Verify class notes for all active terms

There are many class notes for spring 2017 (1173), summer 2017 (1175), fall 2017 (1179), and spring 2018 (1183) that appear to have incorrect information on the Class Schedule. Remember to verify all class notes for each of the designators you schedule. Class notes roll forward from the last semester if the class was offered and should be updated annually in CCS. If you are a department scheduler, it is your responsibility to ensure that class notes associated with your classes are updated.

Topics class entry in ECAS

Topics class entry in ECAS is a multi-step process. The more information department schedulers are able to supply in ECAS, the better ASR can facilitate in setting up the topics class correctly.
The free text field labeled “Proposal Changes” should be used to specify the following:

• Credit amounts for topic courses that are variable
• The session code (e.g., 001, 009, etc.)
• A preferred section number (if any)

By including this information in the “Proposal Changes” section, you can ensure that the topic title will be entered at the section level as soon as possible. Additionally, it is good practice to always confirm the grading basis at the class level. If you have any questions, please email ocmsched@umn.edu.

Confirm room assignments for spring (1173) and May/summer (1175)

Room assignments for spring 2017 (1173) and May/summer (1175) are available on the Class Search. Please review assignments for your department to ensure all classes requiring a general purpose classroom have been assigned. If a class does not need a classroom assignment, please notify ocmsched@umn.edu.

OCM only finds general purpose classrooms for classes with a blank Facility ID in CCS. If the Facility ID field is populated, OCM will not actively look for a classroom for your class. This includes being populated with a virtual space, such as ROOM000TBA, LAB0000TBA, ONLINEONLY, or AHCROOMTBA.

Room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of the term. While this usually only affects a small number of classes, OCM encourages departments and instructors to verify their classroom assignments before first-class meetings.

New Astra UPK topics

For Astra Academic schedulers, three new Astra Academics User Productivity Kit (UPK) topics have been published:

• Filtering Academic Sessions
• Adjusting Columns for Academic Sections
• Assigning Classrooms

UPKs are designed to provide simulations and documentation of University system processes. They can be accessed by clicking the "Help" link in PeopleSoft, from the ASR Training and Support web page under Astra Schedule, or directly through this link.

Class cancellation email is live

As of December 15, the class cancellation email was implemented from PeopleSoft. The email is generated for students on Crookston, Duluth, Rochester, and Twin Cities campuses who were enrolled in a class that was canceled by the department. The process runs daily from PeopleSoft. Below is an sample email for a Twin Cities student (note that the contact information is personalized for each campus).


If you have questions about this information, contact Stacey Tidball, Director of Continuity and Compliance, at tidball@umn.edu.

New class cancellation email

Starting in January 2017, students who are enrolled in a class that is canceled will receive an email notifying them of the cancellation. The email process will run daily from PeopleSoft. The email includes the following information:

• The subject, catalog number, section, component, and credits of the canceled class(es).
• Admonition to review their class schedule in MyU.
• Direction to contact their advisor or the offering department about the cancellation. 
• Direction to contact One Stop with any other questions.

If you have questions about this information, contact Stacey Tidball, ASR Director of Continuity and Compliance, at tidball@umn.edu.

Extended weekend classroom hours during finals week

Finals week begins Thursday, December 15 with Study Day. The last day of exams is Thursday, December 22.

Finals week

• Friday, December 16 to Saturday, December 17, 2016 (12/16 - 12/17)
• Monday, December 19 to Thursday, December 22, 2016 (12/19 - 12/22)

Study days

• Thursday, December 15 (12/15) and Sunday, December 18 (12/18)

General purpose classroom hours will be extended on Saturday, December 17, and Sunday, December 18, to meet the needs of students and faculty during finals week. Weekday hours remain unchanged during finals week (see standard operating hours).

Saturday, December 17: All general purpose classrooms will be open from 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. to accommodate scheduled final exams and student study.

Sunday, December 18: All classrooms in weekend buildings will be open from 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. to accommodate students for official University study days. Weekend buildings include the following:

• East Bank: Bruininks Hall, Folwell Hall, Keller Hall, Nicholson Hall, Rapson Hall
• West Bank: Blegen Hall, CSOM, Hanson Hall, Humphrey Center
• Saint Paul: McNeal Hall, Peters Hall, Ruttan Hall

After final exams week, we will return to our standard operating hours.

**Please note building hours may vary from standard classroom hours. Be sure to carry your U Card with you at all times. For more information about specific building hours, visit the individual building details page via the Campus Maps website.

Classes during spring break (1173)

Do any of your classes meet during spring break week (1173)? If you schedule a class that plans to meet in-person, on-campus during Spring Break next semester (1173), you must fill out this google form by Friday, December 9, 2016 to ensure that a room assignment is retained during spring break (March 13-17, 2017).

