Academic Scheduling Manual

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Hollie Black
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1 Academic Scheduling Manual Revised: November 1, 2018

2 Table of Contents Academic Sections Overview 3 Viewing and editing sections 4 Finding an available room 6 Section Meetings 8 Introduction to Academic Preferences 13 Meeting Types 16 Tips and Tricks 18 Room Filters 20 2

3 Sections Overview The Registrar s Office assigns rooms to academic section meetings in Ad Astra using the optimizer. Units assign rooms in Ad Astra using the Available Room tool. Astra exports room assignments to Banner immediately after assignment. Astra imports Meeting time changes from Banner to Astra within 5 minutes of the change in banner. Units are then able to assign a room in Astra. Vocabulary Terms: Optimizer: The tool in Ad Astra Software that assigns rooms to sections based on pre-determined scheduling preferences (rules) that each faculty submits for their subject codes, instructors and individual sections. Meeting Pattern: The days and times that a section meets in a term. A meeting pattern includes the U of M s slot system AND irregular course meeting dates and times. Section Viewing & Editing Access Course Sections in the Academics, Sections link in the yellow navigation bar. Filter the list using the options available on the left side of the page. The sections list is exportable to Excel and HTML formats. Click on a column to sort by that column. Click CTRL and the next column to sort in a particular order. Astra shows the sort order in the column header (1,2,3) From this list, sections may be added (breakout), edited, rooms assigned or dropped. Hover on a column, click the down arrow to add or delete columns Drag and drop columns to change the view order The course/section column MUST be selected to edit sections and assign rooms Once column arrangement is in the appropriate order, Astra remembers these settings - the Academic list will open each time with the customized previous setup/order (so long as you do not clear your browser cache on exit). 3

4 Filtering search results The Custom filter box is explained in the Tips and Tricks section at the end of this document. The Keyword box searches for a particular course by crn or course number or title etc. Start and End date filters return search results for a specific date range or a start date. Click on one or more Days Met to return results for selected days only. Click on one of the filter parameters to expand the field to see applied filters. If the word Clear is visible in a filter category, a filter is on. Click on the + sign in the filter category to select from a dropdown list in that category. Type in the first few letters for quick find. Click Done at the bottom of the list to select the filter. If done is not clicked, the filter WILL NOT be selected! The symbol excludes selected filters in each category from search results. Clear will clear all filters in the category. X will remove the filter from the category. Find unassigned or incomplete sections by selecting Meeting Status codes in the Meeting Status field. The incomplete status means that not all meetings for the section have been assigned a room. 4

5 Section Details The course/section column in the section list MUST be selected to edit a section and assign rooms. Click the section in the course/section column to edit the section and/or assign a room. General information about the section record is in the top portion of the Section Info. This includes data that defines the section, but is not related to the meeting pattern. Astra imports this information from the Aurora Student Information System (Banner). Astra users do not have access to edit this information. Meeting patterns and meeting-specific details are in the Meetings tab area of the section form. View meeting information Assign or change the room assignment. Delete the meeting The + signs are not used. 5 Drop the room assignment.

Schedulers may override these values as necessary for section room assignment (de-select various filters).

6 Find and Assign a Room The Available Room tool calculates which rooms are acceptable for the meeting and determines best fit based on a score. Acceptable rooms include any that meet the requirements selected in the filter. The Available Rooms tool is pre-populated with the section max capacity and preference information. Schedulers may override these values as necessary for section room assignment (de-select various filters). Acceptable rooms appear in the list along with a calculated score for best fit and their availability information. Click the assign room icon Check this box to view only available rooms. Unchecked shows all room availability on the meetings tab. Hover to view room details Expand the columns for more information (all dates). Edit filter options; choose to view all room configurations Select the columns above and set them in the order shown. Use this toolbar to move between records and pages in the list. 6

Select the room for the entire meeting pattern by clicking in the Meeting Pattern column (farthest left column with the entire date range) or, for individual

7 Select the room for the entire meeting pattern by clicking in the Meeting Pattern column (farthest left column with the entire date range) or, for individual dates by clicking on the desired room under each Meeting column (each specific meeting date). Expand the Meeting Pattern column to view individual meeting instances. 7

Click the yellow conflict to open the Resolve Conflicts form.

