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Showing posts with label General Classroom News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Classroom News. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Welcome to fall semester 2015!

Summer classroom renovations and updates
Several general purpose classrooms received environment or technology updates during the summer, including the following:
·         Major renovations: Ruttan B25, Blegen 317, and Mayo C231 received new furniture, finishes, and lighting updates.  Blegen 245 and 255 were combined to create a larger room.
·         Technology feature upgrades were completed in more than 60 rooms. Room features can be found on the room inventory page.
o   Improvements include: wide-screen video projectors, HDMI input cables, and class capture output connections.
·         New learning spaces added:
o   Thirteen Mondale Hall classrooms were added to the inventory and updated with newer video projectors.  
o   Mayo C231 was added to the inventory and renovated as noted above.  
o   Blegen 317, Appleby 204, and Ford B53 were converted to classrooms and received finish updates.
o   Two more Computer lab classrooms were added to the inventory and are supported in partnership with OIT.
                                                                                                                              
Remember to locate your classroom assignment

Room assignments for fall 2015 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.

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


Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Roll forward for fall (1159) and spring (1163) semesters

Class data entered into ECS rolls forward from the same term in the previous year (e.g., fall 2014 to fall 2015) as a convenience to schedulers. We will roll forward the fall 2015 (1159) and spring 2016 (1163) semesters on Monday, October 20. This happens two weeks prior to ECS period 1 opening to allow for data clean-up to take place behind the scenes.


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


  • Canceled sections

  • Tentative sections

  • Classes with zero enrollment for the last 2 like-terms (excluding directed studies and research)



Confirm room assignments for spring semester (1153)

Room assignments for spring 2015 are available on the Class Schedule. 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.


The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) only finds a general purpose classroom for classes with a blank Facility ID in ECS. If the Facility ID field is populated (including virtual spaces such as ROOM000TBA or AHCROOMTBA), OCM will not actively look for a classroom for your class.


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 instructors to verify their classroom assignment before the first class meeting.



Friday, July 18, 2014

Newly enhanced classroom support hotline

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) hotline has been enhanced to align with University-wide support services and has expanded the hours of availability for technology services. While the phone number will remain the same (612-625-1086), callers will be prompted to select from a menu of options that allow you to reach the support staff who are best able to meet your needs.

Technology calls will be routed to a team of support professionals who are available 24 hours a day. OCM support staff remain available for all other classroom and scheduling-related calls from 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.



Thursday, May 22, 2014

University partners with Ad Astra to host summit on July 23

The University of Minnesota will partner with Ad Astra to host a regional Astra Schedule Summit on July 23, 2014 on the Twin Cities campus. More details are available on the North Central Region Ad Astra Google site.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Classroom schedule displays

Thanks to the work of the Academic Support Resources (ASR) web team and Classroom Technical Services (CTS), the Office of Classroom Management (OCM) is again able to post the daily schedule for rooms that have room schedule displays installed. Those include classrooms in the following buildings: Cooke, Folwell, Nicholson, and STSS.


There are no plans to add more displays outside of new classrooms. To view the schedule of a specific general purpose classroom, however, use the General Purpose Classroom Search. Choose the building you are interested in and then select the room name. The room details will appear on the right hand side of the screen. Click on the "Room Schedule" link to bring up the daily calendar for the classroom. If you prefer to see an entire week or month at a time, you can easily switch your view by using the buttons on the upper left-hand corner of the calendar.

Folwell 30 events.jpg



Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Willey Hall and STSS projects underway

During the summer, the large motorized partition in Willey Hall 125 and 175 was replaced. Check out photos of the construction and finished product here.


Two classrooms in Science Teaching & Student Services (STSS) are also undergoing a summer project. In order to provide more room for an Active Learning Classroom (ALC), STSS rooms 114 and 118 have been combined. The new room will seat 171 students and offer the same active learning functionality as before. The project will be completed by the start of the fall 2013 semester.


New faculty orientation

New Faculty Orientation will take place August 20-22. The three days of orientation will introduce faculty to critical information, resources, and support for research, teaching, and outreach efforts. For more information regarding the agenda and online registration, click here.


The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) will also provide an overview of its support and services that is included in faculty orientation materials.


Friday, June 21, 2013

OCM adds more video conferencing classrooms

In 2011, the Office of Classroom Management (OCM) and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) announced a partnership that added video conferencing capabilities to the classroom technology system in Humphrey Center 25. The partnership was such a success that OIT is transferring three additional video conferencing rooms into OCM's inventory. The new video conferencing classrooms will be used for courses and events beginning fall semester 2013.


The new classrooms include:

  • Magrath 4 (St. Paul)

  • Peters 145 (St. Paul)

  • Peik Hall 165 (East Bank)


A fourth classroom, Peters 155 (St. Paul), will be converted into a general purpose classroom during fall semester and will be ready for spring 2014 courses and events.




Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Classroom Support Hotline hours to change Feb 4

Effective Monday February 4, the Classroom Support Hotline will be staffed
7:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m Monday through Friday. Messages left at the Hotline are monitored by an
On-Call Manager for response as appropriate after these hours. You can also
continue to report classroom issues via email at ocmhelp@umn.edu.

