Fall grades due by December 28, 2017

The final grades for fall are due Thursday, December 28 at 11:59 p.m. This may be a challenging time for some, but please encourage instructors to submit grades as early as possible. For support regarding grades, contact ASR Training and Support at srhelp@umn.edu or 612-625-2803. Resources are also available on the ASR website.

Confirm room assignments for spring (1183) and May/summer (1185)

Room assignments for spring 2018 (1183) and May/summer (1185) are available on 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.

Add rooms directly to classes using Astra Schedule Academics

Astra Schedule Academics is available to add departmental spaces directly to your classes for the following terms: spring 2018, May/summer 2018, and fall 2018.

Please note that class changes made in CCS will not be reflected in Astra Schedule until the following day. Likewise, classrooms and labs assigned to fall 2018 classes in Astra Schedule will not be reflected in the Class Schedule until the following day.

For spring 2018 and May/summer 2018, room assignments will be reflected in the Class Schedule the same day.

Astra Academics How-to-guides are available on the ASR Training & Support resources site listed under Astra Schedule.

Updated How-to guides available

Quick start guides for Faculty Center (class rosters, grade entry, class permissions, etc.), Advisor Center, and Student Center have been refreshed as How-to guides. The new guides have an updated look and feel to mirror the MyU refresh.

Extended weekend classroom hours during finals week

The last day of instruction for fall 2017 semester is Wednesday, December 13. Dates for finals and study days are listed below:

• Study days
• Thursday, December 14 (12/14) and Sunday, December 17 (12/17)
  
• Final exam dates
• Friday, December 15 to Saturday, December 16, 2017 (12/15 - 12/16)
• Monday, December 18 to Thursday, December 21, 2017 (12/18 - 12/21)

On the weekend dates below, some classrooms will have extended hours to meet the needs of students and faculty during finals week:

• Saturday, December 16:
• All general purpose classrooms will be open from 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
  
• Sunday, December 17:
• All classrooms in the following buildings will be open from 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m:
  
• 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

Please note: building hours may vary from our standard classroom hours of operation. 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.

Grade entry deadlines and reminders

Fall 2017 grades (regular session) are due on Thursday, December 28. A complete list of grading due dates, how-to guides, and policies are available on the ASR website >>>

Summer 2018 production cycle

CCS has re-opened for emergent changes to the class schedule for May/summer 2018 (1185). Department schedulers may update class information (cancel, add, or 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.

Room assignments are subject to change prior to the start of the term. OCM encourages instructors to verify their classroom assignments before the first class meeting.

Queued registration for May/summer 2017 begins Thursday, March 1. 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.

ECAS or ERG questions reminder

Please send all ECAS or ERG questions or concerns directly to srhelp@umn.edu. This will help distribute work among all staff responsible for processing, and your email may be resolved quicker. Thank you.

Thanks for attending Scheduling U

Thank you to everyone who took some time out of your busy schedules to attend a Scheduling U workshop. For those who were unable to attend, please see the presentations below:

• CCS Tips & Tricks
• Astra Schedule iCoP
• Scheduling Update Live

Study Space Finder update

A link to Study Space Finder has been added to MyU’s Campus Info tab for all Twin Cities students. Please spread the word about this helpful resource for students, especially during finals week.

Google Calendar refresh

Changes to the interface of Google Calendar is available for you now. The new look will be optional until it becomes the University’s standard on February 28, 2018. Learn more about the calendar updates from Google >>>

Fall 2017 final exam schedule ready to review

The fall 2017 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.

Review your department's classes 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:

• Sign in to Astra Schedule with your University internet ID and password in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
• Click on the “Academics” tab located in the top navigation menu.
• Click on the “Sections” link at the top of the page.
• Update the filters in the left column as follows:
• Is Exam = Yes
• Term = Fall 2017
• Subject = Select the subject(s) you schedule
• Campus = Mpls/St Paul
• Click “Search” at the bottom of the filters.

To save your filter selections for future use, click on the save button on the bottom left hand side of the page.

Export the list to Excel by using the Excel icon at the bottom of the page.

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

Additional final exam policy and resources:

• Final exam regulations, fall 2017
• Fall 2017 final exam schedule
• Fall 2017 common exam times
• Final exam change request form
• Scheduling Examinations, Final Examinations, and Study Days policy

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

Spring Break 2018 (1183)

If you schedule a class that plans to meet in-person, on-campus during spring break next semester (1183), you must fill out this Google Form by Wednesday, December 13, to ensure that a room assignment is retained during spring break (March 12-16, 2018).

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.