8 Hover over the yellow conflict or red unavailable box to view the scheduling conflict. Click on a conflict to view the details of that section or event. Click the yellow conflict to open the Resolve Conflicts form. This form allows the user to select all available dates for the room selected or choose the dates individually. 8

9 Meeting Details Click on the highlighted meeting type to view meeting pattern details (opens another tab) 9

Cross List Information View section cross list information the sections that are cross listed with the section you are viewing, click the down arrow beside Cross List Info.

10 Cross List Information View section cross list information the sections that are cross listed with the section you are viewing, click the down arrow beside Cross List Info. It shows the max enroll for the x-list code and total enrolment in crosslisted sections listed below the Cross-List Info Removing one course from a cross-list in Banner or removing the cross list codes altogether does not remove the cross-list codes from Astra. Cross-list codes must be manually removed in Astra from the course(s) in the x-list group. In this above example, SCM 2210 is the section displayed and is cross-listed with ABIZ First, remove the cross-list code in Banner in SSASECT. Change the cross-list maximum on SSAXLST to reflect the new enrolment without SCM In Astra, click the Uncross-List Button in the Cross List Info block. Save. The section will no longer be cross listed in Astra. If there are multiple cross list sections that will no longer be cross listed, repeat the process for each section in the cross list group. Meeting Dates All section meetings appear in the Meeting Dates block. To cancel a particular meeting, click the X beside the date. The room will drop (the class will not appear in the calendar). The meeting has a strikethrough on the date time and location. To restore the meeting, click the recycling icon on the meeting line and SAVE. The room is automatically restored IF it is still available. The room is dropped from the meeting instance if there is a conflict. Please note that cancelling individual meetings in Astra only frees up the room. Students must be notified if a class is/will be cancelled. Individual meeting (as part of a series) information is not exported 10

11 Adding Meetings Users are able add meetings to sections that WILL NOT appear on the section in Banner. Final Exams (outside of term dates, guest speakers and break-out spaces are examples. Where possible, additional meetings should be added to the section in Banner. Students are able to view the new meeting on-line where and when the additional meeting will occur. By contrast, meetings that are added only in Astra will not appear in a student s schedule. Add a meeting to a section 1. In the section record, Click Add Meeting near top left of screen. 2. i) Enter the meeting Type from the Drop down Menu. ii) Click Edit Meeting Pattern. (Start Time, Duration and End Time boxes appear). iii) Enter the start time (remember to include am or pm) iv) Enter the duration of the meeting in terms of minutes (90 is 1.5 hours). The end time fills automatically based on the duration. v) Click the Day(s) on which the meeting will occur. vi) Enter Start and End dates of the meeting. vii) Click the available room tool (the house) to assign a room to the meeting. 11

12 ix) Once the room is assigned to the meeting, click save (to remain in the section) or Save and Close to return to the section list. Each additional meeting appears as a new tab in the section information. To view all meetings for a section, click the Meetings tab. The additional meetings will appear as additional meeting lines for that section. 12

13 ACADEMIC PREFERENCES Concept Introduction Room optimization is based on grouping like meeting patterns together and solving the largest (most meetings) scheduling problem first. Rooms are then scored for each section meeting based on seat fill and desired/required preferences. Assignments are determined based on the number of rooms available to the section and by the calculated room score. Reports at the end of a room optimization run provide detailed information on meeting patterns, bottleneck situations, and conflicts. Faculties submit their Academic Preferences set at the subject, course and instructor levels. Section Preferences Meeting preferences reference inherited business rules and their source (rule number). The Preferences block displays these rules. System constraints prevent schedulers from editing section preferences. Vocabulary Terms: Preference: The consideration of a given room type, feature, region, building, or room as determined by course or instructor need. Preference Mode: The preference mode determines how each preference is applied during optimization or room assignment. The four preference modes include: Normal - preference weight considered when scoring room fit Required - preference must be satisfied in room assignment Excluded - preference will be avoided in room assignment 13

Use the arrow icons to expand and contract areas on

This area is for displaying preferences applied to a

14 Use the arrow icons to expand and contract areas on the page for better display. Preferences at the section level only affect the current section for the current term. This area is for displaying preferences applied to a section. Only preferences that are required automatically load to the filter when searching for a room. 14

Meeting Types Meeting types determine the room type in the room assignment process. In the preference rules, meeting types have a one-to-one relationship with room types.

