UNSWide Timetabling An Overview for Academic Staff Objective

UNSWide Timetabling An Overview for Academic Staff

Objective § § To provide staff with an understanding of the background and context for University-wide timetabling Provide staff with an understanding of how the changes may impact them and their academic unit To provide staff with an overview of new business and system processes To provide a quick overview of my. UNSW services for teaching staff UTES This presentation is part of the Student Services User Training, Education and Support program.

Scope for 2007 Timetabling § § § Kensington campus [except AGSM] Other campuses in future years Courses with very small enrolments [< 10] can be scheduled by school with casual room bookings Standard main sessions [S 1 and S 2] initially All teaching activities

Key Objective § To produce a timetable that is equitable, effective and complete; takes into account the needs of both students and staff; and maximises the efficient use of space and resources § To provide the best opportunity for students to fulfill their academic objectives by producing a student timetable which facilitates enrolment in core courses and maximises choice of elective courses where possible

Key Principles § § § Address historical structural inequities and inefficiencies in the timetable Level the playing field for new offerings Drive timetable by established need and policy Improve options and choices for students, especially combined degree students Reduce extent of 'ambit' booking of teaching space e. g. hoarding, phantom bookings, poor match to class size

Principles [continued] § Improve ability to undertake 'what-if' scenario planning to investigate options in relation to new campuses, buildings, equipment, programs, courses or student numbers, teaching practices, and to support such changes § To develop a transparent understanding and University-level view of the timetable (and the factors that drive it)

Governance/oversight § Timetable will be based on policy and operational guidelines which were endorsed by the Academic Board in June. § Co-sponsored by DVC Academic and Chief Operating Officer § Reference Group established for stakeholder guidance with general and academic staff membership from each of the Faculties § Academic Services Committee of the Academic Board to provide policy and operational oversight

Change Impacts § The timetable will change! § Classes will be scheduled on different days/times, and in different locations § Teaching staff will teach on different days/times and in different locations § § Schools' timetabling activities will change: Room bookings will not be rolled forward Scheduling requests rather than direct timetabling and class scheduling Detailed and accurate information to be provided up front

Students § Existing on-line self-service enrolment continues to apply, based on a planning timetable produced ahead of enrolment using school requirements and previous enrolment data to validate assumptions § Better choice § Better support for combined degrees § Should be relatively seamless to students

Staff § Allocation of teaching staff loads to remain responsibility of Heads of School § Teaching staff should be identified with scheduling requests where known to ensure clash-free timetables § Overall preference will favor clumping of staff timetables where possible § Staff will be provided with a research day, a break between 11 and 3, no late finish/early start § Acceptable to swap staff between classes after timetable is produced § Team teaching arrangements will be supported

Special Staff Constraints § § Approved individual staff availability profiles will be recorded where necessary Reasonable accommodations will need to be based on individual circumstances of staff member Need to be limited as result in trade-off on other fronts Pro-forma to be provided to academic units in the near future – provides for notification of availability for part-time staff, restricted availability for full-time staff in special circumstances, accommodations for staff with disabilities, requests for spread teaching timetable § Forms returned by 22 September for Session One

Meetings § Each faculty will have a teaching ‘black out’ period in which to hold meetings including Faculty committees and School meetings and seminars § Committees will need to be interleaved where appropriate into this timeslot § Small group activities may need to be scheduled into the timeslot where taught by casual staff § Attendance at major University committees will be accommodated in the timetable where possible

Space § No roll-forward of CATS bookings § Specialist teaching space incorporated with appropriate controls § Precinct preferences specified with scheduling requests. These are defined at the level of individual buildings (with surrounding buildings called on as alternatives where necessary)

Teaching Hours/Times § Core daytime teaching hours: § Monday -Thursday 9. 00 – 18. 00 Friday 9. 00 – 16. 00 § A range of other time bands, including evening time bands or early morning, may be specified with scheduling requests § A choice of postgraduate bands is available e. g. evening, early evening, late evening, afternoon