Building name change to 10 Church Street SE

The building that used to house the Bell Museum has changed its name to 10 Church Street SE. University Services is still working to update building signage, but the new name is already in effect. When registering for classes using Schedule Builder Class Search, the room location will appear as follows:

Room

10 Church Street SE 100

More information on the new Bell Museum can be found on its website.

Reminder: Scheduling U Workshops begin November 27

All schedulers should plan to attend the annual scheduling workshop series, Scheduling U, the week of November 27, 2017. Whether you are new to class scheduling or are a seasoned pro, there is something for you to learn! Workshops are open to any University staff member.

CCS Tips & Tricks
Please join the ASR Training and Support Team to dive deeper into some CCS functionality and to learn some tips and tricks. We'll focus on Special Use Pages, Session Codes, Combined Sections, and Wait Listing. We will have plenty of time for questions and answers.

• Monday, 11/27, 9:45-11:00 a.m., MCB 2-122

Astra Schedule iCoP
This is a refresher session on entering classroom assignments using Astra Academics. We’ll also cover other topics of interest to academic schedulers, including mid-term and final exams, how to schedule computer labs and video conferencing rooms, and tips on finding general purpose classrooms. You can bring your laptop and follow along.

• Tuesday, 11/28, 2:00-3:00 p.m., Nolte 140

Scheduling Update Live
A must-see annual update on everything scheduling--we will cover classroom renovations, timelines, upgrade impacts, policies, how to get the room you need, and more. See you there!

• Wednesday, 11/29, 10:15-11:30 a.m., Ruttan 143
• Thursday, 11/30, 1:00-2:15 p.m., Blegen 155
• Friday, 12/1, 9:45-11:00 a.m., Rapson 56

Google Meet

On November 3, the University launched Google Meet, which is the new default app for video and chat calls (such as when you “Add a video call” to a Google Calendar meeting). Refer to OIT’s website and/or read Google’s how-to guide for more details.

Fall final exam rooms are limited

Fall final exams are still being scheduled. Please continue to notify Scheduling if a course section will not require a general purpose classroom during finals week. Use “Fall 2017 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 2017
• Fall 2017 final exam schedule
• Fall 2017 common exam times
• Final exam change request form
• Scheduling Examinations, Final Examinations, and Study Days policy

Monitor your scheduling policy compliance

Before spring registration begins, ensure that you have confirmed that your department is in compliance with the scheduling distribution policies regarding classroom demand. See the class scheduling policy summary for details on the policies and how to monitor compliance.

The following tools have been built to assist you in monitoring your compliance:

• The Class Scheduling Distribution Summary illustrates the class demand of department or college. 
• The Liberal Education Distribution Summary illustrates the distribution of classes meeting one or more liberal education requirements.

Spring 2018 classroom assignments

Room assignments for spring 2018 (1183) are still in process. If a class does not need a general purpose classroom assignment and you have not yet assigned a departmental space, please notify ocmsched@umn.edu.

OCM only works to find 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.

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

New look for MyU

MyU will be unavailable from 6 a.m. to noon on October 22 while updates are made to the site. You can preview the new look, see overall changes, and view new top navigation items on the MyU Portal UI Refresh Project site. Please feel free to share this information with your communities.

Spring 2018 student enrollment appointments

Twin Cities students' spring 2018 enrollment appointments will be assigned on October 23 and 24, and they will be posted to student self-service on October 25.

Roll forward for fall and spring semesters

We will roll forward the fall 2018 (1189) and spring 2019 (1193) semesters on November 12, 2017. 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 (excluding directed studies and research)
• Undergraduate classes scheduled in Extended Regular Session (session 011)

Scheduling U Workshops begin November 27

All schedulers should plan to attend the annual scheduling workshop series, Scheduling U, the week of November 27, 2017. Whether you are new to class scheduling or are a seasoned pro, there is something for you to learn! Workshops are open to any University staff member.

CCS Tips & Tricks
Please join the ASR Training and Support Team to dive deeper into some CCS functionality and to learn some tips and tricks. We'll focus on Special Use Pages, Session Codes, Combined Sections, and Wait Listing. We will have plenty of time for questions and answers. 

• Monday, 11/27, 9:45-11:00 a.m., MCB 2-122

Astra Schedule iCoP
This is a refresher session on entering classroom assignments using Astra Academics. We’ll also cover other topics of interest to academic schedulers, including mid-term and final exams, how to schedule computer labs and video conferencing rooms, and tips on finding general purpose classrooms. You can bring your laptop and follow along.

• Tuesday, 11/28, 2:00-3:00 p.m., Nolte 140

Scheduling Update Live
A must-see annual update on everything scheduling--we will cover classroom renovations, timelines, upgrade impacts, policies, how to get the room you need, and more. See you there!

