Scheduling Update: September 24, 2010

Electronic Course Scheduling (ECS) in PeopleSoft is now available for the May/summer 2011 class schedule production. Please review the summer 2011 important dates,class schedule production instructions and summer session scheduling guidelines to help you schedule summer session classes.

Read the rest of this update, featuring a guide to calculating hours for May and summer session classes, information about updating instructor information for fall 2010, and news on class search updates, or view the scheduling update archive.

Scheduling Update: September 1, 2010

This summer Robert McMaster, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education, established a working group to consider the current practices for reserving seats in course sections for particular cohorts of students. The recommendations from the group are as follows:

• Departments should have the authority to reserve seats within departmental courses for department priorities.
• Approval for requests of reserved seats initiated by specific colleges, departments, and/or programs outside the home college/department of the course is at the discretion of the individual college and/or departmental home of the course.
• If seats have not been previously released by departments, Academic Support Resources will release all reserved seats on the Friday before the first day of class each semester.
• All reserved seats, including those held for departmental priorities, must have a start and release date.

Read more from this update, featuring guidelines for the management of reserved group seats, a link to the scheduling production calendar, and important upcoming dates, or view the scheduling update archive.

Faculty Help Available from OCM Rapid Response Team

As the semester begins, remember to contact the Classroom Support
Hotline at 612-625-1086 if you need any assistance with your general
purpose classroom.



As an additional service, for the first few days of the semester, OCM
technicians will be pre-positioned throughout the Twin Cities campus to
provide rapid assistance should any issues arise.

Science Teaching & Student Services Classroom Information Updated

As we work to get the classrooms in Science Teaching & Student Services (STSS) ready for classes, we have updated the website with STSS classroom photos, features, and technology instructions.

To locate specific classroom information and instructions, go to Search classroom features. 

If you have any questions, please call the Classroom Support Hotline at 612-625-1086.

OCM Expands Document Camera Availability

OCM is increasing the number of document cameras in general purpose classrooms to enhance the capabilities of the presentation technology system.

Document cameras offer the capability of displaying transparencies, slides, and opaque flat or three-dimensional items. A document camera also allows users to point, mark, zoom in and out, and view and object from different angles. To find rooms with document cameras or other specific features, go to Search for classroom features.

Instructions for document cameras can be found on the equipment instruction sheet for each individual classroom. To locate classroom instructions, go to Find classroom instructions.

Classrooms without document cameras are equipped with overhead projectors for displaying transparencies; however overhead projectors are not capable of displaying opaque items. Click here for more information about overhead projectors.

If you need assistance with identifying classroom capabilities or features, please call the Classroom Support Hotline at 612-625-1086.

2010 CollegeNet User Conference Presentations

Presentations delivered by Bob Quinney, Nate Meath, and Sarah Kussow at the 2010 CollegeNet User Conference at the Portland Hilton Hotel in Portland, Oregon on July 25-28, 2010.

Quick Someone Call Security

Detective Work with X25
R25: SpeedBook 101 for Academic Schedulers

If you have any questions about the presentations, please email classrm@umn.edu.

Active Learning Classroom orientation sessions

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) invites you to a Science Teaching & Student Services (STSS) Active Learning Classroom (ALC) orientation session.

The ALC orientation sessions are an opportunity for you to get hands-on experience using the classrooms' technology with OCM's Instructional Technology Coordinator. During the orientation sessions, staff from Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and Office of Information Technology (OIT) will also be available to answer your questions about best practices for teaching in ALCs. Come for 30 minutes, or stay for the entire 2 hours.

Sessions will be offered on the following dates:

8:30 - 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 25, STSS 312

1 - 3 p.m., Thursday, August 26, STSS 312

8:30 - 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 31, STSS 330

1 - 3 p.m., Wednesday, September 1, STSS 330

If you are unable to attend any of the scheduled sessions and you would like to schedule time with OCM's Instructional Technology Coordinator, please contact the Classroom Support Hotline at 612-625-1086 or ocmhelp@umn.edu.

We look forward to helping you learn more about the new classrooms and answering your questions.