Systems § Syllabus Plus Course Planner scheduling software § Mature product used by many Aust and OS institutions § Highly configurable to suit the timetabling priorities and objectives of an individual institution § my. UNSW Term Planning is UNSW's way of collecting scheduling requirements for use by Syllabus Plus without requiring schools and faculties to become S+ users § Sits alongside other complementary my. UNSW services § Familiar look and feel

UNSW Business Process § The timetable will be based on a combination of clash-free requirements, school scheduling requests, staff profiles and special requirements § Data Collection Phase § Term planning – What's running in 2007? – How is each course structured? – Which courses are centrally timetabled? – What are the requirements for each course's activities (size and duration, teaching week pattern, room characteristics, equipment, precinct, time band/s)? – Who's teaching them (large-group activities at least)? – Specials: combined activities, interleaving, try to schedule some classes close to lecture or in parallel

Business Process § Scheduling Phase (09 Oct to 16 Nov) § Five to six weeks of trial timetable generation. § Scheduling will be performed progressively by scheduling activities according to priority groups i. e. most difficult to schedule activities such as large lectures and specialist activities first § Trials released to staff for feedback § Last chance to correct errors (but no preferential changes)

Business Process § § § Provisional timetable published to staff 17 November (including provisional teaching schedules) Corrections require justification, times most unlikely to change Schools may request change of room via CATS Schools may swap staff internally Schools may bid for leftover space for classes that are not centrally timetabled Final class timetable published 1 December

Business Process § Operational Phase (December 2006 onwards) § Timetable remains stable, but classes may need to be closed or created in response to enrolment demand (or lack of it) § Cancelled or closed classes release resources automatically § Larger rooms booked through CATS when enrolments approach capacity § New classes are pending only: can suggest time range as well as usual requirements § Response to auto-schedule request in minutes § If successful, class is activated, and user notified by email § If unsuccessful, SARU will be advised and will schedule manually by progressively relaxing constraints § Schools remain responsible for managing quotas (up to assigned room capacity), communicating changes, updating class notes, reserve capacities etc.

Key Dates 31 August Release my. UNSW Term Planning facility Late Aug/Sept User Education activities and support 22 September Deadline to enter intended offerings for all 2007 Sessions (hard deadline Summer & S 1 for DEST; soft deadline X 2 and S 2 for student info) 01 October DEST course publishing deadline - Summer & Session One 06 October Session One timetabling requirements deadline Oct/early Nov Iterative testing of Session 1 timetable 17 November Provisional Timetable released to Faculties 01 December Final Timetable released to students 11 December Enrolment commences - Session One

my. UNSW Services for Lecturers § § Options available will vary depending upon access assigned Three roles ‘Lecturer’, ‘Academic Enquiry’, ‘Service Centre’ Apply for access via regular NSS access form Also provides a range of informational links

Teaching Schedule § View personal teaching schedule § Must be attached to class records as instructor § Will be enhanced to provide a week by week view in future [as will the student personal timetable]

Enrolment lists § View enrolment lists for courses and individual classes § Can be printed or pasted into Excel

Class Utilisation § Class Utilisation site provides a summary view of classes and enrolments with colour coded alerts when classes are reaching capacity § Refreshed several times a day § Class Utilisation site - my. unsw. edu. au/classutil/

Class Maintenance § Class Maintenance allows you set up and manage your classes § Access depends on instructor role assigned on class record

Class Enrolment Management § Class Enrolment Management allows you to close classes, move students between classes and message all or selected students in a class § Students may be sorted in a variety of ways and selected/deselected

Messaging § Default text is inserted for close, move and message functions but is editable § Signature block can be saved § Messages to <100 students within the hour, others overnight

Further Information § Scheduling and Academic Requirements Unit (SARU) § timetabling@unsw. edu. au § Sarah Thomson s. thomson@unsw. edu. au ext. 58757 § Lester Mata lesterm@unsw. edu. au ext. 58040 § Nicola Plume n. plume@unsw. edu. au ext. 58056 § CATS § Marie Pruze m. pruze@unsw. edu. au ext. 54997