
• Using the Webviewer
• 
  Using Reports
• 
  Electronic Course Scheduling FAQs
• 
  Fall 2010 Scheduling Update
• 
  Classroom Support
• 
  Classrooms of the Future

Scheduling "U" is open to any University staff member. For more information, please visit the new Scheduling "U" Web page or e-mail classrm@umn.edu.

Switching from Cooling to Heating

A message from Facilities Management

Switching from Cooling to Heating

As we move into the cooler seasons of fall and winter, we
would like to take a moment to explain Facilities Management's role in
transitioning from building cooling to building heating systems. The process of
switching from a cooling to heating system varies by building and area of
campus and can sometimes take several weeks.

The transition to heating is significantly more complicated
than the change to cooling. Once the heating systems are up and running, the cooling
system is shut off permanently until the following spring. If heating units are
turned on prematurely it can cause great discomfort in buildings.

While Facilities Management typically starts this changeover
by October 15, some buildings need to be handled differently and can experience
a change in temperature both earlier and later than this projected time.

Please be aware that until the cooling to heating transition
takes place, we have very limited options for bringing warm air to many of our buildings.
As the outside temperatures reach below 40 degrees, we anticipate that some
areas may experience uncomfortable temperatures. Please be patient with us if
your building or space becomes too cold due to outside temperatures.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

University of Minnesota - Facilities Management

Science Teaching and Student Services Building Update

The following is an excerpt from the September 25, 2009 Capital
Planning and Project Management construction update regarding the new
Science Teaching and Student Services Building (ST&SS):



The concrete superstructure was completed over the summer, and the new
part of the Washington Avenue pedestrian bridge reopened on August 26.



McGough has started to erect the penthouse and the structural steel is
being installed in stairwells. The stairs are on schedule to be poured
in October. Crews are working on waterproofing the building now. They
backfill the trench as waterproofing is completed.



Next week, H-piles that were used for the earth retention system will
have to come out. That work will result in minor vibration. The project
has monitors set in place and will keep vibration under control. If
there are any concerns or problems with vibration, please call the OCM
Hotline at 612-625-1086. OCM will contact the project reps to report
all concerns.



It is exciting to see brick precast panels being set and glass being
installed. That work will continue through the end of November.
Materials are being delivered and unloaded on Pleasant Street. Please
beware of flagmen regulating traffic for truck entrance/exiting.
Contractors are doing everything possible to insure everyone's safety,
but your understanding and cooperation is needed.