Timetabling
Course Combinations for Conflict-free
Scheduling
2
GPS: What is it?
• GPS is the Graduation Planning System. It will
provide students with a clear and direct path to
degree completion
• GPS Website – http://www.kent.edu/gps
3
GPS – Major Components
Student
Tracking/Alerts
Explore Majors
Website
(roadmaps)
Reporting
GPS
Auto
Advisor
Assignment
Timetabling
Website
Timetabling
4
GPS: Roadmaps
• All undergraduate majors have a roadmap which
outlines the most expedient path to graduation.
• The path outlines program milestones (courses, GPA,
test scores, etc) that must be completed on schedule
in order to remain “on track” for timely and
successful degree completion.
• If a student veers “off track”, consultation with the
student’s advisor is expected.
5
GPS Roadmap: Botany
6
GPS and Timetabling
• Timetabling will ensure that the combination of
courses represented on the roadmaps are scheduled
conflict-free.
• To facilitate this process, the Principles of
Timetabling have been created by the Timetabling
Steering Committee.
• It is available on GoogleDocs at
https://sites.google.com/a/kent.edu/timetablingdepartment-constraints/
7
Timetabling: What is it?
• Timetabling is the creation of a conflict-free schedule
given –
Faculty
Availability
Room
Inventory
Student
Needs
Specific
Scheduling
Parameters
8
Student
Needs
Specific
Scheduling
Parameters
Faculty
Availability
Room
Inventory
9
Faculty Availability
• Faculty Availability is divided into 3 categories.
▫ Professor Types – ex: number of early AM starts,
number of late PM ends, teaching time per day,
consecutive teaching time, etc
▫ Department Meetings
▫ Individual Unavailabilities – ex: religious observation,
governance, etc
• See Principles of Timetabling for guidelines.
10
Student
Needs
Specific
Scheduling
Parameters
Faculty
Availability
Room
Inventory
11
Room Inventory
• Room Inventory is stored in FAMIS, the authoritative
database for room information.
• FAMIS is maintained by the University Architect’s
Office.
• Room Information will be fed from FAMIS into
Banner and the scheduling system.
12
Room Inventory cont’d
• Room Inventory includes
▫ Room type (lecture hall, seminar, computer lab,
scientific lab, etc)
▫ Room status (active, inactive)
▫ Room capacity
▫ Room characteristics (tablet-arm chairs, technology
package, whiteboards, chalkboards, etc)
• Exclusive/Priority room usage will be governed by
the Principles of Timetabling.
13
Student
Needs
Faculty
Availability
Specific
Scheduling
Parameters
Room
Inventory
14
Specific Scheduling Parameters
• Scheduling Parameters are CRN (section) specific
parameters on the system.
• Examples include:
▫ Groups – CRNs/Deliveries meeting same time, same room,
same instructor(s)
▫ Block Offs – setup/teardown time for labs
▫ Ties
 Deliveries (same CRN) meet on different days or with a day in
between
 CRNs scheduled on different days
 Lecture before Lab, etc
15
Student
Needs
Specific
Scheduling
Parameters
Faculty
Availability
Room
Inventory
16
Student Needs
• Student Needs will be represented by Course
Combinations.
• Course combinations are the semester prescriptions
of required courses that need to be offered conflictfree.
from Botany Fall 2009
Semester 3 Option 1 =
Semester 3 Option 2 =
CHEM30475 (CORE),
CHEM20481 (CORE-LIST)
(50 students)
CHEM30475 (CORE),
CHEM30481 (CORE-LIST)
(50 students)
17
Timetabling: What isn’t it?
• Timetabling is not an attempt to reproduce the current
schedule.
• Timetabling does not create sections. The number of
sections and number of seats are determined by the
department.
• Timetabling does not randomly select days and times for a
section. It is based on the meeting pattern that is selected
by the department.
• Timetabling does not assign faculty to sections or manage
faculty workload. This is done by the department.
18
Aren’t we Timetabling now?
• We have been doing a process called the Room
Assignment where days and times are set by the
departments.
• We will be switching to a process where the system
finds the best days, times, and rooms for the section
based on all of the parameters determined by the
departments.