Without receiving notification from you, we will assume that a holiday break is a holiday break, and that none of your classes have in-person, on-campus meetings during spring break 2017. Unless the form is filled out, class section meetings during spring break will lose their room assignments in Astra Schedule. Submit spring break 2017 class meeting form >>

Thank you for attending Scheduling U!

Schedulers from over 50 different departments participated in the Scheduling U workshops last month. Thank you for taking the time to join us! The presentations and related handouts can be accessed at the links below:

• Building your Class Schedule (interactive session): presentation »
• CCS Deep Dive: presentation » / handout »
• Events for Academic Schedulers: presentation »
• Scheduling Update Live: presentation »
• The Big Picture: presentation »

Review fall 2016 final exam schedule

The fall 2016 final exam schedule for general purpose classrooms is available for review in Astra Schedule. Common Exam room assignments are available to review in this Google spreadsheet. Please note that Final Exam Change Requests are still being processed and will be reflected accurately in Astra Schedule soon.

Be sure to look through your department's courses for accuracy. Forward room locations to instructors to ensure they know the location of their final exam.

To review your department's final exams, please follow the steps below:

1. Sign in to Astra Schedule with your University internet ID and password in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
2. Click on the “Academics” tab located in the top navigation menu. 
3. Click on the “Sections” link at the top of the page. 
4. Update the filters in the left column as follows:
1. Is Exam = Yes
2. Term = Fall 2016
3. Subject = Select the subject(s) you schedule
4. Campus = Mpls/St Paul
5. Click “Search” at the bottom of the filters.
6. To save your filter selections for future use, click on the save button on the bottom left hand side of the page.
7. Export the list to Excel by using the icon at the bottom of the page. 

If you notice any of the following, email the Scheduling Unit at ocmsched@umn.edu as soon as possible:

• An exam scheduled for a class that does not require a room 
• An exam missing for a class that should have had one scheduled
• An exam scheduled at a time or place you did not expect

Want a few extra tips and tricks for getting around in Astra Academics? Check out the Astra Schedule resources available on the ASR system support website.

Additional final exam policy and resources:

• Fall 2016 final exam regulations
• Fall 2016 final exam times
• Fall 2016 common exam times
• University final examination policy
• Student facing final exam information

If you still have questions on how to review your final exams, contact ocmsched@umn.edu.

Spring break 2017 (1173)

OCM Scheduling has an automated process to cancel class meetings during Spring Break in Astra Schedule by campus. This process removes class sections from the Scheduling and Activity Calendars to eliminate conflicts when scheduling events.

If you schedule a class that plans to meet in-person, on-campus during Spring Break next semester (1173), you must fill out this google form by Tuesday, December 8, 2016 to ensure that a room assignment is retained during Spring Break (March 13-17, 2017).

Without notification, we will assume that a holiday break is a holiday break, and that none of your classes have in-person, on-campus meetings during Spring Break 2017. Unless the form is filled out, class section meetings during Spring Break (March 13-17, 2017) will then lose their room assignments in Astra Schedule. Submit Spring Break 2017 Class Meeting form >>

Confirm room assignments for spring semester (1173)

Room assignments for spring 2017 (1173) are available on the Class Search. Please review assignments for your department to ensure all classes requiring a general purpose classroom have been assigned. If a class does not need a classroom assignment, please notify ocmsched@umn.edu.

OCM only finds a general purpose classroom for classes with a blank Facility ID in CCS. If the Facility ID field is populated, OCM will not actively look for a classroom for your class. This includes being populated with a virtual space, such as ROOM000TBA, LAB0000TBA, ONLINEONLY, or AHCROOMTBA.

Room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of the term. While this usually only affects a small number of classes, OCM encourages departments and instructors to verify their classroom assignment before the first class meeting.

Don’t miss Scheduling U workshops

Scheduling U, the annual workshop series designed to provide department schedulers with the information and tools they need to schedule classes for the upcoming year, is off to a great start. It continues to take place through Friday, November 18. Session dates, times, and descriptions may be found on the OCM blog.

Workshop series: Scheduling U

All schedulers should plan to attend the annual scheduling workshop series, Scheduling U. This year Scheduling U takes place November 14-18, 2016. Whether you are new to class scheduling or are a pro, there is a session for you. Workshops are open to any University staff member.

Workshop Sessions

Scheduling Update Live
Presenter: Sarah Kussow
An annual update on everything scheduling: policy, classroom renovations, timelines, upgrade impacts, how to get the room you need, and more.

• Wednesday, November 16 - 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., CSOM 2-233 (West Bank)
• Wednesday, November 16 - 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., Borlaug 365 (St Paul)
• Thursday, November 17 - 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., Peik Gym G55 (East Bank)

Astra iCop November 2016 - Advanced Astra Schedule
Presenters: Renae Faunce & Christine Mounts
Astra has many features that can take scheduling from assigning a room to managing what is happening in that room. Please join our online discussion. Academic schedulers can learn about the new final exam exemption form and techniques for finding and exporting the final exam schedule. Event schedulers can learn about tracking event attendees, editing multiple meeting events, adding event pre- and post- time, and managing private events.