• Wednesday, 11/29, 10:15-11:30 a.m., Ruttan 143
• Thursday, 11/30, 1:00-2:15 p.m., Blegen 155
• Friday, 12/1, 9:45-11:00 a.m., Rapson 56

WiFi network "UofM Secure" to retire

The WiFi network "UofM Secure" is scheduled to retire at the end of December 2017. You should connect to eduroam, the new and preferred secure network for students, faculty, and staff. UofM-Guest is available for guests and visitors. OIT-managed devices will continue to connect to UofM Secure for the near future until all areas and places have been transitioned.

Provide feedback

The Office of Classroom Management welcomes your feedback. Please take a moment to review OCM’s new website and leave a comment about OCM services and spaces. Thank you!

Who do I contact for support?

For general scheduling questions, email ocmsched@umn.edu.

For general support and questions about CCS, ECAS and Astra Academics, contact ASR Training and Support Team at 612-625-2803 or srhelp@umn.edu.

Reminder: contacting specific individuals rather than the general account can elongate your response time in the event that people are out of the office unexpectedly.

Save the date: Scheduling U

Scheduling U returns Nov 28-Dec 1, 2017. This annual workshop series provides academic schedulers with the information they need to get the job done. Whether you are new to class scheduling or a seasoned pro, there is a session for you during Scheduling U.

We want to know what your burning scheduling questions are! Please email ocmsched@umn.edu to submit topics that you want to be sure we cover. Workshops are free and open to any University staff member. More information to come.

New OCM website to launch in October

A redesigned Office of Classroom Management (OCM) website will launch Tuesday, October 3, 2017. Its simplified design offers easy access to classroom technology instructions, scheduling applications, and information about Classroom Technical Services (CTS), including audio/visual equipment design and installation.

The new site utilizes the Drupal 8 content management system, which enhances mobile delivery. The website address will remain the same; however, URLs for internal links will change. Redirects will be set up for commonly-accessed pages.

Summer 2018 CCS Opens for Initial Build

Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) in PeopleSoft will be available for initial build on Wednesday, September 27 for May/summer 2018 (1185) class schedule production. It will be open until October 28, 2017.

The following resources for scheduling classes are available:

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

Calendar for 2018-19 class scheduling production available

The 2018-19 CCS Production Calendar is 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.

Note the summer registration date change. Registration for degree-seeking students will begin March 1 for summer 2018.

Supplemental Class Search is being retired

The Supplemental Class Search will no longer be available as of September 23, 2017. The supplemental class search was built as a temporary solution for advisors and staff following the PeopleSoft upgrade in 2015.

Since then, new class search functionality has been added to Schedule Builder to replace this temporary solution. You may also continue to use the MyU/PeopleSoft delivered Class Search or other tools developed by colleges.

Feel free to provide feedback on the Schedule Builder Class Search via the comment form. Thank you.

Campus Solutions 9.2 Technical Upgrade Go-Live Information

A period of system downtime is necessary to complete the first phase of the PeopleSoft Campus Solutions 9.2 Upgrade. PeopleSoft Campus Solutions (Student Records) and related systems will be unavailable starting at 9 a.m. (previously reported as 7 a.m.) on Saturday, September 23. Work is anticipated to be complete and systems available again at noon on Sunday, September 24. See full details on system availability during the planned outage.

Academic schedulers should not do any work in Astra Schedule Sept. 23-24 during the upgrade, or their work will be lost. Scheduled events and event requests will work as normal. The academic term data will be refreshed before 7 a.m. on Monday morning.

When systems are restored Sunday afternoon, users will notice minimal changes in PeopleSoft (restricted to look and feel). Preview these changes.

Those who use PeopleSoft frequently may need to clear their browser cache and cookies when logging in for the first time after the upgrade is complete.

Canvas update

Over the next two years, Canvas will replace Moodle as the University's centrally-supported Learning Management System. About 5% of instructors will be using Canvas this fall. More are expected to use it in spring 2018. See the Canvas Transition website for more information and a timeline.

With the new Canvas process, all classes that are setup in PeopleSoft will have an unpublished class site automatically generated before the start of each semester. The unpublished Canvas courses will be displayed to instructors if they are assigned as a primary instructor in PeopleSoft.

Currently, many courses in PeopleSoft do not have a primary instructor assigned. Schedulers should assign primary instructors, teaching assistants, and other instructor roles to support this process as well as for class rosters and grade entry.

