Gaining student input and ideas for study spaces

For fall semester OCM partnered with the Interior Design department within the College of Design to have students create design concepts for what they would do if they could design student study space. OCM worked with students from IDES 2603, Interior Design Studio III. The students created brand and design concepts for Ruttan Hall 10 and McNeal Hall 223.

The students presented their ideas to OCM staff and the Director of Academic Support Resources on November 3.

OCM is excited about the students' ideas and looking for ways to incorporate their ideas in future study space projects.

To review the students' presentations, click on the links below.

• Color blocking
• ecove
• St. Paul study spaces
• The Nook
  
• The Pit Stop
• The You
• U study

Scheduling Update: November 29, 2010

Electronic Course Scheduling (ECS) period 3 for May/summer session 2011 (1115) is now open.

During period 3, OCM asks that you make changes due to unforeseen circumstances (cancel, add, change). Changes to meeting time(s) or enrollments greater than room capacity will result in loss of the central room assignment. Department R25 users make departmental room assignments.

Read the rest of this update, featuring the announcement of the fall final exam schedule, information about a new budgeting tool, and a link to the Course Guide survey, or view the scheduling update archive.

Printing services now available in STSS

The Office of Classroom Management is piloting multi-function
printing in student study spaces. Science Teaching & Student
Services, first floor study space is the first study space to house a
printer. The printer is setup on the Office of Information Technology's Pharos printing system and is a pay-as-you-print system.

The printer is available through the Gopher GOLD program, which is accessed via your U Card. All inquiries about charges made on your Gopher GOLD account should be directed to the U Card office.

Go to Study space printers to download the necessary drivers and learn more about how to print in student study space. 

Scheduling U 2010 presentations

Scheduling U 2010 has finished its three week run. The sessions were well attended and created great discussions. We are already looking forward to next year. Click on the links below to review the presentations.

• Scheduling update
• AHC scheduling
• Academic Scheduler Orientation
• Analysis of classroom reports
• Classrooms of the Future
• Case studies in departmental scheduling
• ECS & R25: partners in scheduling
• ECS tips & tricks
• Event scheduling on campus

We want to continue to make the sessions useful for you. If you have suggestions for topics or improvements for the next year, email classrm@umn.edu.

Scheduling update: November 15, 2010

Electronic Course Scheduling (ECS) in PeopleSoft is now available for fall 2011 (1119) and spring 2012 (1123) class schedule production. Review the class production calendar for important scheduling dates, scheduling policy summary for policy information, and class schedule production instructions for ECS assistance.

Read the rest of this update, featuring a link to the online request form for approval of non-standard meeting times, news about the revised course scheduling policy, and information about updating instructor information, or view the scheduling update archive.

Fall 2011 and spring 2012 ECS period 1 open

Fall 2011 and spring 2012 Electronic Course Scheduling
period one opened Monday, November 15. 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 2011 or spring 2012.
• 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 website or email the scheduling unit at classrm@umn.edu.

Power restored to Fraser, Elliott, Kolthoff, and STSS

Power has been restored to classrooms in Fraser, Elliott, Kolthoff, and STSS. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.

Power outage affecting Fraser, Kolthoff, Elliott, and STSS

There
is a power outage affecting several East Bank buildings, including classrooms in Fraser,
Kolthoff, Elliott, and STSS. Students should still report to class
as cancellation is up to individual instructors. Due to space limitations, classes cannot be moved to alternative rooms. Power is expected to be restored
by 11:30 a.m. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Scheduling Update: October 27, 2010

Electronic Course Scheduling (ECS) for May/summer 2011 is closing on October 30. Please review the summer 2011 important dates, class schedule production instructions and summer session scheduling guidelines to help you schedule summer session classes. ECS period 3 for May/summer 2011 will open on November 24.

Read the rest of this update, featuring an announcement of the May/summer 2011 preliminary class schedule, information about Scheduling U and an R25 user group, and important upcoming dates, or view the scheduling update archive.

Akerman Hall construction

The
construction work for the new HVAC system for Akerman Hall is continuing. The
construction crew will be working on the building from 6:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
During this time your class may experience disruptive noise issues if the
windows are open. It is recommended that you keep the windows closed from 6:00
a.m. - 3:00 p.m. If the classroom becomes too warm you can open the windows but
be aware that you may have to close them if the noise becomes too loud.

To
report noise problems or questions about the project, contact the Classroom
Support Hotline at 612-625-1086.

Scheduling Update: September 24, 2010

Electronic Course Scheduling (ECS) in PeopleSoft is now available for the May/summer 2011 class schedule production. Please review the summer 2011 important dates,class schedule production instructions and summer session scheduling guidelines to help you schedule summer session classes.

Read the rest of this update, featuring a guide to calculating hours for May and summer session classes, information about updating instructor information for fall 2010, and news on class search updates, or view the scheduling update archive.

Scheduling Update: September 1, 2010

This summer Robert McMaster, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education, established a working group to consider the current practices for reserving seats in course sections for particular cohorts of students. The recommendations from the group are as follows:

• Departments should have the authority to reserve seats within departmental courses for department priorities.
• Approval for requests of reserved seats initiated by specific colleges, departments, and/or programs outside the home college/department of the course is at the discretion of the individual college and/or departmental home of the course.
• If seats have not been previously released by departments, Academic Support Resources will release all reserved seats on the Friday before the first day of class each semester.
• All reserved seats, including those held for departmental priorities, must have a start and release date.