• Monday, November 14 - 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., WebEx online session
• Join WebEx meeting »

The Big Picture
Presenters: Renaue Faunce & Sally Gutierrez
Do you ever feel a bit confused by all of the system acronyms, what each system does, or how these systems interact? Join the ASR Training and Support Team as we take a step back and look at the "big picture." This session will give you a basic understanding of our student records systems (including APAS, CCS, ECAS, PCAS, and others), how these systems interact with each other and PeopleSoft, and who uses them. We will close the session with a demonstration of where to find these applications on the new ASR website.

• Monday, November 14 - 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Appleby 319 (East Bank)

Building Your Class Schedule (interactive session)
Presenter: Bob Quinney
This session will be a group activity exploring the path from "course idea" to a section being scheduled and open for enrollment. We will consider the steps, systems, and governing policies involved. Come try your hand at filling in the blanks along the way.

• Tuesday, November 15 - 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., Bruininks 312 (East Bank)

CCS Deep Dive
Presenters: Heather Micek & Jennifer Selander
You've been through CCS training. Now, with some scheduling experience under your belt, let's take a deeper dive into some CCS functionality. Please join the ASR Training and Support Team to talk about Combined Sections, Session Codes, Wait Listing, and Special Use Pages. We will have plenty of time for questions and answers.

• Friday, November 18 - 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Bruininks 512A (East Bank)

Events for Academic Schedulers
Presenters: Phil Hunter & Christine Mounts
Would you like to learn more about the differences between scheduling for Academics and Events in Astra? We will be discussing event scheduling best practices, policies, and handling external vs. internal events. We will also be discussing scheduling computer classrooms and video conferencing, and giving a calendar demo.

• Tuesday, November 15 - 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Peters Hall 145 (St Paul)

Where to find final exam information

In the last two months, new, redesigned websites launched for both One Stop and ASR. The new One Stop site has resources for students, whereas the ASR site has resources for faculty and staff. Due to this delineation, you will notice that some resources have moved or shifted. Specifically, final exam schedules and regulations have new URLs and navigation paths to note:

• Final exam schedules (onestop.umn.edu > Academics > Class search resources > Final exam times)
• Final exam regulations (asr.umn.edu > Training and support > Faculty/staff resources > Final exams)
• Final exam change request form (asr.umn.edu > Applications and work tools > Final exam change request form)
• Scheduling Examinations, Final Examinations, and Study Days policy

Scheduling U workshops: 11/14-11/19

All schedulers should plan to attend the annual scheduling workshop series, Scheduling U. This year Scheduling U takes place November 14 - November 19. Whether you are new to class scheduling or are a pro, there is a session for you during Scheduling U.

Workshops are open to any University staff member. Sessions will be lead by Scheduling staff and ASR trainers. No registration is required.

Workshop Agenda:

Monday, November 14
9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. -- Student Records Systems: The Big Picture, Appleby 319
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. -- Astra Schedule iCop, WebEx Online Session

Tuesday, November 15
9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. -- Event Scheduling 101, Peters Hall 145
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. -- Building Your Class Schedule (interactive session), Bruininks 312

Wednesday, November 16
9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. -- Scheduling Update Live, CSOM 2-233
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. -- Scheduling Update Live, Borlaug 365

Thursday, November 17
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. -- Scheduling Update Live, Peik Gym G55

Friday, November 18
9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. -- CCS Advanced Topics, Bruininks 512A

Roll forward for fall and spring semesters

Class data entered into CCS rolls forward from the same term in the previous year (e.g., fall 2016 to fall 2017) as a convenience to schedulers. We will roll forward the fall 2017 (1179) and spring 2018 (1183) semesters on Thursday, October 20. This happens two weeks prior to CCS Open Initial Build begins to allow for data clean up behind the scenes.

As a reminder, classes with the following criteria will not roll forward:

• Topics classes
• Cancelled sections
• Tentative sections
• Classes with zero enrollment for the last 2 like terms (excluding directed studies and research)

Fall final exam rooms are limited

Please continue to notify Scheduling if a course section will not require a general purpose classroom during finals week. Use “Fall 2016 Final Exam” for the subject line, and include the course and section number(s) in the body.

Space is very tight on campus and any chance we have to release a classroom to be used by another exam is appreciated.

Reminder: 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.

• Final exam regulations, fall 2016
• Fall 2016 final exam schedule
• Fall 2016 common exam times
• Final exam change request form
• Scheduling Examinations, Final Examinations, and Study Days policy

De-combining classes change

Previously, whenever a CCS user de-combined a class, the meeting pattern(s), instructor(s), and classroom were deleted for all sections of the combined section ID. A new system modification now allows such classes to retain their meeting pattern(s) and instructor(s) as follows:

• The classroom assignment will still be removed for the section that is de-combined. 
• Any classes still left in the combined section table will keep the classroom. 
• If all classes are deleted from the combined section, the classroom is released. 

