rd

1.
Action Points from previous meeting
2. 15/16 location allocation timeline and deadlines
3. 15/16 timetabling:
• Template management
• Activity variants
• Personal TT update
• BI Explorer report update
4. Week numbering/labelling in Enterprise
5. Centralisation of services:
• TT data management
• Location management
6. Future of Student Timetabling – project proposal update
7. TT Unit website updates
8. AOB

st
ACTION POINT
To further simplify the
Course Timetable Browser disclaimer
OWNER
TT Unit
To link 13/14 data to the
BI Suite so that class list reporting can be tested
IS
To investigate the random allocation of academic names when scheduling a course
TT Unit
UPDATE
Ongoing
Completed
TT Unit will feed back at meeting

2. 15/16 location allocation timeline and deadlines
Oct 2014
Nov 14 Dec 14
Template
Workshops
(February)
Jan 15 Feb 15 Mar 15 Apr 15 May 15 Jun 15 Jul 15
Schools to check location allocations
(early-July to end of
August)
Aug 15
Sep 2015
14 Oct, 2014
Snapshot of 14/15
For Roll Forward and issue opt out notice
3 Nov, 2014
Roll Forward
Opt Out
Deadline
Nov 14
Launch of 1516 SDB 4 Feb, 2015
Official Launch Date
29 May, 2015
Submit
Centrally-allocated
Location requests
15 Jun, 2015
Start
Student
Allocation
6 Jul, 2015
Centrally-Allocated
Location
Allocation

3. 15/16 Timetabling
Area
Template Management
Activity Variants
Update
TT Unit will hold workshops during
Feb/March
TT Unit is reviewing the use of variants
Personal Timetables SA conducted on a daily basis
Jan 2015 - 22,280 students with partial timetables
Aug 2014 – 20, 957

•
4. Week numbering/labelling in Enterprise
A request was received in October from a School as to whether the Web Timetables could be changed to show the week dates rather than the semester week numbers.
Samples of current view -
•
• This may be possible but would only show up as “week commencing …”
Is there (could there be) a wider demand for this kind of change in other Schools or is this something that can remain as is?

8
6
4
2
0
12
10
18
16
14
Timetabling Data Location Allocation Student Allocation
Primary
Tier 1
Tier 2

• Centralised management from 15/16:
– Central Area
– King’s Buildings
– Holyrood
• £466k capital funding to upgrade AV kit in identified rooms
• Bookings to be managed by TT Unit – priority system in operation for Schools

TT Unit/LTSTS Service Benefit Service level
Commitment of all timetabling requirements to Enterprise





Ensures quality and consistency of key data
Ensures provision of accurate student personalised timetables
Removal of requirement for Enterprise expertise at
School level
Ability to re-direct resource to other tasks
Longer lead time for Schools to confirm requirements
Core
Centralised booking management of general teaching space




Reduced requirement for Enterprise management at School level
Efficient, single-point-of-contact booking service
School teaching space “priority allocation” system
Longer lead time for Schools to confirm requirements
Core

Centralised booking service for
“specialist” space

TT Unit can manage specialist (i.e. labs, workshops etc) on behalf of Schools
Reduced requirement for Enterprise management at School level
Ability to re-direct resource to other tasks

Optional

TT Unit/LTSTS Service
Central support for general teaching space
Central support for student timetable allocation
Timetable “modelling” service for
Schools
Benefit

Centrally supplied and support AV equipment

Consistent standard of equipment provision
 Centrally managed fabric and furniture upgrade and maintenance

TT Unit service option for any/all
“random” student allocation models

Reduced requirement for Enterprise management at School level
 Ability to re-direct resource to other tasks

Safely introduce new courses to timetable

Modelling to re-shape programme offerings
 Offline modelling exercises to inform timetabling flexibility

Make full use of TT Unit expertise
Service level
Core
Optional
Core

• Business case submitted to Colleges Jan 2015
• Request for additional funding to transfer timetabling/booking operations to TT Unit –from
15/16 financial year
• Funding equivalent to 0.4 FTE at Grade 4 per School
• Delivers full range of enhanced service proposal

• New project proposal to deliver:
– Full, comprehensive personalised timetable service
– To be delivered by online student self-sign-up system
– Provision of calendar service: Office365 or iCal
• Presented to Knowledge Strategy Committee
(KSC) on 23/01/15

Project implementation Timescale
Project start Aug 15
Centralisation of timetable data management Aug 15 – Mar 16
Options appraisal: Calendar service
Options appraisal: Enhanced allocation system
Initial implementation: Calendar service
Pilot scheme: Calendar service
Calendar post-pilot evaluation and enhancement
Initial implementation: Enhanced allocation system
Live implementation: Calendar Service
Pilot scheme: Enhanced allocation system
Aug 15 – Nov 15
Aug 15 – Mar 16
Dec 15 – Feb 16
Mar 16 – May 16
Jun 16 – Aug 16
Oct 16 – Apr 17
Nov 16
Nov 17 – Mar 18
Enhanced allocation system post-pilot evaluation and enhancement May 18 – Jul 18
Training for staff allocation only
Live implementation: Enhanced allocation system
Project close
May 18 – Jul 18
Jul 18
Oct 18

• Sponsor funding: circa £250k
• Centralisation of timetable data management

1415 Main Allocation Process – Lessons Learnt
(sample)
PART OF OPERATION AREA
Data Preparation
Location allocation
Student Allocation
Miscellaneous
Module instance
Consistency of process/instructions
Contingency planning
Modelling to maximise space
Template awareness and understanding
SPDA management – reverting to UEF
SDB management
LESSON LEARNT
(including any planned improvements for 1516 where possible)
Need to check as thoroughly as possible that the correct module instance has been interacted with (re correct academic year) – future-proofs SA process
In-house documentation existed but this has now been amalgamated into one document that all in the TTU will need to use as guidance
Last year’s 1-person post-MAP allocation system is being replaced by team of 3 TTU members whittling down remaining teaching activities
As more space is removed from our pool of locations we will need to conduct more modelling exercises to anticipate impact/problems
Continue to work closely with Schools through Template
Workshops and Data Collection Workshops to improve quality of data (esp. for SA purposes)
When the SPDAs stop working, our manual back-up process will be activated sooner, allowing manual catching-up to be completed more speedily
All users benefit from a planned refresh of the database and August will continue to be the time this is done in prep for Semester 1