Spring 2021 Updated Timeline and Instructions (Targeted Message)

Now that Fall 2020 is underway, we can proceed with scheduling for Spring 2021! Spring 2021 will be much like Fall 2020. The same new standard meeting patterns with a 20 minute gap between classes will still be used. COVID adjusted room capacities will still be in place, and departments should expect to offer the same mix of in person and remote or online instruction modes.  Plan to use Fall 2020 as a template to help determine the number of classes to offer In Person, Hybrid In Person/Remote—Online, Remote, Hybrid Remote/Online or Online. There will also be some changes to scheduling procedures for Spring 2021 as outlined below and in the revised timeline for Spring 2021. 

A few key date changes to make note of regarding the building of the schedule of classes:

Department update access for Spring 2021 will be extended through September 13^th. Access will be temporarily suspended September 14^th through October 18^th while we work on the batch rooming of classes. Starting on October 19th departments will have one week of full update access to make adjustments to their class schedule including swapping rooms between classes, cancelling sections or changing the instruction mode. The Spring 2021 class schedule will be viewable to students starting on November 2^nd.  

Since large classes will still not be offered in Spring 2021, we will not be assigning classes from the Large room requests.  For those departments that submitted specific room requests, we will be reaching out to those departments to work on those requests.  

For those classes that will go through the batch rooming process, make the following adjustments to prepare those classes before update access ends on September 13^th:

• Leave the Facility ID field blank
• Set up the class using one of the new standard meeting patterns
• For Hybrid In Person classes—set the Requested Room Capacity field to match the room size that will fit your rotation of students.  For example, set the Requested Room Capacity field to 14 if the class meets 2 times a week, the overall enrollment capacity is 28, and half the students will rotate on each day.
• For In Person classes—set the Requested Room Capacity field to match the room size that will fit the enrollment capacity for the class.  For example if the enrollment capacity will be 30, the Requested Room Capacity field should be set at 30. 
• Please be aware that room options are limited, so setting the Requested Room Capacity field as accurately as possible will help your chances in securing a space

For classes that will not be roomed via the batch rooming process, make the following adjustments before update access ends on September 13th:

• For any classes set up with Remote, Hybrid Remote/Online or Online instruction modes, be sure to populate the Facility ID on those classes with BREMOTE or BONLINE before you lose access. 
• For those classes that will be assigned into a department scheduled space, be sure to populate the appropriate Facility ID on those classes before you lose access

Academic Scheduling was given permission to schedule classes in certain department scheduled spaces in Fall 2020, and this will continue in Spring 2021.  Departments can pre-assign classes in those department scheduled spaces, but we ask that you adhere to the following:

• Use in same manner as Fall 2020
• Do not schedule in excess in these spaces (i.e. adding a lot of extra sections to block or hold space for potential future changes)
• Use standard meeting times
• We may need to work with you to make adjustments to maximize availability in those spaces such as adjusting class times, looking at spaces for better fit, etc. 

NOTE: Academic Scheduling will NOT be distributing a list of classrooms and available times after batch rooming is completed. We have found that over the past few semesters, the number of unroomed classes left after batch rooming has increased drastically. This has been due to a high number of requests for a certain few meeting patterns where demand far exceeds the supply of available rooms. The distribution of a list of available rooms/times to try to address all of these unroomed classes has become unsustainable. Instead of continuing in this direction, we are asking departments to plan for a well distributed schedule from the outset, scheduling classes across all meeting patterns for those classes that will be roomed via the batch rooming process. And we are asking departments to refrain from adding an excessive number of classes over the number that will actually be taught, i.e. padding schedules with extra sections. If there are any classes that are still left unroomed after batch rooming, Academic Scheduling will attempt to place these classes at different meeting patterns/times when there are rooms available. However, we expect there to be a significant decrease in the number of unroomed classes if everyone makes an effort to distribute classes across a wide range of meeting patterns.