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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Process for deleting classes in CCS

In CCS, schedulers do not have the ability to delete an individual class section. 

During CCS Open Initial Build: Schedulers should cancel class sections that will not be offered (historically, these are the sections that would have been deleted). OCM Scheduling will run a query daily to delete the classes that have been canceled the prior workday.
During CCS Open Emergent Changes: Schedulers should still cancel classes that will no longer be offered, but they will not be deleted by OCM Scheduling. 

Please note: Changing the enrollment capacity to zero and checking the "no print" box in CCS will not cancel a class, delete a class, or release the classroom assignment. Always cancel a class that will not be offered for a given term.

Batch Class Permission Info for Spring 2016 (1163)

As a reminder, when permission numbers were created for Twin Cities classes on Oct. 19, the 'Permission Valid For' check box was not checked for Closed Class. In effect, this means that permission numbers will continue to override if the requisites for a class are not met or consent is required, but will not override if the class is full. For departments using waitlisting, this will help prevent students on the waitlist being inadvertently bypassed by a student with a permission number.

More information on class permissions can be found in the Class Permissions UPK topics (by clicking 'Help' from a PeopleSoft page) or by contacting the ASR Training and Support Team, 612-625-2803 or srhelp@umn.edu.

Scheduling U workshops: 10/26-10/30

Scheduling U will take place Monday, October 26 - Friday, October 30. Session dates, times, and descriptions may be found on the OCM blog. 

Workshops will cover scheduling policies and practices, Astra Academics, CCS, waitlists, tools available for your use and much more. Sessions will be lead by Scheduling staff and ASR trainers. No registration is required.

View all session information.

Fall final exam rooms are limited

Please continue to notify Scheduling if a course section will not require a general purpose classroom during finals week. Email ocmsched@umn.edu with the subject line "Fall 2015 Final Exam" and the designator/section number(s) in the text.
Space is very tight on campus and any chance we have to release a classroom to be used by another exam is much 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.

Topic Courses resources for schedulers

In June, the Office of Undergraduate Education worked with Academic Support Resources and class schedulers to develop materials that explained the principles and processes of Topic Courses. The results of those efforts are available online for schedulers to view when needed. The two documents outline the guiding principles of topics courses, review the processes for getting a topic courses approved and active in ECAS, and a step-by-step guide for schedulers who manage these types of courses in the class schedule.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Scheduling U begins on October 26

All schedulers should plan to attend the annual scheduling workshop series, Scheduling U. This year Scheduling U takes place October 26-30. Whether you are new to course scheduling or are a pro, there is a session for you during Scheduling U. Workshops are open to any University staff member. 

Scheduling update live

An annual update on everything scheduling: policy, classroom renovations, timelines, upgrade impacts, how to get the room you need, and more. This is a must-see session!

  • Monday, October 26, 2:30-3:45 p.m. -- Ford Hall 115 (East Bank)
  • Wednesday, October 28, 1:00-2:15 p.m. -- Humphrey 50B (West Bank)
  • Thursday, October 29, 10:15-11:30 a.m. -- McNeal 144 (St Paul)


Astra Academics refresher

Astra Academics schedulers are invited to join the Academic Support Resources Training and Support team for a refresher session on entering classroom assignments using Astra Academics. We will demonstrate the process and have plenty of time for questions.

  • Thursday, October 29, 1:30-2:45 p.m. -- Bio Sci 12 (St Paul)


Everything CCS: Encore SR Help workshop session 

Schedulers are invited to join the Academic Support Resources Training and Support team & OCM Scheduling Team for a CCS user review workshop. We will revisit some of the CCS processes that changed as part of the upgrade and have plenty of time for questions.

  • Monday, October 26, 8:45-10:00 a.m. -- Bio Sci 12 (St Paul)


Orientation to academic scheduling

Are you new to academic scheduling?  Perhaps you are an experienced scheduler looking for a refresher? Plan to attend this session as we walk you through University policies and procedures that relate to scheduling. All processes from A to Z will be covered. This session is perfect for those brand new to the world of scheduling.   

  • Tuesday, October 27, 1:00-2:15 p.m. -- Blegen 240 (West Bank)


That’s a wrap: Roundtable with the Scheduling team

Do you have a burning question that hasn’t been answered during Scheduling U?  Not able to make it to a session you had hoped to attend?  Bring all your lingering questions to this open forum. We’ll discuss best practices, data organization, and tips and tricks to help you schedule efficiently. This is an opportunity for schedulers to network and exchange practical experiences and challenges about their scheduling process. 

  • Friday, October 30, 2:30-3:45 p.m. -- Bruininks Hall 432B (East Bank)


Tools for the academic scheduler

Scheduling decisions are strongest when supported by clear, concrete facts. This workshop will show you how to access data from multiple sources that is already at your fingertips using the Reporting Center, Class Scheduling Distribution Summary, Astra Schedule, and more. You will also learn more about how some 

  • Friday, October 30, 9:45-11:00 a.m. -- Appleby 303 (East Bank)


Waitlists: Let’s take it from the top 

Schedulers are invited to join the Academic Support Resources Training and Support team for a user overview workshop. Not only will we cover processes to setup and maintain waitlists, but also the issues and resolutions that were encountered with waitlists at the beginning of this term.

  • Tuesday, October 27, 8:45-10:00 a.m. -- McNeal 10 (St Paul)

Roll forward for fall (1169) and spring (1173) semesters

Class data entered into CCS rolls forward from the same term in the previous year (e.g., fall 2015 to fall 2016) as a convenience to schedulers. We will roll forward the fall 2016 (1169) and spring 2017 (1173) semesters on Monday, October 19. This happens two weeks prior to CCS Initial Build Open period to allow for data clean up to take place behind the scenes. As a reminder, classes with the following criteria will not roll forward:
  • Cancelled sections
  • Tentative sections
  • Topics classes
  • Classes with zero enrollment for the last 2 like terms (excluding directed studies and research)

Do you need a classroom for that final exam?

Fall 2015 final exam room scheduling will begin September 25. 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.

Email ocmsched@umn.edu with any class sections that do not require a classroom during finals week. Use “Fall 2015 Final Exam” for the subject line and the course and section number(s) in the body.

Confirm "Auto-Enroll from Waitlist" indicator for classes

Earlier this summer CCS schedulers were advised to consider unchecking the “Auto-Enroll from Waitlist” checkbox, on the Enrollment Control tab in CCS, as a workaround to a problem we were experiencing with waitlists. That waitlist issue was fixed in late July.

Before October 19 (when information from the 2015-16 schedule rolls forward to 2016-17), class schedulers should review their fall 2015 classes and re-check the “Auto-Enroll from Waitlist” checkbox on classes where it had been unchecked. If the “Auto-Enroll from Waitlist” box is left unchecked, students on the wait list will not be given priority over students not on the waitlist for seats that become available in the class.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Unexpected power outage causes classroom disruptions

On Monday, October 5, 2015, there was a power outage on the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis campus that caused classroom projection systems to malfunction. It's estimated that this outage affected approximately 50 classrooms in over a dozen buildings, including:
  • Akerman
  • Armory
  • Blegen
  • Burton
  • Cooke
  • Carlson
  • Ford
  • Humphrey
  • Lind
  • Murphy
  • Rapson 
The Office of Classroom Management has successfully reset the projection equipment and will continue to resolve the few remaining issues. Working in conjunction with U of M's Facilities Management team, investigations have begun to try and determine how to minimize the impact of unplanned disruptions in the future. We apologize for the inconvenience and any negative impact to you, your students or classes.

Please contact OCM at 612-625-1086 if you encounter any issues with your classroom functionality.