If you have any questions about combined sections, please reference the Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) combined sections UPK documentation, or contact ASR Training & Support at 612-625-2803, srhelp@umn.edu.

Do you need a classroom for that final exam?

Fall 2016 final exam room scheduling is underway. If you have not done so yet, please email ocmsched@umn.edu with any class sections that do not require a classroom during finals week. Use “Fall 2016 Final Exam” for the subject line, and include the course and section number(s) in the body.

Space is very tight on campus and any chance we have to release a classroom to be used by another exam is appreciated.

Reminder: 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.

• Final exam regulations, fall 2016
• Fall 2016 final exam schedule
• Fall 2016 common exam times
• Final exam change request form
• Scheduling Examinations, Final Examinations, and Study Days policy

Search for online classes by Mode of Instruction

In an effort to reduce confusion on how to search for online classes, the "Online course" course attribute has been removed from the both the course and class searches. Effective immediately, users should use instruction mode "Completely Online" in the Class Search to search for online classes.

In CCS, users will notice that the ONL course attribute is now view only. The instruction mode will appear on all classes that have been approved in ECAS to be taught online. It will not be a modifiable field. CCS users should use the instruction mode of “CO” (Completely Online) to indicate a class that will be taught online. 

In the Course Catalog Search, the text "online sections may be available" will display in the results if the course has the ONL course attribute, but “Online course” is no longer a search option. 

In the Class Search, the "Online course" course attribute is no longer a searchable field and it will not display in the results. Users should use the instruction mode "Completely Online" to search for online classes.

Astra Schedule offline for planned maintenance 10/5-10/10/2016

Astra Schedule will be offline for scheduled maintenance starting on Wednesday, October 5th at 5:00 p.m. through Monday, October 10th at 7:00 a.m. All Astra users will use the link ‘z.umn.edu/astra’ to access the software after the maintenance is complete on Monday, October 10th.

Activity report listings of all scheduled classes and events held from October 6-9, 2016 are available for reference while Astra Schedule is offline. View scheduled room activity.

How you can prepare:

• The new link z.umn.edu/astra can be used right away.
• Delete all old Astra bookmarks in your web browser.
• Create a new Astra bookmark for z.umn.edu/astra.
• If your department has links to Astra on their webpage, update them to point to z.umn.edu/astra.
• If your department distributes activity calendars by URL or by embedding in your website, notify ocmsoftwarehelp@umn.edu to obtain a new URL for your calendar.
• Submit all your room requests for the week prior to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 5th.

You may see up-to-date status on the outage on the OIT System Status site. If you have questions, please contact ocmsoftwarehelp@umn.edu.

Summer 2017 CCS period 1 opens

Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) in PeopleSoft will be available Tuesday, September 27 for May/summer 2017 (1175) class schedule production. The following resources for scheduling courses are available:

• Academic session dates by term
• Instructional time guidelines for summer session
• Class schedule production instructions
• CCS production calendar
• General class scheduling tools

Fall final exam room scheduling

Fall 2016 final exam room scheduling will begin soon. OCM only assigns final exam classrooms for classes that meet in general purpose classrooms. Final exams for classes that meet in departmental spaces need to be scheduled within their respective departments.

Send an email to ocmsched@umn.edu with any class sections that do not require a classroom during finals week. Use “Fall 2016 Final Exam” for the subject line and include the course and section number(s) in the body of the email.

Please note that there is a new Final Exam Change Request form. This form resides on the newly designed ASR website. The form has been improved, and replaces ASR forms 123 and 163.

• Final exam regulations, fall 2016
• Fall 2016 final exam schedule
• Fall 2016 common exam times
• Final exam change request form
• Scheduling Examinations, Final Examinations, and Study Days policy

Save the dates 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 14-18, 2016. Offerings will take place on both Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses. More details will be announced soon.

CCS consultations

If you are a trained Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) scheduler who would like a personalized session with one of the ASR trainers, just say the word. CCS can be a thorny, complicated system. The training team is happy to help with wait lists, prerequisites, combined sections, how ECAS and CCS interact, multiple component setup, using Astra Schedule, grading, and/or any other parts of the system that will allow you to understand it more fully.

To schedule an individual session, contact ASR Training & Support at 612-625-2803 or srhelp@umn.edu.

Roll forward for May/summer session 2017 (1175)

Class data entered into CCS rolls forward from the same term in the previous year (e.g., fall 2016 to fall 2017) as a convenience to schedulers. We will roll forward the May/summer session 2017 (1175) on Monday, September 12. This happens two weeks prior to CCS Initial Build Open period to allow for data clean up behind the scenes.

