Review room assignments for fall 2023 (1239)

While OCM is still working to assign classrooms, most room assignments for fall 2023 are available on the Class Schedule.

• The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) only finds general-purpose classrooms for classes with a blank Facility ID on the UM CCS Maintain Sched of Class page.

• 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 classroom assignment, you must notify instructors and students directly.

• 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 assignments before the first class meeting.

• If you are planning to cancel any classes for the fall, please do so as soon as you know they will no longer be offered. 

• If students are enrolled:

•  Email the students to let them know the class is being canceled.

•  Contact ocmsched@umn.edu to cancel the class.

• If there are no students enrolled in the class, you can cancel classes directly in CCS.

Spring 2024 (1243) scheduling is in progress

CCS is open for the initial build of the spring 2024 (1243) schedule, and closes at the end of the day (11:59 p.m.) on July 5, 2023 to make general-purpose classroom assignments for spring classes. Please make any changes by the end of the day Tuesday, July 5, 2023.

Prior to CCS closing, make sure to do the following:

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 ensure it is in the appropriate academic session (remember that classes in the extended regular session are typically not eligible for financial aid).

• Indicate the required room characteristics (technology, seating styles, etc.) needed to facilitate teaching and learning by using the room characteristic codes accessible on 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.

3. Review the Class Scheduling Distribution Summary Report to assess department/college compliance with the 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).

• Avoid scheduling class sections in high-demand periods/days.

Schedule Print box

Found on the UMN CCS Schedule Of Classes page, the Schedule Print box, when checked (which is the default), means that the class section is viewable in the Class Schedule. When that box is not checked, a person cannot see the class section in the Class Schedule. Appropriate uses for unchecking the box are:

• Study Abroad class sections

• College in the School (CIS) sections

• Tentative sections

  
  

Inappropriate uses for unchecking the schedule print box:

• Slowing down enrollment 

• Instead: use “stop further enrollment”

• Canceling the class 

• Instead: email ocmsched@umn.edu to cancel a class with enrollment

• Hiding a class the department does not intend to offer

• Instead: cancel the class.

If the schedule print box is unchecked, we always assume the class sections do not need classrooms.

Room Search

Room search is a tool used to find additional information on rooms in the various buildings around Twin Cities campuses.

There are filters on the left side of the page to search for a particular room. Once found, you can click on the individual room for additional photos of what the room looks like, features of the room, and contact information. 

Additionally, there are links and  photos that will show you:

• Campus maps: building location, hours, and accessibility information

• Equipment instructions: on how to use the classroom technology 

• Room and building schedules: a link to a specific scheduling grid in Astra showing if the room is available (depending on the date(s) needed)

• Print friendly room layouts

It’s a great resource for instructors to see a space they may not be familiar with before they begin teaching.

Course Section Modality Dashboard

This dashboard shows visual representations of modality (e.g., online, blended, in-person) at the course section level to show the educational offerings within a specific term.  

• Access: available to anyone with UMN Reporting Center access, UMN systemwide

• Audience: Deans, department chairs, departmental administrators, and others responsible for creating strategies around class offerings.

• Data refresh: daily

  
  

This dashboard can be found on the Enrollment Management & Student Success Hub in the “Curriculum and Courses” focus area.

CCS User Workshops

CCS user workshops will be conducted over Zoom on the second Tuesday of the month from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. (15-20 minute presentation with time for discussion). A Zoom meeting link and agenda will be added to the calendar event closer to the day of the workshop. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming topics:

• June 13 - General Purpose Classroom Assignments

• July - No CCS Workshop

• August 8 - Start of Term (Finals, Permission Numbers, Waitlists)

To attend a workshop, simply add the class schedule production calendar to your Google calendar. No need to RSVP.

• Add to U of M Google calendar

• Add to general Google calendar

If there is a specific topic you would like discussed in future workshops, please email ocmsched@umn.edu.