Make final changes to fall 2018 prior to registration

CCS is open for emergent changes to the class schedule for fall 2018 (1189). 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.

NOTE: Mechanical Engineering will be offline for fall 2018, so classrooms in the capacity range of 85-120 on campus will experience a significant space crunch. This pushes classes further away from their home bases and into larger classrooms than typically required. Changes to meeting patterns of classes with an enrollment capacity of 75 or larger should always inquire about room availability prior to making the change. Pillsbury Hall’s availability for fall 2018 scheduling is still tentative, and an update will be provided once it is confirmed.

Queued registration for fall 2018 begins Thursday, April 12. 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.

CCS closes on April 25 for spring 2019 (1193)

We are currently in CCS Open Initial Build for spring 2019 (1193) until April 24, 2018. On April 25, we will close CCS to make central room assignments.

By the end of the day on April 24, 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 24, 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.

Calendar changes for spring 2019

Starting with spring 2019 (1193), the spring term for Rochester and Twin Cities is changing from 74 instructional days to 70. 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. This presents a slight change for how the A term (session 009) and B term (session 010) are structured.

In 2019, the B term will start the Tuesday before spring break. The benefit to this is that both A and B terms will have seven meeting times for each day of the week. It does mean that there is a gap in instructional time after the first meeting for most classes.

• Academic session dates are available on the OCM website. 
• Full academic calendars for 2018-2022 are available on the University Senate page. 
• Spring 2019 (1193) session 001, 009, and 010 for UGRD dates are below.

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Spring 1183 final exams

The spring 2018 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:

Sign into Astra Schedule with your University internet ID and password in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

1. Click on the “Academics” tab located in the top navigation menu.
2. Click on the “Sections” link at the top of the page.
3. Update the filters in the left column as follows:
• Is Exam = Yes
• Term = Spring 2018
• Subject = Select the subject(s) you schedule
• Campus = Mpls/St Paul
4. Click “Search” at the bottom of the filter column.
5. To save your filter selections for future use, click on the save button next to “Search” at the bottom of the filter column on the left.
6. Export the list to Excel by using the icon located in the middle of the bottom of the page.

Common exam room assignments are available to review separately.

Want a few extra tips and tricks for getting around in Astra Academics? Check out the resources available on ASR’s system support page under Astra Schedule. Still have questions on how to review your final exams? Contact ocmsched@umn.edu.

Final exam policy resources:

• Spring 2018 final exam regulations
• Spring 2018 final exam times
• Spring 2018 common exam times
• University final examination policy

Use the Auto Enroll from Waitlist checkbox in CCS for summer and fall 2018

As a reminder, the Auto Enroll from Waitlist checkbox must be checked on both the enrollment and non-enrollment sections of your class for it to be included in the Auto Enroll from Waitlist process. CCS schedulers can find this checkbox on the UM CCS Maintain Schedule of Classes page > Enrollment Control tab.

The checked box serves two functions:

• It triggers the Auto Enroll from Waitlist process if a seat is available.
• It gives priority to students on the waitlist, so open seats are not taken by other students (before Auto Enroll from Waitlist runs).

Working with waitlist and class permissions

New and experienced CCS schedulers may be interested in checking out the ASR Training Team’s handout on Working with Waitlists and Class Permissions. It contains information on how these processes work as well as troubleshooting tips.

Change of Employment Status form reminder

If an employee no longer needs access to certain systems, supervisors or key contacts must submit the Change of Employment Status (COES) form to OIT Provisioning and Requests (PAR). Removing someone’s PeopleSoft access will also remove the individual from the Scheduling Update query. A change of status includes:

• Termination of employment
• Retirement
• Death
• Transferring to a new department
• Changes in job duties making certain access unnecessary
• Leave of Absence