As a reminder, classes with the following criteria will not roll forward:

• Cancelled sections
• Tentative sections
• Topics classes
• Classes with zero enrollment for the last 2 like terms (excluding directed studies and research)

Welcome to fall 2016!

Summer classroom renovations and updates
Several general purpose classrooms received environment or technology updates during the summer, including the following:

• Major renovations in Mondale 3, 5, and 7 including new furnishings and technology features. 
• The Blegen auditoriums, rooms 5 and 10, received new acoustical wall panels for improved audio performance.
• New chairs were placed in a variety of classrooms as part of a planned lifecycle renewal update.
• Technology feature upgrades were completed in more than 70 rooms.  Room features can be found on the room inventory page.
• Improvements included: wide-screen video projectors, HDMI input cables, and document cameras. Instructor microphones and class capture cameras were also added to select classrooms.
• Four more Computer lab classrooms were added to the inventory and are supported in partnership with the Office of Information Technology.

Tate Laboratory of Physics on the East Bank remains offline for renovation and the classes that would have met in Tate have been shifted to other locations. The majority of Physics and Astronomy department classes were moved to the West Bank during construction and this continues to have a ripple effect, impacting course sections across the entire Minneapolis campus classroom inventory. The newly renovated John T. Tate Hall is expected to return to full use by fall semester 2017.

Remember to locate your classroom assignment

Room assignments for fall 2016 are available on the 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.

Resource for classroom searches

The General Purpose Classroom Search allows you to view the classroom inventory. 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.
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.

ADA table and chairs

All OCM classrooms are equipped with ADA compliant tables and chairs as a standard feature. We work with Disability Resource Center to accommodate student needs and ask for your help in assuring its proper use.

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.

OCM staff are available for classroom and scheduling-related calls Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Messages left at the hotline are monitored by an on-call manager after hours.

New Community-Engaged Learning course attribute

A new Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) course attribute is now available. It identifies courses that incorporate community-engaged learning pedagogies. An initial list of courses was identified by the Office for Public Engagement to use the attribute. In the future, these courses will be approved and identified in ECAS.

You will be able to add the attribute to any course that contains community-based learning experiences and meets the CEL attribute standards that have been approved by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy. The attribute was developed in response to students’ growing interest in academic courses that contain community-based learning experiences. In addition, the CEL attribute provides a means to systematically collect data on the number and frequency of community-engaged learning offerings across the five campuses.

To learn more about the attribute, and to view definitions of the attribute values, visit the CEL Attribute website.

Fall 2016 class cancellations

Remember to cancel classes with no enrollment for fall 2016 (1169). This will ensure the room assignment is released and the class is accurately displayed on the Class Schedule.

Room assignments for fall (1169)

Room assignments for fall 2016 are available on the Class Schedule. Please review assignments for your department to ensure all classes requiring a general purpose classroom have been assigned. Remind instructors to verify their classroom assignment before the first class, as room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of the term.

Releasing reserved seats

If reserved group seats have not been released by departments, Academic Support Resources (ASR) will do so for fall 2016 (1169) on Friday, September 2. Reserved group seats are always released the Friday before the first day of class each semester.

You may choose to release reserved seats prior to September 2 to increase enrollment. Guidelines for the management of reserved group seats are available to help department schedulers determine the appropriate release date. For questions on how to release reserved seats, contact the Student Records Training & Support Team.

Confirm room assignments for fall semester

All room assignments for fall 2016 (1169) have been made. Review and confirm assignments for your department on the Class Search to ensure all classes requiring a general purpose classroom have been assigned. Contact Scheduling with any questions about general purpose classroom assignments.

Reminders:

• The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) only finds general purpose classrooms for classes with a blank Facility ID in CCS. If the Facility ID field is populated (including a virtual space such as ROOM000TBA), OCM is not actively looking for a classroom for your class. 
• Changes to room assignments do not generate automated emails. If you change a room assignment, you must notify instructors and students directly.
• Classes that will not be offered should be cancelled directly in CCS.
• Room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of the term. While this usually only impacts a small number of classes, instructors should be encouraged to verify their classroom assignment before the first class meeting.

Calendar for 2017-18 class scheduling production available

The 2017-18 CCS Production Calendar is now available. Please note that some of the dates are still tentative and will be updated as academic calendars across system campuses are finalized.

As a reminder, you can find additional critical scheduling dates, including previous production calendars and academic session dates, on the OCM Academic Scheduling page.

Canceling classes for fall 2016

There are classes on the fall 2016 (1169) class schedule with a room assignment but no enrolled students. If you do not plan to offer a class, cancel the class in CCS as soon as possible. Simply changing the enrollment capacity to zero and checking the “no print” box in CCS will not release the classroom assignment. The class must be cancelled directly in CCS.