15 Meeting Types Meeting types determine the room type in the room assignment process. In the preference rules, meeting types have a one-to-one relationship with room types. For example, classes delivered in a seminar format MUST have a Seminar meeting type in banner. A preference rule in Astra requires that Seminar meeting types are assigned to Seminar Rooms. The following table indicates meeting type relationships and how sections should be scheduled in Banner depending on the TYPE of room the course must be scheduled: MTG Type (Banner) Description (used in Astra) Room Type(s) ACTV Class The section is manually assigned (not optimized) CLAS Lecture Classroom, Lecture Hall & Theatre, Seminar CLIN Clinic Clinic COMP Computer lab Computer Lab EXAM Final Exam Classroom, Lecture Hall & Theatre, Seminar FILM Film Screening Rooms used to screen Films LAB Laboratory Various lab types LANG Language Lab Laboratory Language LECL Lecture in a Laboratory Lecture section takes place in a lab MIDT Mid-Term Exam Classroom, Lecture Hall & Theatre, Seminar Room MUSC Music Specialty spaces for Faculty of Music ORTN Orientation Classroom, Lecture Hall & Theatre, Seminar Room SEM Seminar Seminar Room SCNF Seminar in a conference room Class takes place in a meeting space, not a classroom. STUD Studio various studio rooms by subject/course code THTR Theatre Rehearsal various stage theatre style studios TUT Tutorial Classroom, Lecture Hall & Theatre, Seminar VID Video Lecture Smart Room (feature) 15

Tips & Tricks There are a few things Astra can do to make searching and assigning more efficient. Academic Filters Filters are useful for looking at a specific set of courses e.g., first year or grad level, or looking at certain floors when assigning rooms.

16 Tips & Tricks There are a few things Astra can do to make searching and assigning more efficient. Academic Filters Filters are useful for looking at a specific set of courses e.g., first year or grad level, or looking at certain floors when assigning rooms. o SET UP A DEFAULT FILTER FOR YOUR FACULTY SECTION LIST In the filter on the left hand side of the screen: Select your faculty s subjects 16

Click the Save icon at the bottom of the filter column (bottom left). Enter a name for the filter (Science courses) Check the Default check box. Click OK.

17 Click the Save icon at the bottom of the filter column (bottom left). Enter a name for the filter (Science courses) Check the Default check box. Click OK. Each time Astra opens, your section list will open to your Faculty s courses Repeat the process above to set other filters for your Faculty. Examples include: Grad level courses, 1 st yr courses, all courses in your building(s) (select building no subjects), Department course groupings etc. To retrieve a filter you have created, select the filter you created from the dropdown list at the bottom of the filter column. Click Clear All and all filters are unselected. To delete a filter from the list, click the cog icon beside the save icon at the top right of the filter pane. Click the x do delete the filter(s). Click OK. To look at a specific course from your default faculty filter, enter the course number in the Keyword field at the top of the filter pane. It will return that course from the subjects selected in the filter. Titles are also searchable 17

Room Filters o can be set up in the Ad hoc room scheduler the same way as in the Academic sections filter: o Click the assign room icon Select the filter criteria on the filter pane on the left hand

18 Room Filters o can be set up in the Ad hoc room scheduler the same way as in the Academic sections filter: o Click the assign room icon Select the filter criteria on the filter pane on the left hand side of the screen for this specific room search filter (Faculty academic class region). o Enter a name for the filter (Science classrooms) o Check the Default check box. Click OK. o Click the Save icon at the bottom of the filter column (bottom left). o Each time Astra opens room tool, your specific search criteria will only display rooms in your Faculty Region. Uncheck the Default box in the custom filter to have blank filters when searching for rooms. o set up different room search filters for labs, studios etc. 18

Other Tips Deleting a meeting instance from a section in Astra (e.g., one class cancelled) shows with a line through the meeting instance. Click the X to delete one meeting.

19 Other Tips Deleting a meeting instance from a section in Astra (e.g., one class cancelled) shows with a line through the meeting instance. Click the X to delete one meeting. Then save changes (click save). To reinstate the meeting time, click on the refresh symbol. Deleting one meeting does not update meeting time information in banner. Course filter is dynamically linked with the subject filter for easier searching Select a subject then click the Course filter, only those courses within the subject selected are displayed. If one room is changed for a section in the meeting list, the row is highlighted in pink. 19

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