Fall 2017 final exam deadlines

In a response from schedulers asking to be able to confirm final exam room locations earlier in the semester, OCM has moved forward the final exam production cycle beginning with fall 2017. The Final Exam Change Request form is due on Tuesday, October 3.

After all common final exams are scheduled, change requests are processed in the order in which they are received. The earlier you submit your Final Exam Change Request form, the greater likelihood you will get the instructor's preferred classroom. You will notice some small changes to the change request form itself, in particular for those utilizing common exams. Please let us know if you have any questions.

For classes not holding an in-person exam during finals week, notify us by emailing ocmsched@umn.edu by Tuesday, October 3. Please use the subject line “Fall 2017 Final Exam” and include the subject designator and class section number(s) in the email text. In particular, it is helpful to know when large, lecture classes will not be using their classroom during exam week to fulfill special requests for other final exams requiring large classrooms.

All event requests made through Astra Schedule for finals week are held in our queue until all final exams are scheduled. Astra Schedule event requests should be used to schedule review sessions, but should not be used to secure classrooms for final exams. If you are unsure how to submit your request for an exam room, email ocmsched@umn.edu.

• Final exam regulations
• Final exam schedule
• Final exam change request form
• Scheduling Examinations, Final Examinations, and Study Days policy

Note: An edit has been made on 9/20/17 to change the day Wednesday to Tuesday, October 3. Apologies for any confusion.

Roll forward for May/summer session 2018 (1185)

Class data entered into CCS rolls forward from the same term in the previous year (e.g., fall 2017 to fall 2018) as a convenience to schedulers. We will roll forward classes for May/summer session 2018 (1185) on Sunday, September 10. This happens two weeks prior to CCS Open - Initial Build to allow for behind-the-scenes data clean up.

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

• Cancelled sections
• Tentative sections
• Topics classes
• Classes with zero enrollment (excluding directed studies and research)
• Undergraduate classes scheduled in Extended Regular Session (session 011)

Helping U desk: Students helping students navigate the U

One Stop Student Services and the Office for Student Affairs have partnered together to enhance the Helping U desk in Bruininks Hall.

At the Helping U desk, student-staff have been trained to connect fellow students to University-based resources such as academic support, career help, and health services. The desk is open M-F 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.



If you know a student or department who may benefit from the Helping U desk, please share this message. Thank you.

Welcome to fall 2017

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) welcomes you to the start of fall 2017 semester! 

We have information to share with you about teaching in classrooms, updates about projects we have been working on, and information about a planned, enterprise-wide system maintenance outage happening in September. Please read below for details.

Locate your classroom assignment
Room assignments for fall 2017 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.

Room Search
The Room 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, photos, links to campus maps, and room schedule. Orientation is available upon request for those who want to learn more about the technology features. For any questions, contact OCM Classroom Support.

Classroom technology
The classroom technology instructions provides a list of equipment and additional features as well as a representative image of the instructor station in each classroom.

Class rosters
Access and print your class roster.

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.

New Study Space website
A new study space website has launched that helps students find places on campus where they can study: studyspace.umn.edu. The site includes images, building features, and locations on the East Bank, West Bank, and St. Paul campuses. Listings include computer labs, coffee shops, and on-campus study spaces for both individuals and groups. The website was a collaborative project between OCM, University Libraries, Student Unions, OIT, AHC Classroom Services, and Facilities Management.

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

• Magrath 8 has been converted to a testing center and is supported in partnership with the Office of Information Technology (OIT). 
• McNeal Hall - OCM partnered with the College of Design (CDES) in McNeal 144 and 146 provide two additional Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs), using six-person group tables with student displays. The rooms seat 42 and 30, respectively. 
• Mondale Hall - Major renovations in 15, 35, 45, 55 and 65 include new furnishings and technology features. 
• Rapson Hall - An additional partnership with CDES to combine two classrooms into a new 112-seat ALC that will support the unique, collaborative, and team-based structure of the product design program courses. Rapson 56 differs from other ALCs on campus in that the student tables are movable. 
• Tate Hall - We welcome the reopening of John T. Tate Hall this fall semester. The building will open to the public on September 5th and house 10 general purpose classrooms ranging in capacity from 32 to 250 seats. 
• Technology feature upgrades were completed in nearly 70 rooms. Specific features are detailed by room on the room search 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. 
• Seating has been replaced in a variety of classrooms as part of planned lifecycle renewal updates. 

Planned system maintenance
An extended planned maintenance window during the weekend of September 23-24 is necessary for the upcoming upgrade of PeopleSoft Campus Solutions (Student Records). From Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon, students, faculty, and staff will not have access to functions such as registration and grading. Other systems such as email, Moodle, and Canvas will have regular availability.

