25Live update

25Live has officially replaced Astra as our room scheduling software!

• Training for 25Live is available for departmental room managers and is required to maintain and/or gain access to 25Live. 
• Astra has become view-only.
• Help guides can be found on the 25Live website, under Training and Support.

We are hosting drop-in Zoom sessions for departmental room managers to connect with OCM and other room managers to address questions you may have or learn from questions asked by your peers.

These sessions are conducted over Zoom on Tuesday morning from 10-11 a.m., and Thursday afternoons from 1-2 p.m., and are scheduled through July 17. If nobody shows up within the first 15 minutes of any drop-in session, we will cancel that session.

Like our CCS workshops, you can find the drop-in sessions on our scheduling calendar. To attend simply add the class schedule production calendar to your Google Calendar:

• Add to U of M Google calendar
• Add to general Google calendar

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ocmsched@umn.edu.

25Live update

25Live will replace Astra as the University’s class and room scheduling system on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. 

There are a few things we’d like to make you aware of as we prepare for this change:

• Events scheduled in your departmentally managed rooms in Astra will not be moving over into 25Live. Any event scheduled in Astra happening on June 17th or later, will need to be re-entered in 25Live. 
• How can you find your scheduled events in Astra? 
• Go to the Events tab in Astra
• In filters:
• Set start date to June 17th, 2025
• Select the rooms you schedule to find a list of scheduled events in those rooms.
• Export to Excel to have your list.
• Training for 25Live is available. This training is online and required to maintain access to 25Live. 
• Astra will become view-only at the end of the day on Friday, June 13. This is to ensure a smooth data transition. 
• If you have any internal materials (e.g., webpages, handbooks) that refer to Astra, please ensure they are updated to reflect 25Live. Upon launch, z.umn.edu/25live will be the replacement link. Current Astra z-links will be redirected. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ocmsched@umn.edu. 

25Live update

25Live will replace Astra as the University’s class and room scheduling system on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. 

There are a few things we’d like to make you aware of as we prepare for this change:

• Events scheduled in your departmentally managed rooms in Astra will not be moving over into 25Live. Any event scheduled in Astra happening on June 17th or later, will need to be re-entered in 25Live. 
• How can you find your scheduled events in Astra? 
• Go to the Events tab in Astra
• In filters:
• Set start date to June 17th, 2025
• Select the rooms you schedule to find a list of scheduled events in those rooms.
• Export to Excel to have your list.
• OCM (and other high-volume event schedulers) have already started moving their events into 25Live.
• New Astra access is no longer being granted and Astra training modules have been retired.
• Training for 25Live will be available the last week of May. This training will be online and required to maintain access to 25Live. You will be automatically enrolled in this training and receive more detailed information shortly before it is available.
• Astra will become view-only at the end of the day on Friday, June 13. This is to ensure a smooth data transition. 
• If you have any internal materials (e.g., webpages, handbooks) that refer to Astra, please ensure they are updated to reflect 25Live. Upon launch, z.umn.edu/25live will be the replacement link. Current Astra z-links will be redirected. 

You can find more information on the project webpage, including screenshots of frequently-used pages in 25Live. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ocmsched@umn.edu. 

25Live update

We are gearing up for the go-live of 25Live on June 17, 2025. As a reminder, 25Live will become the University’s classroom assignment software, replacing our current software, Astra. Here are some key updates on what is coming up. 

Training for 25Live:

• Online training will be available in the Training Hub about a month before go live.
• Training is required if you currently have access to assign departmental rooms to an academic class or set up meetings in departmentally owned spaces in Astra. You will be automatically enrolled and receive email instructions on how to complete the training in May.
• Training is NOT required for people who will request rooms for meetings or classes.

Through June 13:

• Academic Schedulers: continue using Astra to assign departmental rooms to classes for Summer 25, Fall 25, and Spring 26.
• Events Schedulers: continue to schedule events occurring in your departmentally owned spaces. Keep track of events that will be scheduled for July 1 onward, and use those events as practice in 25Live after go-live.

Starting June 14:

• Astra will be available view-only.

Starting  June 17:

• All academic and event room scheduling will be done in 25Live.

Fall 2025 (1259) scheduling in progress

CCS is currently closed for fall 2025 so classroom assignments can be made by OCM. CCS will re-open on March 28, 2025 for emergent changes before registration begins on April 10, 2025.

Astra is available during this time for departmental classroom assignments. Please assign departmentally-owned rooms to academic classes that will take place in those spaces by March 17th, 2025. This will give OCM a better understanding of actual need for OCM-owned general purpose classrooms.

From March 17–27th, OCM will be assigning GPC classrooms in mass quantities and we ask that our departmental schedulers refrain from logging in to assign departmental classrooms to academic classes in Astra during that time.

Astra to be replaced with 25Live

In case you missed the news last month, Astra is being replaced with CollegeNET’s 25Live product. Highlights of the new product include:

• An updated, multi-campus academic and room scheduling platform
• Improved workflow management, calendars, and customization options
• Smarter event forms and streamlined event pricing
• Increased what-if scenario planning
• Advanced administrative tools

The project will officially kick off with the vendor in late July 2024 and is expected to launch in June 2025. Communications, including comprehensive training plans, will continue throughout the project with current Astra users to ensure a smooth transition. 

Astra will continue to be the University’s class and room scheduling system until 25Live launches.