19
Room Assignment v Timetabling
NOW: Room Assignment
COMING SOON: Timetabling
Section:
MATH101 Section 001
Section:
MATH101 Section 001
Enrollment:
50
Enrollment:
50
Meeting Information
Meeting Information
Dates:
Jan 1, 2012 – May 1, 2012
Dates:
Jan 1, 2012 – May 1, 2012
Days/Times:
MWF 11:00 – 11:50
Days/Times:
Pattern 3 x 50
(days/times will be assigned)
Room Information
Room Information
Room Type:
Classroom w/Tech Pkg
Room Type:
Classroom w/Tech Pkg
Pavilion:
Bowman
Pavilion:
Bowman
Room Requirements:
Internet at Instr Station, projector
Room Requirements:
Internet at Instr Station, projector
Room:
(room will be assigned)
Room:
(room will be assigned)
Instructor Information
Instructor:
John Doe
Instructor Information
Instructor:
John Doe
20
Timetabling: Simulation Timeline
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dept Parameters Wksp: Mar 15 – 26
Dept Parameters Submitted: Mar 15 – May 7
Scheduling Parameters Wksp: Mar 22 – 26
DCU for Spring 2011 data entry: Apr 19 – Jul 2
▫ Scheduling Parameters also will be submitted via the DCU
during this time
Timetable Produced: Jul 5 – Oct 15
Course Combination Workshops: Aug 11 – Aug 18
Course Combinations Submitted: Aug 11 – Sep 10
Feedback: Oct 18 – Nov 19
21
Timetabling: Course Planning System
• View/maintain course information including
•
•
•
•
•
•
▫ Your department’s course combinations, your courses
in another department’s course combinations,
historical section offering information
Submit meeting information
Maintain instructor types
Submit faculty unavailability
Submit scheduling parameters
Timetabling feedback
Looking for volunteers to review specifications. If
interested contact Gail Rebeta, grebeta@kent.edu
22
Additional Resources on the Web
• Website address:
https://sites.google.com/a/kent.edu/timetablingdepartment-constraints/
• The Department Parameters Website contains:
▫ Simulation timeline and information
▫ Master documents to view or download
▫ GPS and Timetabling overviews
23
Timetabling: The Team
•
•
•
•
•
Sally Kandel, Associate Vice President
Stephane Booth, Associate Provost
Glenn Davis, University Registrar
Gail Rebeta, Manager Registrar Office Systems
Academic Scheduling Center
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
▫
Lynette Johnson, Business Analyst
Brenda Gordon, Timetabling Coordinator
Sandra Alli, Office Systems Coordinator
Barbara Johnson, Administrative Clerk
TBD, Administrative Clerk
TBD, Clerical Specialist
• Timetabling Steering Committee
• You!
24
Timetabling: Steering Committee
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sandra Alli, Registrar’s Office
Gregory Blase, JMC
Stephane Booth, Provost’s Ofc
Tim Chandler, Provost’s Ofc
Susan Cole, IS
Ron Corthell, English
Glenn Davis, Registrar’s Office
Pam Evans, Architecture
Lynette Johnson, Registrar’s
Office
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Richard Kolbe, Business
David Odell-Scott, Philosophy
Gail Rebeta, Registrar’s Office
Richard Serpe, Sociology
Yvonne Smith, Nursing
Cynthia Stillings, Theatre
Andrew Tonge, Math
Stanley Wearden, CCI
Kathy Wilson, Economics
25
Questions?
26
Course Combinations for Conflict-free
Scheduling
• Course Combinations tell the system which courses
need to be scheduled conflict-free.
• They are the primary way in which we will represent
our students in the scheduling system.
27
Course Combination Data Mix
Student
Plan
Data
Roadmap
Data
You!
Student Needs
28
Assembling Course Combinations
from Roadmap Data
• Each course combination will represent the
course requirements of a particular semester for
a given program and catalog year.
• Every semester on a roadmap can potentially
yield one or more course combinations based on
the type of course requirements found in that
semester.
29
Roadmap Data
• Every line on a roadmap represents a requirement.
1
2
3
4
5
6
30
Requirement Categories: SINGLE
• SINGLE Requirements
▫ Students must take one course and may only
choose from one course
Ex: BSCI10120 is a SINGLE
requirement. A Botany student
must take this course. In this
semester, CHEM10061 and
CHEM10063 are also SINGLE
requirements.
31
Requirement Categories: SHORT-LIST
• SHORT-LIST Requirements
▫ Students must take one course but may choose
from a list of two or three courses
Ex: (MATH12003 or MATH30011) is
SHORT-LIST requirement. A
Botany student must take one
course but can choose between
either of these two courses.
32
Requirement Categories: LARGE-LIST
• LARGE-LIST Requirements
▫ Students must take one course and may choose
from a list of four or more courses
▫ LARGE-LIST requirements will not be
represented in our course combinations.
Ex: BSCI or CHEM or PHY Elective is
an example of a LARGE-LIST. The
actual number of courses that a
Botany student may choose from to
satisfy the requirement is four or more
courses. In this semester, Foreign
Language and Botany Core Course
are also LARGE-LIST requirements.
33
Program Milestones and Categories
• All SINGLE and SHORT-LIST requirements will
make up a course combination.
• Whether a requirement has been flagged as a
milestone (critical) has no bearing on its course
combination requirement category.
34
Semester Options
• When a requirement is a SHORT-LIST
requirement, it produces multiple OPTIONS that
a student can take to successfully complete a
semester.