For classes with low enrollment that you plan to cancel, email ocmsched@umn.edu to process your cancellation. If your college requires collegiate approval for cancellation with low enrollment, refer to your college procedures. Remember to always notify enrolled students directly, before requesting a class cancellation.

Instruction modes in CCS defined

When creating a new class section, or modifying a section already in place, it is important to always update the mode of instruction on the Basic Data panel of CCS. The following instruction modes are available for selection:

• P - In person
• ID - Independent/directed study
• CE - Continuing education non-term based (online or correspondence)
• SA - Study abroad
• CO - Completely online (no face-to-face meetings)
• PR - Primarily online (one to three face-to-face meetings)
• PA - Partially online (more than three face-to-face meetings)

Fall 2016 (1169) classroom assignments

Check the Class Schedule to view fall 2016 general purpose classroom assignments. Many departments will notice that placement includes both East Bank and West Bank. If a class is not assigned a room, that means that we are still looking for a general purpose classroom for your class. If you have a departmental space for the class to meet, please email ocmsched@umn.edu to assist with assigning the class to the space. We appreciate your partnership in finding solutions to space shortages.

Please remember: All room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of fall semester. Room assignments are not guaranteed. Changes will continue to be made to the Class Schedule throughout the summer months as departments make adjustments to classes. We will likely need to re-examine room assignments once enrollments are stabilized so that we can adjust for actual, rather than projected, enrollments.

Final exam weekly schedules for fall 2016 and spring 2017 are now posted

The fall 2016 (1169) and spring 2017 (1173) final exam schedules are now posted to One Stop. Please share exam days and times with instructors.

Tate Lab of Physics renovation

Since June 2015, Tate Lab of Physics has been offline for a full interior renovation. It is scheduled to be completed in summer 2017. All existing spaces are being removed and reconfigured, and new space will be added along the Church Street side of the building.

To learn more about future classroom capacities and to see classroom renderings, review this slide set.  

To see photos of the ongoing renovation, visit the OCM Classroom Projects page. General project information is available on the Capital Planning & Project Management site.

May/summer session wait list process reminder

The auto-enroll wait list process for all summer 2016 (1165) sessions on the Twin Cities campus began on Tuesday, April 26, and continues to run through the first day of the session in which a class is scheduled. Students can add themselves to a wait list through the first day of the session. Session start dates may be found on the OCM website. 

If you encounter any issues with wait listing, or the auto-enroll process, please contact the ASR Training & Support Team at srhelp@umn.edu. More information on how students can add themselves to a wait list can be found in this guide.

Cancel classes that will not be offered

For summer 2016 (1165) and fall 2016 (1169), there are a large number of classes on the schedule with low or no enrollment. If you do not plan to offer a class, make sure to cancel the class as soon as possible. Collegiate processes vary for classes that have enrollments. If you are not sure about the process, please contact ocmsched@umn.edu.

Please note: Changing a class’s enrollment capacity to zero and checking the "no print" box in Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) will not cancel a class, delete a class, or release the classroom assignment. Always cancel a class that will not be offered for a given term.

In CCS, schedulers do not have the ability to delete individual class sections. Instead, classes that will not be offered should be cancelled.

During CCS open initial build: Schedulers should cancel class sections that will not be offered. OCM Scheduling runs a query daily to delete classes that have been canceled the prior workday.

During CCS open emergent changes: Schedulers should still cancel classes that will no longer be offered, but they will not be deleted by OCM Scheduling.

Upcoming SR Help workshop - advanced topics in CCS

June's SR Help workshop is aimed at departmental class schedulers and will focus on Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) advanced topics, such as working with combined sections. CCS schedulers will be emailed an invitation that includes more details in the near future.

When: Wednesday June 15, 11-12 noon
Where: 131B Bruininks Hall  

Note: SR Help workshops will take the month of July off, and will resume in August.

Setting up online classes in CCS - new UPK topic!

Class schedulers, please make sure that your online classes are searchable as such in the online class search. Check out our new UPK topic, “Online sections.”

Find this UPK topic from within PeopleSoft by clicking on the "Help" link and navigating to: PeopleSoft SA 9.0 Student Records > Collaborative Class Scheduling > Online Sections. Alternatively, you can search for “Online sections.”

Spring 2017 (1173) scheduling

Room assignments for spring 2017 (1173) will be available on Class Search when CCS re-opens on May 24. All room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of term as we work to accommodate all class activity. 

The Scheduling Unit is still working on placing many classes during the busiest times of day. If we are unable to place your classes, we will be reaching out to individual departments to determine if the class days or times are available to be changed, or if a departmental space is available for the class. As a reminder, large classroom space is at a premium with Tate Lab of Physics and Mechanical Engineering buildings offline. 

Beginning May 24, you can update class information (cancel, change, or add). Please note: changes made to meeting times, enrollment capacities, and requested room capacities will result in the loss of the classroom assignment. Please consult with the Scheduling Unit if you are adding classes during peak times to ensure that a classroom will be available.

