Academic Scheduling

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Last Updated: Jul 02, 2025, 01:30 PM

Common Course Scheduling Policy

The below are guidelines for academic departments and schools to follow as you schedule your academic courses.  Please be sure to reference the academic calendars and the final exam calendars during your planning.  Once your schedule is approved and released for the upcoming semester, students will be able to see your schedule within the schedule of classes.

  1. The Registrar's Office routinely requests all departments and schools to use the following guidelines in preparing their class schedules for Spring and Fall semesters.  This assures that classes are distributed throughout the day and week.  Our office coordinates all general classroom space assignments with the department chairs and school directors.  Individual faculty requests are referred to the department chair or school director for resolution.
    1. Scheduling Guidelines
      1. Classes should be distributed evenly throughout the day and week, utilizing not only mornings and evenings, but also Monday through Friday.
      2. Two credit hour classes should use the regular hourly schedule (8:00-8:50; 9:00-9:50; etc.) on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday.
      3. Three credit hour classes should be scheduled on a M-W-F or T-R basis (R=Thursday).  The M-W-F classes should follow the regular hourly schedule (8:00-8:50; 9:00-9:50; etc.) while the T-R classes should use an 8:00-9:15; 9:35-10:50; 11:00-12:15; 12:35-1:50; 2:00-3:15; 3:35-4:50 format.
      4. Four credit hour classes should have the day off staggered.  If two, two-hour blocks are desired, it is preferred that a Tuesday-Thursday be used rather than a Monday-Wednesday.  (The Monday-Wednesday sequence leaves the room empty on Friday.)
      5. Five credit hour courses should meet Monday through Friday for 50 minutes.  If 50-minute periods are not feasible, blocks greater than two periods should not be scheduled.
      6. Multiple section classes including large lecture classes should be distributed evenly throughout the day.
      7. Evening classes that meet more than once a week should be scheduled to meet at the same time each evening.
      8. The University's credit hour policy.
  2. Priorities in General Classroom Scheduling in University Facilities

    Student groups wishing to reserve space in a University facility should visit the facility reservations page instead of this one.

    1. Large Lecture Classes
      1. Departments and schools are generally assigned large lecture space based on previous enrollment history of their classes.
      2. Room features such as audio/visual capabilities are also considered when space is being assigned.
      3. When two or more departments or schools request the same time, the class with the greatest enrollment is given the first priority.
    2. Regular Classes
      1. Classes that follow the time guidelines will be assigned space first.  The most efficient use of classroom space is given first priority.  Classes that have meeting patterns that vary from the guidelines are given secondary priority.  In the event that space is not available to accommodate a request, the department or school will be contacted to arrange for an alternate meeting time/days.
      2. Regular classes are assigned space based on the size of rooms requested.  If a department or school requests seating for 20 students in a class, the class will be assigned to a room that will seat at least 20 students.  To efficiently use classroom space, the assigned room will seldom have many more seats than what has been requested.
      3. Whenever possible, classes are placed in the same building in which the department or school is housed.  If space is not available, an effort is made to find comparable space as close as possible to the department or school's building.
    3. Computer Classrooms
      1. Computer labs are assigned with the same priority as large lecture rooms.
      2. Classes which use computers in their instruction receive high priority.
      3. The class with the highest enrollment will receive the higher priority.

Common Course Scheduling Procedure

The Registrar's Office will roll the official Schedule of Classes courses from the same semester/session in the prior year to the upcoming semester/session, and will send the resulting draft Schedule of Classes to the departments and schools for initial proofing approximately 12 weeks prior to the Schedule of Classes publication date.

Department chairs and school directors will work with their faculty to review the draft Schedule of Classes and adjust it as necessary. Those adjustments (additions, deletions, etc.) will be due to the Registrar's Office 30 to 45 days prior to the planned publication dates (no later than February 1 for the Summer and Fall schedules and September 1 for the Spring schedule).

The Registrar's Office will review the adjusted draft Schedule of Classes to ensure compliance with the above Common Course Scheduling Policy as well as for compliance with instructional policy.

The Registrar's Office will assign classrooms to the courses and sections being offered following the above Priorities in General Classroom Scheduling in University Facilities.

Final proofing of the Schedule of Classes by the department or school will then take place.

Once the Schedule of Classes for the upcoming semester/session has been approved and released, changes to it will require the submission of a "Form 75" as noted in Schedule Changes.

Any scheduling requests that fall outside the above Common Course Scheduling Policy must be made to the Provost or his/her designee for approval.