Viewing classroom availability in Astra Schedule

When using Astra Schedule, schedulers should rely on the request forms to view classroom availability. Using the grid calendars is no longer necessary to request a classroom. You can now request space and see availability in the same place.

To view the schedule of a specific general purpose classroom, use the General Purpose Classroom Search. Choose the building you are interested in, then select the room name. The room details will appear on the right hand side of the screen. Click on the "Room Schedule" link to bring up the daily calendar for the classroom. If you prefer to see an entire week or month at a time, you can easily switch your view by using the buttons on the upper left-hand corner of the calendar.

General purpose classroom search

To view the schedule of a specific general purpose classroom, use the General Purpose Classroom Search. Choose the building you are interested in, then select the room name. The room details will appear on the right hand side of the screen. Click on the "Room Schedule" link to bring up the daily calendar for the classroom. If you prefer to see an entire week or month at a time, you can easily switch your view by using the buttons on the upper left-hand corner of the calendar.

Save the date for Scheduling U

All schedulers are encouraged to attend Scheduling U this fall to learn new information about scheduling. Sessions will be held November 4-8. Offerings will take place on both Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses. More details will be announced in the next issue of Scheduling Update.

ECS period 1 opens Monday, September 23

Electronic Course Scheduling (ECS) in PeopleSoft will be available Monday, September 23 for May/summer 2014 (1145) class schedule production. The following resources are available for scheduling summer session courses:

• Class schedule production instructions

• Summer session scheduling guidelines

Reminder about fall 2013 final exams

Fall 2013 final exam scheduling will begin soon. OCM only schedules final exams for classes that meet in general purpose classrooms. Final exams for classes that meet in departmental space need to be scheduled within the department.

Notify the scheduling team as soon as possible if a course section will not require a classroom during finals week. Email ocmsched@umn.edu with the subject line "Fall 2013 Final Exam" and the course and section number(s) in the body.

• Final exam regulations, Fall 2013

• Fall 2013 final exam schedule

• Fall 2013 common exam times

Upcoming Astra Schedule user groups

A series of Astra Schedule user groups is scheduled for this fall. Session topics will address issues that schedulers experience in their day-to-day use of Astra Schedule. They also serve as an opportunity for users to share ideas with each other and receive help solving specific problems.

No registration is required to attend. Locations and times for each session are as follows:

• Thursday, September 26, 9-10:30 a.m., Nolte Center 140

• Friday, October 25, 1:30-3 p.m., STSS 512B

• Tuesday, November 19, 9-10:30 a.m., Nicholson Hall 110

• Tuesday, December 17, 9-10:30 a.m., STSS 512B

Save the date for Scheduling U

All schedulers are encouraged to attend Scheduling U this fall to learn about new information regarding scheduling. Sessions will be held November 4-8. Offerings will take place on both Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses. More details will be announced soon.

Fall 2013 class cancellations

Remember to cancel classes with no enrollment for fall 2013 (1139). This will ensure the room assignment is released and the class is accurately displayed on the Class Schedule.

2014-15 ECS Production Calendar

The 2014-15 ECS Production Calendar is now available. You may add the Production Calendar directly to your Google calendar. With this option, you can be sure that important scheduling dates are always available.

Redesigned classroom search

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) now has a redesigned classroom search. The General Purpose Classroom Search allows you to find classrooms that meet your specifications. You can filter by campus, building, capacity, and/or feature. You can also view room details, including capacities, layout, photo, links to campus maps, and room schedule. 

September Astra Schedule demonstrations

In May, the Office of Classroom Management (OCM) implemented a new, system-wide classroom and event scheduling system called Astra Schedule. You can use Astra Schedule to request both departmental and general purpose classroom space for an event. A quick start guide is available for additional step-by-step instructions. Demonstrations of Astra Schedule will be held at the following locations on campus:

• Friday, September 6, 9-10 a.m., STSS 512B

• Friday, September 13, 2-3 p.m., STSS 512B