This change is a response to ongoing reduction of resources and staffing
within the Office of Classroom Management. Despite these challenges, we
remain committed to providing excellent service through alternate
communication methods and response systems.

If you have any questions, please call the Hotline or email classrm@umn.edu.


Monday, January 28, 2013

Using HDMI in classrooms

Hoping to take advantage of the high-definition capabilities on your laptop? Use it in a classroom with HDMI connections at the instructor station. Refer to the HDMI feature instruction page for directions on how to use the connection and to find a list of classrooms with this feature.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Welcome to spring 2013!



Classroom renovations and updates completed over Winter Break
2012-13


Several general purpose classrooms received environment or
technology updates during winter break. Some of these updates include the
following:



  • Video conferencing features
    were added to Humphrey 20 through a partnership with CLA.
  • Furnishing upgrades included new marker boards in Lind
    Hall
    , and Armory 202 received new student tables.
  • Technology feature upgrades were completed
    in selected rooms in Mechanical Engineering, Alderman Hall, and Akerman
    Hall
    .




Reminder: How to locate your classroom assignment

Room assignments for spring 2013 classes are available on the One Stop Class Schedule. Please note: room assignments are
subject to change prior to the start of term. While this usually only affects a
small number of classes, verify your classroom assignment before the first
class meeting. If you have specific questions about your room assignment,
contact your department scheduling coordinator.




Classroom technology instructions & videos

The classroom technology instructions for each building provide a
list of equipment and additional features, a list of rooms that include the
equipment/features, and 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
or 612-625-1086.



OCM News Blog

Stay informed about general purpose classrooms and student study
spaces by visiting the
OCM
News Blog
. The blog provides news and information updates throughout the
semester and is accessible via the
OCM website
or by subscribing using your favorite RSS feed/blog reader.




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:





The hotline is available from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Messages left at the Hotline are monitored by an On-Call Manager for response
as appropriate after these hours.





Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Hotline call volume for fall 2012

During fall semester 2012, the Classroom Support Hotline logged 1,316 calls, resolving 33% of the issues during the call. The top three hotline topics were as follows: 60% technology, 31% facilities, and 11% scheduling.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Please respond to survey invitations

On December 5, survey invitations were sent to faculty and instructors who taught in a general purpose classroom fall semester. OCM encourages those who received the survey invitation to complete it by December 20. The survey provides OCM with valuable input on the needs, expectations, and experiences of those who teach in these classrooms. For more information, contact OCM at classrm@umn.edu.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Mini DisplayPort Adapters added to GPC over winter break

Mini DisplayPort adapters will be installed and available in general purpose classrooms by the start of spring semester 2013. In rooms where there is an HDMI input cable, only Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapters will be provided. All other rooms will be installed with a Mini DisplayPort-to-VGA connection adapter. The adapters will be tethered to the laptop cable at the instructor station which should provide adequate assurance that they remain available in each classroom. Please note that only Mini DisplayPort adapters are being provided. If a device requires a different adapter, classroom users will need to provide their appropriate adapter.

Classroom Support Hotline to have reduced availability on Wednesday, Dec. 12 & Thursday, Dec. 20

The Classroom Support Hotline staff will be attending staff events Wednesday, December 12 from 8 a.m.-12 noon and Thursday, December 20 from 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Messages left on the Hotline voicemail will be monitored (and responded to as necessary) while the Hotline staff are away.

The Classroom Support Hotline operates at 612-625-1086.


Lind Hall Technology Lifecycle Renewal

Lind Hall general purpose classrooms recently completed their technology updates. Features changed by adding new widescreen projectors and HDMI inputs, as well as the removal of VCRs in selected classrooms. For an updated list of room features, check the OCM website. You can learn more about the VCR/DVD retirement plan.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Holiday Hotline hours Nov. 21-23

Due to the University's Thanksgiving holiday, the Classroom Support Hotline will operate the following hours on November 21-23:

Wednesday, November 21: 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 22: Closed
Friday, November 23: Closed

Messages left on the Hotline voicemail will be monitored (and responded to as necessary) while the Hotline is closed. The Hotline will return to regular operating hours on Monday, November 26.

The Classroom Support Hotline operates at 612-625-1086.


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Classroom Q&A: Help! The door is locked

Many classroom doors have a rigid handle that does not turn that may make the door seem locked. Very rarely are the doors to classrooms locked. To open it, simply pull or push the door, instead of turning the handle.

If you find a classroom door locked, call the Classroom Support Hotline right away at 5-1086. All general purpose classrooms are scheduled to be unlocked Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with limited rooms open on Saturdays. This schedule may be altered by events scheduled in rooms. For more information about classroom schedules, please see our FAQs.


Refillable Marker Pilot Expansion

In Spring 2012, OCM started testing a refillable marker product in Nicholson Hall as a more sustainable option for general purpose classrooms. The markers are able to be refilled with ink, preventing costly multiple replacements and supply issues. This fall, the pilot will expand to include Folwell Hall in order to gather additional feedback about marker quality and support. If you have any questions about this pilot, please contact the Classroom Support Hotline at ocmhelp@umn.edu or 612-625-1086.