Make final changes to variable credit classes & grading basis prior to semester start

With the May/summer session beginning next week, it is imperative to make final changes to classes requiring set credits and/or changes to grade basis. After the term has begun, the grading basis and the number of credits a class is being offered at cannot be altered.

If you need to change the number of credits for which a class is offered, from a variable number to a set number, email ocmsched@umn.edu to make the change. If you need to make a change to the grading basis of a course, submit changes directly through ECAS.

Expanded weekend classroom hours during finals week

Finals week begins Saturday, May 7 with Study Day. The last day of exams is Saturday, May 14. General purpose classroom hours will be extended on Saturday, May 7, Sunday, May 8, and Saturday, May 14 to meet the needs of students and faculty during finals week. Weekday hours remain unchanged during finals week (see standard operating hours).

** Please note building hours may vary from standard classroom hours. Be sure to carry your U Card with you at all times. For more information about specific building hours, visit the individual building details page via the Campus Maps website.

Saturdays, May 7 and May 14: All general purpose classrooms will be open from 7 a.m.- 10:00 p.m. to accommodate scheduled final exams and student study.

Sunday, May 8: All classrooms in weekend buildings will be open from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. to accommodate students for official University study days. Weekend buildings include the following:

• East Bank: Bruininks Hall, Folwell Hall, Keller Hall, Nicholson Hall, Rapson Hall
• West Bank: Blegen Hall, CSOM, Hanson Hall, Humphrey Center
• Saint Paul: McNeal Hall, Peters Hall, Ruttan Hall

After final exams week, we will return to our standard operating hours.

Auto-enroll wait list process for May/summer and fall 2016

The auto-enroll wait list process for all summer 2016 (1165) sessions on the Twin Cities campus began on Tuesday, April 26 and will run through the first day of the session in which the class is scheduled. The auto-enroll process for fall 2016 (1169) began on Wednesday, April 27 and will run through the first day of the session in which the class is scheduled. Students can add themselves to a wait list through the first day of the session.

If you encounter any issues with wait listing or the auto-enroll process, please contact the ASR Training & Support Team at srhelp@umn.edu . More information on how students can add themselves to a wait list can be found in this guide.

Spring 2016 Final Exams

You may review the final exam schedule for your department by following the steps outlined on the OCM Blog.

Updating class section credits from variable to set

If you need to change the number of credits a class is offered for from a variable number of credits to a set number of credits, email ocmsched@umn.edu to make the change. It is important to put this request in prior to the start of registration.

After registration has started, OCM Scheduling will continue to process the requests, but if students are already enrolled in the class, the request will also be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar for review to ensure that the student impact is minimal.

After financial aid has been dispersed (typically 10 days prior to semester start), the number of credits a class is offered at cannot be altered.

Changes to course credits and grading basis continue to be processed through ECAS. These changes should also take place prior to registration.

Make your final changes in CCS for spring 2017 (1173)

Class scheduling in CCS is in full swing for spring 2017 (1173). CCS Open Initial Build for spring 2017 ends on April 25, 2016.

• Cancel any class sections that have rolled forward but will not be taking place for spring 2017. OCM will remove class sections that have been canceled from the schedule for all classes that are canceled during CCS Open Initial Build (through April 25).  
• Update any class sections that require changes. For resources on working in CCS, check out the quick start guides available on the ASR training team's website.
• Add department room assignments (labs, meeting rooms, department classrooms, etc.) by April 25 directly in Astra Schedule. For resources on how to assign departmental rooms to classes in Astra, review the Astra Academic quick start guides.
• Utilize standard class meeting times for all your classes. Classes meeting at standard times are prioritized for classroom assignments and we cannot guarantee that a general purpose classroom will be available at a nonstandard meeting time.
• Set realistic enrollment capacities for all of your class sections. We place classes into classroom based on enrollment caps and requested room capacities listed in CCS. If we have trouble finding a classroom, we also review historical enrollments.
• Distribute your department’s classes and enrollments across both the day and the week. Ensure compliance to the Class Scheduling policies as classroom space is at a premium on campus. We will not be able to schedule all classes into general purpose classroom unless compliance is met.
• Review the Class scheduling distribution summary to check for compliance and the Liberal Education distribution summary to see how your classes that meet LE requirements are spread throughout the day and week.

For a full view of dates and deadlines for spring, consult the CCS production calendar.

Fall 2016 (1169) classroom space shortage

There continues to be a shortage of general purpose classrooms during the Tate Lab of Physics and Mechanical Engineering renovations through summer 2017.  Per vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, Robert McMaster’s November 18, 2014 memo, we will continue to require all departments to make adjustments to their class schedules through summer 2017 to accommodate this space shortage.