Contact us

As always, OCM is available to help with questions, concerns, and comments regarding general purpose classrooms, scheduling, and central student study spaces. We are available for calls Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Call Classroom Support Hotline at 612-625-1086

Messages left at the hotline are monitored by an on-call manager after hours

Email classrm@umn.edu

We wish you a great start to the semester!

Make final changes to variable credit/grading basis for fall classes

It is imperative to make final changes to classes requiring set credits and/or changes to grade basis as soon as possible. After the semester begins, the grading basis and the number of credits for a class cannot be altered. 

• To change the number of credits at the class level from a variable number to a set number, email ocmsched@umn.edu as soon as possible.
  
• To make a change to the grading basis, submit the request directly through ECAS.

Similarly, it is important to cancel classes that will not be offered prior to semester start. 

• If you do not plan to offer a class that has students enrolled, set the status of the class to Stop Further Enrollment, notify the students directly of the short notice cancellation, and email ocmsched@umn.edu to process the cancellation.

Removal of grade access for all undergraduate students

In response to an internal audit following ESUP, ASR will be removing Approve and Grade access for all undergraduate students assigned to classes during the last week of August. Full-time employees who are taking undergraduate classes will be excluded from that process.

Moving forward, do not grant undergraduate students Approve or Grade access to your classes. An automatic process will remove this grading access from undergraduate students if they are added inadvertently. Consider assigning this access to a faculty member or staff proxy instead to ensure grades can be reported. If you have any questions about this change, please contact ocmsched@umn.edu.

Summer classroom renovations and updates

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

• Magrath 8 has been converted to a testing center and is supported in partnership with the Office of Information Technology (OIT).
  
• McNeal Hall - An additional partnership with CDES in McNeal 144 and 146 provide two additional Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs), using six-person group tables with student displays. The rooms seat 42 and 30, respectively.
  
• Mondale Hall - Major renovations in 15, 35, 45, 55 and 65 include new furnishings and technology features.
  
• Rapson Hall - OCM partnered with the College of Design (CDES) to combine two classrooms into a new 112-seat ALC that will support the unique, collaborative, and team-based structure of the product design program courses. Rapson 56 differs from other ALCs on campus in that the student tables are movable.
  
• Tate Hall - We welcome the reopening of John T. Tate Hall this fall semester. The building will open to the public on September 5th and house 10 general purpose classrooms ranging in capacity from 32 to 250 seats.
  
• Technology feature upgrades were completed in nearly 70 rooms. Specific features are detailed by room on the room search 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.
  
• Seating has been replaced in a variety of classrooms as part of planned lifecycle renewal updates.

Preparing for the Campus Solutions 9.2 technical upgrade go-live

The first phase of the PeopleSoft Campus Solutions 9.2 Upgrade is the technical upgrade of Campus Solutions from version 9.0 to version 9.2. In order to complete this phase, Campus Solutions will be unavailable for approximately 30 hours over the September 23 weekend. During this time, students, faculty, and staff will not have access to functions such as registration, student account payments, and grading. Human Resources and Financials systems and Moodle will have regular availability.

While this timeframe was selected to minimize impacts to the University community, we would like to hear from you if there are activities that will be negatively affected by this downtime. Please contact project manager Carrie Otto (zast0020@umn.edu) with details.

System changes as a result of this technical upgrade are minimal and restricted to look and feel. Preview these changes.

Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP) content transition to One Stop

On August 24, 2017, Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP) content will be moved from the Graduate School website to the One Stop Student Services website. Users looking for GSSP content on the Graduate School website will automatically be redirected to One Stop during the transitionary period. Faculty and staff content will remain on the Graduate School’s website, and only Twin Cities websites will be affected.

GSSP content will appear under the Academics tab on One Stop in the following pages:

• Degree completion steps
• Examination committees
• Doctoral oral exam scheduling 
• Thesis/dissertation submission and formatting
• Contact GSSP

GSSP forms will be housed on the One Stop forms page. Application for degree and other information related to graduation will be updated on the ‘apply to graduate’ and ‘checklist for grad students’ pages that already exist on One Stop.

The goal of this content transition is to better serve students by housing content in one place and making navigation easier. Integrating GSSP with One Stop also better aligns with GSSP’s organizational structure.

Please communicate this change with students, staff, and faculty who may not be aware. Contact Chris Abts at cjabts@umn.edu with any GSSP questions. Thank you.

Cancel classes for fall 2017 with zero enrollments

There are classes on the fall 2017 (1179) 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.

If you plan to offer the class, please move it to a departmental classroom or conference room when available. Email ocmsched@umn.edu if you need assistance assigning the room.

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.

