Classroom Scheduling: A Creative Approach to a VERY Common Problem

Classroom Scheduling: A Creative Approach to a VERY Common Problem Bruce W. Cunningham Assistant Vice Provost and University Registrar Duke University 2013 AACRAO Annual Meeting San Francisco, California

Duke – Some Interesting Facts • 14,591 students; 6,484 undergrads • About 3,200 classes every semester • 114 Registrar controlled classrooms – 154 totals (Not including labs) • Two campuses in Durham – East and West campus • Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC and Duke-Kunshan University in Kunshan, China • Hosts Full Frame Documentary Festival and American Dance Festival every year

The Need for Change Duke had the same problem many institutions have – too many classes offered in “prime time” • Limited choices for students • Limited room availability/poor room utilization • General dissatisfaction with course scheduling

The Problem More than 65% of course offerings at prime time (10 AM – 2 PM) • Had guidelines for spreading out offerings, but no enforcement • Virtually no classes before 9 AM • Very few classes on Friday, especially Friday afternoon

The Solution Provost appointed a faculty led committee to propose a new course scheduling policy • Membership included deans, student affairs staff, athletics staff, Vice Provost, University Registrar, students, and several faculty • Primary goal was to spread course offerings across the day and across the week • Increase course options for students • Improve room utilization

The Policy

Policy • Time periods, including “nested” time periods to facilitate flexibility between two day and three day per week offerings • Added more MW time slots and new WF time slots (have since added MF as another 2-day alternative) • Started the day at 8:30, with a goal of adding several classes at that time

Policy Critical component is ENFORCED scheduling constraints • No more than 50% allowed in prime time • Balance between various meeting patterns to force better spread across week • Enforcement of constraints via the Departmental Schedule Validator (DSV)

Time Slots TIME PERIODS: Monday through Friday (note the “nesting” of 50-minute courses within 75-minute courses) 75 minute classes 50 minute classes pd. 1) 8:30-9:45 8:45-9:35 pd. 2) 10:05-11:20 10:20-11:10 pd. 3) 11:45-1:00 12:00-12:50 pd. 4) 1:25-2:40 1:40-2:30 pd. 5) 3:05-4:20 3:20-4:10 pd. 6) 4:40-5:55 4:55-5:45 pd. 7) 6:15-7:30 6:30-7:20 pd. 8) 7:30-..... 7:30-....

Time Slots All classes, regardless of length, must begin at the official starting times • All classes meeting in 75 minute sessions must start at the times in the first column • All classes meeting in 50 minute sessions must start at the times in the second column • Classes not meeting for either 75 minute or 50 minute sessions (e.g. a one day per week, 150 minute class) must start at one of the official starting times

Meeting Patterns • Monday/Wednesday/Friday - for 50-minute classes that meet three times per week • Monday/Wednesday, Wednesday/Friday, Tuesday/Thursday, and Monday/Friday - for 75-minute classes that meet two times per week • One day per week classes may be scheduled on any day of the week, but must start at one of the standard starting times

Constraints • Departments may schedule UP TO 50% of all of their classes below the 700 level during periods 2-4 (“prime time”)

Constraints • Classes meeting three or more days per week or, for two days per week, in MW, WF or MF pattern must constitute AT LEAST 40% of all departmental course offerings below the 700 level • Number of MW classes must equal number of WF classes

Constraints • Departments may schedule UP TO 50% of their classes below the 700 level in the T/TH meeting pattern

Other Points • For purposes of the percentage constraints, cross-listed courses count only for the department “owning” the course • No TBAs for day and time are to be submitted, with the exception of independent studies • Schedules must be validated through the end of early registration

Changes Severalchanges have been introduced, based on departmental feedback • MF two day per week meeting pattern • Use of “Wild Card” • Can be out of validation by one constraint • Departments found it hard to maintain validation so they are being encouraged to validate and use the wild card only when needed • Eliminated once-per-week classes restriction

The Departmental Schedule Validator (DSV)

The DSV • Software written “in-house” to assist departments in “validating” schedule submissions • Partially integrated with PeopleSoft • New version introduced for Spring 2007 scheduling cycle – written in “Ruby on Rails” • Uses component interface • Continuous enhancements

The DSV • Departments must submit schedule via the DSV, after “validating” • Software designed to allow departments to either enter individual courses or upload entire schedules from spread sheet or via previous semester “roll” • Departments can check validation in the DSV, as they build their schedule, and find out where problems exist

The DSV • When schedule is complete, and valid, department submits schedule, and Office of the University Registrar (OUR) receives e-mail • OUR uploads departmental submissions from DSV via component interface • Schedule changes are made and submitted via DSV

Questions? Contact Bruce Cunningham at: bruce.cunningham@duke.edu Policy statement: http://registrar.duke.edu/faculty-staff/course-schedule-policy

Classroom Scheduling: A Creative Approach to a VERY Common Problem