Monitoring general purpose classroom demand

Before ECS period 1 closes on February 10, confirm that your department is in compliance with the scheduling distribution policies. Check demand using the Class Scheduling Distribution Summary. View the class scheduling policy FAQs for more details on how classroom demand is determined.

A class is not considered part of your department’s general purpose classroom demand in the Class Scheduling Distribution Summary if the facility ID field in ECS is populated with a departmentally controlled space or a virtual room (e.g., ROOM000TBA , NOROOMREQD, etc.).

Will the Upgrade’s timeline shift impact the Scheduling Production Calendar?

The fall 2015 (1159) production calendar dates will not be impacted. ECS period 1 still closes on February 10, 2015 for fall 2015. Please make sure to have scheduling completed by this date.

The spring 2016 (1163) production calendar dates will shift once we learn more about the timeline of the Upgrade. Expect to have extra time to work on spring 2016 class data. The exact dates will be known when a new cutover date is announced. Stay tuned.

Note: Delete any class sections in ECS that have rolled forward, but will not be taking place during either term. You can delete courses and sections by clicking on the minus button in the Basic Data panel of “Maintain Schedule of Classes” in ECS.

You can find additional resources for scheduling classes on the OCM Website.

New Upgrade go-live date expected in next few weeks

In order to resolve issues found in testing, the PeopleSoft Upgrade is shifting from mid-February to a later date and is now estimated to launch in March or April. Exact dates are expected in the next few weeks. Many factors are being considered to determine timing, including payroll periods, student registration, grant processes and more. Depending on what is decided, the implementation will affect some areas more than others. Learn more about the Upgrade.

Welcome to spring semester 2015!

Recent classroom renovations and upgrades
Winter break provided the Office of Classroom Management an opportunity to access classrooms and complete projects while they weren't consistently being used. Technology life-cycle upgrades are underway in Folwell Hall and will continue through the spring semester. Keller 3-115 also received a technology upgrade which improved the student experience by utilizing large-screen display monitors.

Tate Laboratory of Physics on the East Bank will go offline for two years following spring 2015 final exam week. Tate currently has nine classrooms, including five lecture halls that each seat more than 100 students. The Office of Classroom Management is partnering with the Academic Health Center and other departments to accommodate some of the classes that would have met in Tate, with the majority of Physics and Astronomy department classes moving to the West Bank during construction.

These course shifts will have a ripple effect, moving course sections across the entire Minneapolis campus classroom inventory.

How to locate your classroom assignment
Room assignments for spring 2015 classes are available on the One Stop Class Schedule.

Please note: Room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of term. While this usually only affects a small number of classes, verify your classroom assignment before the first class meeting. If you have specific questions about your room assignment, contact your department scheduling coordinator.

Classroom technology instructions and videos
The classroom technology instructions for each building provide a list of equipment and additional features, as well as a representative image of the instructor station in each classroom. Orientation is available upon request for those who want to learn more about the technology features. For any questions, contact OCM Classroom Support.

2015 PeopleSoft Upgrade
There will be a significant upgrade of the University of Minnesota’s financial, human resources, and student systems. Outreach for faculty and instructors will continue in the spring semester. Please review the Upgrade website to find information about how these changes will affect you.

OCM News Blog
Stay informed about general purpose classrooms and student study spaces by visiting the OCM news blog. The blog provides news and information updates throughout the semester and is accessible via the OCM website.

Contact us
OCM is available to help with any questions, concerns, or comments regarding general purpose classrooms or central student study spaces. Contact us via the Classroom Support Hotline at 612-625-1086 or classrm@umn.edu.

Staff are available for calls related to classroom and scheduling Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Messages left at the hotline are monitored by an on-call manager after hours.

Confirm final room assignments for spring and summer 2015

General purpose classroom assignments for spring (1153) and summer (1155) are available on the One Stop Class Schedule. Review assignments for your department to ensure all classes requiring a general purpose classroom have been assigned a room. Notify instructors of their spring room assignments.

Please note: Room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of term. While this usually only affects a small number of classes, please encourage the instructors in your department to verify their classroom assignment before the first class meeting.

Class scheduling adjustment requirements during Tate Lab of Physics renovation

On November 18, 2014, Robert McMaster, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, sent a memo to all undergraduate associate deans on the Twin Cities campus addressing urgent classroom scheduling challenges for fall 2015.

Tate Laboratory of Physics on the East Bank will go offline for two years following spring 2015 final exam week. Tate currently has nine classrooms, including five lecture halls that each seat more than 100 students. The Office of Classroom Management is partnering with the Academic Health Center and other departments to accommodate some of the classes that would have met in Tate, with the majority of Physics and Astronomy department classes moving to the West Bank during construction.
As per Vice Provost McMaster’s memo, make adjustments to the class schedule by:

• distributing your classes across both the day and the week
• making realistic enrollment projections
• utilizing departmental space whenever possible
• using standard class times
• meeting scheduling production calendar deadlines

We know that space will be tight from fall 2015 to summer 2017. We need to coordinate our efforts and be flexible to ensure that all classes will have spaces to meet.

How do I calculate the number of hours a class should meet?

The University Class Scheduling policy includes standard scheduling rules for classes carrying one to five credits. All classes must adhere to this policy. One credit classes should meet for one standard hour per week, two credit classes should meet for two standard hours per week, three credit classes should meet for three standard hours per week, etc.

To determine how many hours a class should meet during May session, summer session, or for a half-term class, calculate the number of hours it meets during a regular fall or spring semester and divide by the number of days it will meet during shorter session.

For example, the three-credit class MATH 1001 meets MWF, 8:00 - 8:50 a.m. during fall semester. It therefore meets for a total of 45 class hours (3 days per week x 1 hour per day x 15 weeks = 45 class hours) during a full semester. During the summer session, MATH 1001 meets for 15 days; 45/15 = 3 hours per day of class time during summer session.

See the Expected Student Academic Work per Credit policy for related information on student workload expectations.