Upgrade to Astra Schedule

Astra Schedule will undergo a planned system upgrade on Friday, August 11. Access to Astra Schedule will be unavailable from Friday, August 11 from 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. This upgrade does not affect PeopleSoft or CCS. Updates on the outage will be available on the University's IT Service Status page.

After this upgrade, users will notice the following changes:

1. Scheduling Grids – Significantly faster loading times. 
2. Event Summaries – The subject line of the email will now auto populate with the Event Name and Reservation Number 
3. Event Request Notifications – Now will include the actual event reservation number instead of a previously used event request number.
4. Inactive Customer Contacts – Will no longer appear on drop down menus on the Event Request forms. 

If you have any questions about the upgrade, please contact ocmsoftwarehelp@umn.edu.

Assign instructors to classes

A presentation of the internal audit for PeopleSoft Campus Solutions was given at the February 2017 Registrar's Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting. The conclusions of the audit were that the system is doing its job, but some users are frustrated. Class schedule data entry errors were highlighted, noting that the 300+ system-wide Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) users impact the quality of data. Specific audit findings of note:

• 725 of 1,101 (66%) graduate students were entered as Primary Instructor instead of Teaching Assistant
• 2,234 of 7,521 (30%) classes with no instructor listed
• Meeting patterns set up incorrectly 

Two bullets highlight the importance of instructor information for students. Please input instructor information, grade access, and meeting patterns in CCS on the Meetings tab. See the UPK on meeting pattern set up.

Study Space Finder

Study Space Finder has launched for students that includes images, building features, and locations. Students can find computer labs, coffee shops, and study spaces for individuals and groups via the map markers on East Bank, West Bank, and St. Paul campuses. The finder will be housed at studyspace.umn.edu and will also appear as a link on sites with study space content.

This is a joint project between the Office of Classroom Management (OCM), University Libraries, Student Unions, Office of Information Technology (OIT), AHC Classroom Services, and University Services. Technical fixes are still in progress, but issues should be resolved shortly. Please share with students and contact studyspacefeedback@umn.edu with any questions.

Fall 2017 (1179) classroom assignments

Check the Class Schedule to view fall 2017 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.

Academic calendar changes

Beginning with the 2018-19 academic calendar, the spring term will change from having 74 instructional days to having 70 instructional days. This change means that fall and spring semesters will have the same length going forward, and there is room for an additional study day for students in the spring term.

The full calendars for 2018-22 can be viewed on the University Senate page.

Spring 2019

January 21 (Monday)	MLK holiday
January 22 (Tuesday)	Classes begin
March 18-22 (Monday through Friday)	Spring break
May 6 (Monday)	Last day of instruction
May 7, 8, and 12 (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday)	Study days
May 9-11 and 13-15 (Thurs.-Sat. and Mon.-Wed.)	Final examinations
May 15 (Wednesday)	End of term

Note that spring term will continue to start on the Tuesday after the MLK holiday, the second half of the term will still begin the Monday after spring break, and there will be no finals on the Sunday of finals week.

Because some classes may have 1 to 2 fewer meeting dates (depending on meeting pattern), syllabi may need to be reviewed. Please communicate these changes to those within your departments so that they are able to prepare accordingly.

Course access

The University is anticipating higher than projected New High School (NHS) enrollments for fall 2017 with about 300 to 400 additional students. Many individuals and offices across campus are paying attention to the impact this could have on course access.

The Office of Undergraduate Education with Academic Support Resources is asking that advisors let us know if you identify specific courses filling faster and or earlier than usual. Please email Katie at russellk@umn.edu. Keep in mind, we anticipate some courses will fill as they always have.

First-year writing is aware of the increase in students and believes they have scheduled sufficient WRIT 1301 sections to serve this large incoming class. If needed, they will investigate the possibility of adding a section or two for spring 2018.

Chemistry placement exam

Advisors may enroll students in CHEM 1015 or CHEM 1065/61/81 after consulting with individual students. Advisors may enroll a student who has not yet met the 70% ALEKS completion bar threshold but the student must ultimately meet the 100% score to remain in the course. More information can be found in the Advising Update.

Spring 2017 Final Exams

Finals week for spring semester begins Saturday, May 6 with Study Day. The last day of exams is Saturday, May 13.

Review the final exam room assignments for your department by following the steps outlined on the OCM blog post: Spring 2017 final exam schedule available for review >>>

Grade entry deadlines and reminders

Spring 2017 grades are due on Wednesday, May 17. A complete list of grading due dates, how-to guides, and policies, are available on the ASR website.