Astra to be replaced with 25Live

After completing the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, CollegeNET has been selected as the vendor to replace Astra for the University’s class and room scheduling system. CollegeNET’s 25Live product achieved the top score with the following highlights:

• An updated, multi-campus academic and room scheduling platform
• Improved workflow management, calendars, and customization options
• Smarter event forms and streamlined event pricing
• Increased what-if scenario planning
• Advanced administrative tools

A core group has been preparing for the project kickoff by conducting preliminary analysis and planning. The project will officially kick off with the vendor in late July and is expected to launch in June 2025. The project team will work with the University community to ensure 25Live is optimally configured. Communications, including comprehensive training plans, will continue throughout the project with current Astra users to ensure a smooth transition. 

Astra will continue to be the University’s class and room scheduling system until 25Live launches. 

CCS user workshops

Please join us for our monthly CCS user workshops. These workshops allow us to connect with our departmental schedulers and review relevant topics.

These workshops are conducted over Zoom on the second Tuesday of the month from 11:00–11:30 a.m. (15–20 minute presentation with time for discussion). 

To attend a workshop, simply add the class schedule production calendar to your Google Calendar:

• Add to U of M Google calendar
• Add to general Google calendar

A Zoom meeting link and materials will be added to the calendar event closer to the day of the workshop. 

Upcoming topics

• June 11th - Astra Academics
• July - No CCS Workshop
• August 13th - Start of Term Reminders

CCS user workshops

Please join us for our monthly CCS user workshops. These workshops allow us to connect with our departmental schedulers and review relevant topics.

These workshops are conducted over Zoom on the second Tuesday of the month from 11:00-11:30 a.m. (15–20 minute presentation with time for discussion). 

To attend a workshop, simply add the class schedule production calendar to your Google Calendar:

• Add to U of M Google calendar
• Add to general Google calendar

A Zoom meeting link and materials will be added to the calendar event closer to the day of the workshop. 

Upcoming topics

• May 14th - Coursedog and CCS
• June 11th - Astra Academics

Room Scheduling RFP

Academic Support Resources (ASR) and Office of Classroom Management (OCM) have an active Request for Proposals (RFP) for the University’s academic room scheduling system to ensure that the tools we use meet the evolving needs of the institution and comply with University policy. Astra is the University’s current academic room scheduling system vendor.

At this point, we have received vendor responses and conducted demos and usability with two finalists, and we have made reference calls to determine a fit with the University's needs. ASR is working with Purchasing, the Office of the General Counsel, and University Information Security to negotiate a contract with our top finalist. More information will be available, including a project timeline, when a contract is signed. 

Scheduling System RFP to replace Astra

It has been 12 years since we implemented Astra back in 2012, and while Astra continues to be a work-horse for our campuses, we have been unable to upgrade in recent years leaving us to operate in an outdated version. Because of this, we are having to explore the marketplace to see if there is a better option for Academic Room Scheduling Software.

We are currently in the middle of the RFP (Request for Proposal) process to find a replacement to our current classroom scheduling system. Vendors have submitted bids, and we are currently reviewing those bids. Our goal is to have a replacement vendor chosen by the end of March 2024.

We will continue to update this community with the progression of this project.

Tip for Astra event schedulers

Events in Astra must have an event status of “Scheduled” in order for them to appear on the Astra calendars. Events with a status of “Incomplete” will not display on the calendars, making the room appear available. Typically an event is incomplete because it’s missing the following:

• The Event Type
• The Customer Contact information
• A room assignment on any meeting

Therefore, if you attempt to book that room for another event, you will find the room is actually unavailable because the “Incomplete” event is holding the room.

When creating events, schedulers should take a moment to ensure the event status is “Scheduled” and the event displays on the calendars. Additionally, schedulers can proactively find and resolve “Incomplete” events they may have unintentionally created by filtering for “Incomplete” events. Instructions for how to find incomplete events in Astra.

Fall 2021 opt-in final exams

Final exams have been scheduled in classrooms for fall 2021 for those who filled out the In-Person Final Exam Request form.

To review your department's final exams, please follow the steps below:

1. Sign in to Astra Schedule with your University internet ID and password in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
2. Click on the “Academics” tab located in the top navigation menu.
3. Click on the “Sections” link at the top of the page.
4. Update the filters in the left column as follows:
• Is Exam = Yes
• Term = Fall 2021
• Subject = Select the subject(s) you schedule
• Campus = Mpls/St Paul
5. Click “Search” at the bottom of the filter column.
6. 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.
7. 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.

Final exam policy resources:

• Final exam regulations
• Fall 2021 final exam times
• Fall 2021 common exam times
• University final examination policy

If a change is needed for a final exam, please continue to fill out the Final Exam Change Request form.

Online CCS and Astra Academic training available Sep 10, 2021

Academic Support Resources staff are turning the instructor-led Collaborative Class Scheduling (CCS) and the Astra Academics training into online, asynchronous courses in Canvas. The new courses will allow learners to complete it at their own pace and gain access sooner. The new format also shortens the length of the training and allows for easy course updates to be made when needed.

The updated course will continue to provide an introduction to CCS scheduling processes, including adding, changing, and canceling class data. New class schedulers must complete this training to gain access to the CCS scheduling pages for Twin Cities or Rochester classes.

Astra Academics will also move from being held face-to-face to an online, asynchronous Canvas course. Schedulers who need Astra Academics training will also need to complete the updated Astra Academics course.

Only new CCS schedulers are required to take the course. Current schedulers are welcome to enroll in the new CCS course to use as a resource. Note that Student Date Inquiry (SDI) training is a prerequisite.