Final exam scheduling for spring 2018 (1183)

Final exam scheduling for spring 2018 will begin soon. If a class will hold its final exam as indicated on the University final exam schedule in its regular classroom, there is no need for you to contact us. Your final exam will be scheduled centrally.

If a class is not holding an in-person exam during finals week (Monday, May 7 – Saturday, May 12, 2018) please email ocmsched@umn.edu by Friday, February 16.

• Use the subject line “Spring 2018 Final Exam” 
• Include the designator/section number(s) in the email text

Due to the high demand for larger classrooms for finals week, it is especially helpful to know when a large class will not need a classroom for a final exam.

If a class is requesting a change to the date and time of an exam, or to change or add a location to an exam, submit a Final Exam Change Request form by February 16. You will automatically receive a copy of your final exam change request, and when final exam scheduling is completed, you will receive email confirmation of the outcome. While the Office of Classroom Management (OCM) does its best to accommodate special requests, there is a possibility that your request may not be fulfilled.

Reminders

If a class is on the pre-approved Common Exams list for the semester, a Final Exam Change Request form must still be submitted in order to assign appropriate classrooms.

Event requests for classrooms during finals week are held as tentative and not scheduled until after the completion of final exam scheduling. Submitting an event request for a classroom needed for a final exam does NOT increase the likelihood that the room will be available for you.

Final exam resources

• ASR final exam information
• One Stop final exam times
• Final exam change request form
• Scheduling Examinations, Final Examinations, and Study Days policy

Summer 2018 (1185) scheduling resources

CCS continues to be open for May/summer 2018 (1185). Registration begins March 1, 2018. This is a month and a half earlier than previous years. Remember to cancel any class sections that have rolled forward but will not be taking place and to update any class sections that require changes. Classrooms have already been assigned, and we will continue to monitor new sections added.

Be sure to review the class scheduling guidelines available on OCM’s website to review resources available to assist you in scheduling classes.

Preparing for the start of spring 2018 (1183)

With January 16 quickly approaching, ASR is asking students, faculty, and staff to prepare in advance for the start of the term. Faculty and instructors will receive a welcome back message from OCM next Monday, Jan. 8 (see below).

In the message, they are encouraged to record their classroom assignments in advance and minimize any room change requests. Students will also be encouraged to record their schedule in advance. Because of this, consider sending an email to the students in a class if there is a change in the week before the term starts.

You may also want to consider having a hard copy of your classroom assignments available to reference in case there is an unexpected system issue the first week of term.

Welcome back message:

"Greetings,

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) welcomes you to the start of the spring 2018 semester! Below are some resources for teaching in general purpose classrooms:

• Go to the Teaching tab of MyU to locate your room assignments for spring 2018. We recommend you record your room assignment before the first day of the term as high system load at the start of term can cause system slowness or unavailability. We ask students to do the same, so please minimize any room change requests.
• Learn how to access and print your class roster [PDF].
• Use Room Search to learn about the features, layout, and equipment in your classroom.
• Refer to classroom equipment instructions to learn how to use the equipment in your classroom.
• All OCM classrooms are equipped with ADA compliant tables and chairs as a standard feature. We work with the Disability Resource Center to accommodate student needs and ask for your help in ensuring its proper use.

As always, OCM is available to help with questions, concerns, and comments regarding general purpose classrooms, scheduling, and central student study spaces. You can also request a consultation for hands-on training or orientation for classroom equipment and technology. We answer calls Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Messages left at the hotline after hours are monitored by an on-call manager.

     Call: Classroom Support Hotline at 612-625-1086
     Email: classrm@umn.edu

We wish you a great start to the semester!"

Class cancellation policy and spring 2018 deadlines

The last day for spring 2018 class cancellations is Monday, January 22, 2018. According to the Course Enrollment Limits and Cancellation policy, colleges (and sometimes departments) maintain policies regarding low-enrollment course sections. Sections may not be canceled after the fifth day of classes for the term. Each college has its own guidelines for canceling low enrollment classes on its website.

For spring 2018 class cancellations:

• If there is no enrollment, cancel the class directly in CCS. This will ensure the room assignment is released and the class is accurately displayed on the Class Schedule. Changing the enrollment capacity to zero and checking the “no print” box in CCS will not release the classroom assignment nor cancel the class.
• If there are students enrolled, notify ocmsched@umn.edu for cancellations and follow collegiate policies. OCM will cancel the class and an automated email will be sent to enrolled students. We still encourage departments to send an email directly to students to let them know of the cancellation and to encourage alternate class options.

Make final changes to variable credit/grading basis

With the spring semester beginning soon, 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 for a class cannot be altered.

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

Setting end dates for reserve capacity

Remember to set an end date for reserve capacity requirement groups for spring 2018. The end date should be set to the Friday before the start of the term or earlier. Review the guidelines for reserved seats >>>

If reserved seats have not been previously released by departments, ASR will release all reserved seats on the Friday before the first day of class each semester (January 12, 2018 for spring 2018 semester).

Upcoming data center maintenance

From 6:00 a.m., Saturday, January 6, until noon on Sunday, January 7, 2018, certain systems, including MyU, ECAS, and PeopleSoft, will be unavailable for annual maintenance. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) has provided a list of affected services. You can also check the IT Service Status that Saturday and Sunday morning for live updates. As work is completed, outages will be removed.