Grade rosters are now available in the Faculty Center in MyU. Please encourage instructors to log into Faculty Center ahead of time to check that they have a final grade roster for the classes they expect to enter grades in. If instructors do not see their expected final grades rosters, they should contact their department’s class scheduler.

If you know of someone encountering issues with grades entry, please have them call the ASR Training & Support Team at (612) 625-2803 or srhelp@umn.edu.

Auto-enroll from waitlist reminders

Fall 2017 auto-enroll from waitlist began April 26, 2017 for the Twin Cities campus. See more information on auto-enroll from waitlist on the Training Update blog >>>

Extended weekend classroom hours during finals week

Finals week for spring semester begins Saturday, May 6 with Study Day. The last day of exams is Saturday, May 13. Official University final exam schedules are available online.

Study days: Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7

Finals week: Monday, May 8 – Saturday, May 13, 2017

General purpose classroom hours will be extended on Saturday 5/6, Sunday 5/7, and Saturday 5/13, to meet the needs of students and faculty during finals week. Weekday hours remain unchanged during finals week (see standard operating hours).

Saturday, May 6 and Saturday, May 13:

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, May 7:

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.

NOTE: Building hours may vary from standard classroom hours. Be sure to carry your U Card with you at all times. Some buildings will require your U Card for exterior building access.

CCS closes on April 24 for spring 2018 (1183)

We are currently in CCS Open Initial Build for spring 2018 (1183) until April 23, 2017. On April 24, we will close CCS to make central room assignments.

By the end of the day on April 23, please make sure to:

1. Work with your faculty and instructors to obtain updated information for the term.
2. Update class information using the CCS pages in PeopleSoft.
• Cancel class sections that will not be offered this term.
• Set realistic enrollment limits and requested room capacities (+/- 10% of last year’s enrollments)
• Input instructor information and grade access in CCS. 
• Adjust non-standard class meeting times to a standard time. 
• Review classes outside of the Regular Session to make sure it is in the appropriate academic session (remember that classes in the extended regular session are typically not financial aid eligible).
• Indicate the required room characteristics (technology, seating styles, etc.) needed to facilitate teaching by using the room characteristic codes accessible in the meeting pattern page of CCS.
• Email ocmsched@umn.edu to add facility ROOM000TBA or NOROOMREQD to all class meeting patterns that will not require any room assignment or that will meet in a small office space.
• Use Astra Schedule to assign departmental classrooms and labs directly to class sections. If you are not able to get these assignments made in Astra Schedule by the end of the day on April 23, please email ocmsched@umn.edu to make the assignments for you. This will ensure your class is not unnecessarily assigned a general purpose classroom. 
3. Review the Class Scheduling Distribution Summary Report to assess department/college compliance with distribution of meeting times (no more than 3% in any standard time block) and distribution of meeting patterns (no more than 50% meeting on Tuesday/Thursday).
4. Avoid scheduling course sections in high demand periods/days.

All room requests sent to ocmsched@umn.edu will be queued until after the batch scheduling run for fall semester has been complete. They will be reviewed in mid-May, and we will try to accommodate as many requests as we can, but we cannot guarantee specific room requests.

PeopleSoft Campus Solutions upgrade underway

The effort to upgrade PeopleSoft Campus Solutions from version 9.0 to 9.2 started the first week in April. This project is on a much smaller scale than "The Upgrade"/ESUP that was completed in 2015. The upgrade to 9.2 will go through June 2018 and will be completed in two phases.

The first phase, the technical upgrade, is an upgrade of the technical platform from version 9.0 to 9.2. This is being done to maintain vendor support for security and regulations as well as to allow for the adoption of future vendor-released functionality. This will be completed September 24, 2017. Students, faculty, and staff will notice little to no changes as a result of this technical upgrade.

The second phase, the functional upgrade, will be dedicated to implementing process improvements and utilizing available delivered tools over several months. During this phase, functionality will be released on a monthly basis rather than one, final launch date. The project will conclude in June 2018.

Training and communication plans on the functional upgrade will be dependent on what functionality is selected to be implemented. This will be determined in the next month or so. You can learn more about the upgrade on the project website.

NGN WiFi upgrade begins April 12

The Next Generation Network (NGN) project at the University of Minnesota will upgrade all components of the University's network, both wired and WiFi, over the next three years. The new network will increase speed and throughput capacity, improve wireless access, and improve security management.

WiFi access point hardware upgrades will begin on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus on Monday, April 12, 2017. This work will impact every WiFi access point in buildings and structures across campus. Replacement of access points is a bit like replacing a light bulb; the old one is removed and the new one is installed and turned on. Service disruption is expected to be minimal.