Read more from this update, featuring guidelines for the management of reserved group seats, a link to the scheduling production calendar, and important upcoming dates, or view the scheduling update archive.

Faculty Help Available from OCM Rapid Response Team

As the semester begins, remember to contact the Classroom Support
Hotline at 612-625-1086 if you need any assistance with your general
purpose classroom.



As an additional service, for the first few days of the semester, OCM
technicians will be pre-positioned throughout the Twin Cities campus to
provide rapid assistance should any issues arise.

Science Teaching & Student Services Classroom Information Updated

As we work to get the classrooms in Science Teaching & Student Services (STSS) ready for classes, we have updated the website with STSS classroom photos, features, and technology instructions.

To locate specific classroom information and instructions, go to Search classroom features. 

If you have any questions, please call the Classroom Support Hotline at 612-625-1086.

OCM Expands Document Camera Availability

OCM is increasing the number of document cameras in general purpose classrooms to enhance the capabilities of the presentation technology system.

Document cameras offer the capability of displaying transparencies, slides, and opaque flat or three-dimensional items. A document camera also allows users to point, mark, zoom in and out, and view and object from different angles. To find rooms with document cameras or other specific features, go to Search for classroom features.

Instructions for document cameras can be found on the equipment instruction sheet for each individual classroom. To locate classroom instructions, go to Find classroom instructions.

Classrooms without document cameras are equipped with overhead projectors for displaying transparencies; however overhead projectors are not capable of displaying opaque items. Click here for more information about overhead projectors.

If you need assistance with identifying classroom capabilities or features, please call the Classroom Support Hotline at 612-625-1086.

2010 CollegeNet User Conference Presentations

Presentations delivered by Bob Quinney, Nate Meath, and Sarah Kussow at the 2010 CollegeNet User Conference at the Portland Hilton Hotel in Portland, Oregon on July 25-28, 2010.

Quick Someone Call Security

Detective Work with X25
R25: SpeedBook 101 for Academic Schedulers

If you have any questions about the presentations, please email classrm@umn.edu.

Active Learning Classroom orientation sessions

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) invites you to a Science Teaching & Student Services (STSS) Active Learning Classroom (ALC) orientation session.

The ALC orientation sessions are an opportunity for you to get hands-on experience using the classrooms' technology with OCM's Instructional Technology Coordinator. During the orientation sessions, staff from Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and Office of Information Technology (OIT) will also be available to answer your questions about best practices for teaching in ALCs. Come for 30 minutes, or stay for the entire 2 hours.

Sessions will be offered on the following dates:

8:30 - 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 25, STSS 312

1 - 3 p.m., Thursday, August 26, STSS 312

8:30 - 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 31, STSS 330

1 - 3 p.m., Wednesday, September 1, STSS 330

If you are unable to attend any of the scheduled sessions and you would like to schedule time with OCM's Instructional Technology Coordinator, please contact the Classroom Support Hotline at 612-625-1086 or ocmhelp@umn.edu.

We look forward to helping you learn more about the new classrooms and answering your questions.

Planning for Growth presentation

Presentation given by Philip White (KPF), Eric Amel (HGA), Andrew Klare
(KPF) and Jeremy Todd (OCM) on Saturday, July 10 at the Society for
College and University Planning (SCUP) conference.

Brief description of the presentation:

An overview of the Science Teaching & Student Service project.

SCUP - Campus Tour, Science Teaching & Student Services

Electical Engineering/Computer Science changing to Keller Hall

Electrical Engineering/Computer Science Building was renamed Kenneth H. Keller Hall on July 1 in honor of the University's 12th president. For more information, see Keller

Hall.

New additions to OCM website

The OCM website now includes information about student study space. You can find an overview about why OCM is managing student study space and information for finding student study space.

Over the next year OCM will be working on developing more information about student study space for the website.

If you have any questions about student study space, please email Facilities
Coordination.

Video equipment announcement

Individual VCR players have been discontinued by the manufacturers. As quality replacement
VCRs have became harder to find; we are no longer
able to purchase replacement VCRs for equipment that fails. New
installations of classroom technology
equipment utilize a combination DVD/VCR for VHS playback.

 

Older classroom
technology systems utilizing individual VCR players will be maintained as long
as spare units are available. Once our inventory runs
out, the individual units will be replaced with a combination DVD/VCR player.

 

In addition, some
classrooms offer multi-standard VCR capabilities; however, we are unable to
purchase replacement units. OCM will
offer multi-standard VCR playback devices in select classrooms as long as our
supply of spare units remains in good working condition. This feature will be
discontinued once that supply has been depleted. The current supply is
expected to last for several semesters.

 

Some
academic programs continue to rely upon pre-recorded videotapes for which there
is no available substitute. Faculty with videotape content should consider
converting any non-copyrighted VHS tapes to DVD or other digital media. Please
remember on-demand streaming solutions may be available. Classroom users should
consider playback capabilities when making media purchasing decisions.

Videotape
conversion services are available from Classroom
Technical Services
and OIT
Video Production.