We currently have reached capacity for classroom space between 9:45 a.m.- 2:15 p.m. for fall 2016. Do not add new classes during these times unless you have departmental space for it to meet in.

If you need to add a large class (anything with an enrollment cap of 70 or greater), you must contact OCM Scheduling to confirm that a room is available prior to opening it for enrollment. We cannot guarantee a general purpose classroom at every time period.

Check the Class Schedule to view current fall 2016 general purpose classroom assignments. Many departments will notice that placement is spanning both East Bank and West Bank. If a class is not assigned a room, that means that we are still looking for a general purpose classroom for your class. If you have a departmental space for the class to meet in, please email ocmsched@umn.edu to assist with assigning the class to the space. We appreciate your partnership in dealing with the space shortage.

Remember: All room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of fall semester. Room assignments are not guaranteed. Changes will continued to be made to the Class Schedule throughout the spring and summer months as departments make adjustments to classes. We will likely need to re-examine room assignments once enrollments are stabilized so we can adjust for actual enrollments rather than projected enrollments.

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

Make final changes to fall 2016 prior to registration

CCS is now open for emergent changes to the class schedule for fall 2016 (1169). Department schedulers may update class information (cancel, add, change) directly in CCS. As a reminder, changes to meeting time(s) or to enrollment capacities greater than the current room capacity will result in loss of room assignment. If you make these changes, notify ocmsched@umn.edu to determine if a general purpose classroom will still be available.

Queued registration for fall 2016 begins Thursday, April 14. To ensure the greatest success for students, please make sure to finalize the following information in the class schedule prior to registration:

• Confirm session dates are set to the most reflective session. For reference, view session dates by term here. 
• If choosing a set number of credits for a variable credit class, make those changes before students register by emailing ocmsched@umn.edu.
• Confirm grading basis. If changes need to be made, submit changes through ECAS. 
• All date, day, and time changes should be made before students register to make sure to minimize student conflicts. 

If any of the above need to be changed after students have registered, emailocmsched@umn.edu to determine if changes may still be made.

Proof final exam schedule for spring 2016

The spring 2016 final exam schedule for general purpose classrooms is now available in Astra Schedule. Please review your department’s final exams by following the instructions listed on the OCM blog »

Review room assignments for summer and fall 2016

General purpose classroom assignments for summer 2016 (1165) and fall 2016 (1169) are available on the Class Search. Room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of term as we work to accommodate all class activity.

Review room assignments for your department, and contact ocmsched@umn.edu if any classes that do not need a general purpose classroom have inadvertently been assigned one.

Please note: Changes made in CCS may result in the loss of your room assignment. Always confirm room assignments after making CCS changes to times, days, class status, enrollment capacities, and requested room capacities.

Spring 2016 final exam schedule available for review

The spring 2016 final exam schedule for general purpose classrooms is now available for review in Astra Schedule . Please forward room locations to instructors to ensure they know the location of their final exam.

Be sure to check your department's classes for accuracy. Email the Scheduling Unit at ocmsched@umn.edu as soon as possible if you notice any of the following:

• An exam scheduled for a class that does not require a room 
• An exam missing for a class that should have had one scheduled
• An exam scheduled at a time or place you did not expect

To review your department's final exams, please follow the steps below:

1. Sign into Astra Schedule with your University internet ID and password in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
2. Click on the “Academics” tab located in the top navigation menu.
3. Click on the “Sections” link at the top of the page.
4. Update the filters in the left column as follows:
• Is Exam = Yes
• Term = Spring 2016
• Subject = Select the subject(s) you schedule
• Campus = Mpls/St Paul
5. Click “Search” at the bottom of the filters.
6. To save your filter selections for future use, click on the save button on the bottom left-hand side of the page.
7. Export the list to Excel by using the icon at the bottom of the page.

Common Exam room assignments are available to review separately in this Google Spreadsheet.

Want a few extra tips and tricks for getting around in Astra Academics? Check out this handout. Still have questions on how to review your final exams? Contactocmsched@umn.edu.

Questions about final exam policy?

• Spring 2016 final exam regulations
• Spring 2016 final exam times
• Spring 2016 common exam times
• University final examination policy

Class scheduling during Tate Lab of Physics renovation

Classroom space will continue to be very tight through summer 2017 during the Tate Laboratory of Physics renovation. 

OCM appreciates the efforts that departments have already made to coordinate efforts and be flexible with times and days that classes meet to ensure that all classes have a place to meet. We will continue to reach out to departments to explore alternate days and times during the busiest times on campus (9:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.) if classrooms are not available as we work to place fall 2016 classes. 

Per Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education Robert McMaster’s November 18,2014 memo, we will continue to require all departments to make adjustments to their class schedules by:

• distributing 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 

If you have questions about space utilization, potential alternative days and times to offer a class, or have a departmental space you would like to offer to for other departments to use during the renovation, please email ocmsched@umn.edu.