The first phase is on the St. Paul Campus, and the schedule is available at it.umn.edu/ngn-schedule. Please note that the NGN schedule is subject to change.

Network access after cutover:

• Users should begin using "eduroam" for the most user-friendly experience.
• After an access point has been replaced, available networks will adjust slightly. Users may need to reauthenticate after an access point has been replaced if they are using the "UofM Secure" network. Reauthentication should not be necessary for users connected to "eduroam."
• The outdated network "UofM" will no longer be available.
• "UofM-Guest" will be available for guest access, and a new user-friendly portal web page will instruct users how to securely log in. Students, faculty, and staff will be encouraged to connect to eduroam.
• Students, faculty,, and staff who choose to connect to the "UofM-Guest" network will NOT be able to visit applications or services controlled by central authentication (Shibboleth).
• For example: MyU, University Google applications, VPN, financial systems, etc. WiFi access to centrally-authenticated controlled applications will only be allowed from eduroam and UofM Secure.

The following are more in depth details of the WiFi Access Point upgrade project:

• WiFi AP upgrade work will happen during business hours, from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• WiFi cutover work will be performed all day, every day of the schedule until it is complete. When a building is completed, the contractor team will move to the next building on the NGN schedule.
• The project team does not expect to perform any building cuts on weekends or holidays. Overtime work is not in scope.
• The expected individual access point service impact is approximately 15 minutes. If other access points cover that physical space, service impact will be limited.

Classes will be taken into consideration during the WiFi Access Point upgrade project work.

• During WiFi AP upgrades, the contractors and NGN project field staff will work in classrooms when vacant, based on class schedules provided by the Office of Classroom Management (OCM) and Academic Health Center (AHC) Classroom Management.
• OCM and AHC will provide access to classrooms and spaces for contractors when needed.
• Wherever possible, cuts in classrooms will be completed in the early morning.

The NGN project team is doing everything possible to ensure smooth transitions and minimal service disruptions during the project.

• The Technology Help Desk and Tier 2 support are trained and ready for calls regarding WiFi changes, service disruptions, re-authentication, and/or network name changes.
• All support issues should be sent through the OIT Help Desk. Explore Technology Help resources at it.umn.edu/contact-us.
• Post-cutover feedback is encouraged and can be shared with ngn@umn.edu.
• News and schedules will be posted to the NGN website in a timely matter at it.umn.edu/ngn. You can also follow NGN updates on Twitter at @UMN_NGN.


The NGN project and field teams are committed to making this a smooth experience. If you have specific questions or would like to meet with the project team to discuss the NGN project further, please contact ngn@umn.edu.

Make final changes to May/summer and fall 2017 prior to registration

CCS is open for emergent changes to the class schedule for May/summer 2017 (1175) and fall 2017 (1179). Department schedulers may update class information (cancel, add, or 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 May/summer 2017 begins Tuesday, April 11 and fall 2017 begins Thursday, April 13. 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 needs to be changed after students have registered, email ocmsched@umn.edu to determine if changes may still be made.

Waitlist setup for summer and fall 2017 classes

There are currently over 300 classes for summer 2017 or fall 2017 which have a Wait List Capacity above zero, but which do not have the Auto Enroll from Wait List box checked.

The Auto Enroll from Wait List box (on UM CCS Maintain Schedule of Classes, basic data tab) must be checked for all sections of the class, including the non-enroll sections, for the class to be picked up on the auto-enroll process. (See screenshot.) If this box is not checked, students on the waitlist will not be auto-enrolled, even if seats open up in the class.



If your department uses waitlists, make sure sections are set up correctly before registration begins.

Summer 2017 registration begins April 11, 2017
Summer 2017 auto enroll from waitlist begins April 25, 2017
Fall 2017 registration begins April 13, 2017
Fall 2017 auto enroll from waitlist begins April 26, 2017

CCS is open for emergent changes to the class schedule for May/summer 2017 (1175) and fall 2017 (1179). Department schedulers may update class information (cancel, add, or 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 May/summer 2017 begins Tuesday, April 11 and fall 2017 begins Thursday, April 13. To ensure the greatest success for students, please make sure to finalize the following information in the class schedule prior to registration:

Auto-enroll from waitlist process reminders:

• As a general rule, the auto-enroll process begins on the first day that sophomores can register and runs through the first day of class for that session.
• Students can learn more about adding themselves to a class waitlist with this How-to guide that is available on the One Stop website.
• For staff wanting to learn more about managing a waitlist, view this Quick-start guide (available on the ASR website).

If you have additional questions or encounter any issues with waitlisting or the auto-enroll process, please contact the ASR Training & Support Team at srhelp@umn.edu.