Ex: A Botany student must take either
CHEM20481 or CHEM30481. The
student must take CHEM30475. So to
successfully complete Semester 3 the
student may opt to follow
Option 1 – CHEM20481+CHEM30475
OR
Option 2 – CHEM30481+CHEM30475.
35
Student Count
• Student Count is the number of students who
are expected to need to take a combination of
courses in a given scheduling term.
• This data is based on each student’s academic
history and general student record in Banner.
• Semesters producing multiple options will have
their student counts divided equally among the
options.
36
Roadmap Q and A
Q1: Will Kent Core and General Electives be
included in the combinations?
A1: No – they are LARGE-LIST
requirements.
Q2: What requirement categories are
attached to CHEM10060, CHEM10062,
MATH11002?
A2: They are all SINGLE requirements
Q3: How many options/paths to completions
does this semester have?
A3: One option/path since all requirements
are SINGLE –
CHEM10060+CHEM10062+MATH11022
37
Roadmap Q and A
Q1: What type of requirement is
(MATH11012 or
MATH12002)?
A1: It is a SHORT-LIST
requirement.
Q2: How many paths/options to
completion does this semester
have?
A2: Two options exist:
(MATH11012+ECON22060+
MIS 24053) OR
(MATH12002+ECON22060+
MIS 24053)
38
Assembling Course Combos from
Student Plans
• DegreeWorks contains a Student Educational Planner.
• The roadmap will be applied to a student. The student
version is a PLAN.
• A student will work with their advisor to manage their
plan.
Joe’s Botany PLAN for Spring 2012
(Semester 3)
CHEM20481
CHEM30475
ENG 21011
ARCH10001
ANTH18210
BSCI30275
39
Assembling Course Combos from
Student Plans cont’d
• The PLAN data will be submitted as course
combinations for all students who have plans
that have been approved by an advisor.
Joe’s Botany PLAN for Spring
2012 (Semester 3)
CHEM20481
CHEM30475
ENG 21011 *
ARCH10001
Joe’s Course Combo for Spring 2012
•
•
•
•
•
CHEM20481 SINGLE
CHEM30475 SINGLE
ARCH10001 SINGLE
ANTH18210 SINGLE
BSCI30275 SINGLE
(1 student)
ANTH18210
BSCI30275
*ENG 21011 will not be included in Joe’s combination. It is similar
to LARGE-LIST requirement since many sections are offered in
a term.
40
Plan Data v Roadmap Data v You!
• Plans will be submitted as course combinations
for those students who have advisor approved
plans
• Roadmap data will be submitted for students
who have a corresponding roadmap/template
but no advisor approved plans.
• You will be able to submit custom plans for
student populations who are not represented by
a plan or a roadmap such as graduate students.
41
You! - My Course Combos
• Through the Course Planning System you will be
able to edit course combinations from
roadmaps. Examples of why you might edit your
existing combinations include ▫ A course is a FALL-only course and will not be offered
in SPRING. You can replace the FALL-only course
with a suitable substitute, if necessary.
▫ Ensure that certain popular LARGE-LIST courses are
also offered conflict-free with the required
SINGLE/SHORT-LIST courses.
42
You! - My Course Combos cont’d
• Through the Course Planning System you will be
able to add new combinations. Examples of why
you might add new combinations include –
▫ Spread out elective courses to ensure that there are a
suitable number of them that are not offered in conflict.
▫ Create combinations for graduate programs to ensure that
those courses are not offered in conflict.
43
You! - My Course Combos cont’d
• Create a course combination to represent a segment of
your student population that is not represented by the
combinations pulled from the roadmaps
• Needed combinations can be identified by student needs
by level in your programs
Catalog Year
Level
Level
Level
Level
Level
Level
Level
Level
201080
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Semester 4
Semester 5
Semester 6
Semester 7
Semester 8
200980
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Semester 4
Semester 5
Semester 6
Semester 7
Semester 8
200880
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Semester 4
Semester 5
Semester 6
Semester 7
Semester 8
200780
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Semester 4
Semester 5
Semester 6
Semester 7
Semester 8
44
Additional Information
• Course combinations will not contain the following information:
▫ LARGE-LIST requirements
▫ Courses where historically many sections are offered such as US
10097, ENG 11011 and ENG 21011.
• Course combinations will not be submitted under the following
circumstances:
▫ The related semester had no SINGLE or SHORT-LIST
requirements. All requirements are LARGE-LIST requirements
where the student may select from 4 or more courses.
▫ The related semester had one SINGLE or one SHORT-LIST
requirement. You need at least 2 requirements.
▫ The related semester had no students. NOTE: At this time there
are only 2009 and 2010 roadmaps available. Therefore there will
be very few, if any, roadmaps that go beyond semester 4.
45
Resulting Course Combo Process
Roadmap
Data
You!
Student
Plan
Data
Student Needs
46
Questions?