The Data Doesn't Lie – The Road to a Balanced Class Schedule with a Technical Overlay

Most faculty at the University at Albany regularly indicated a preference for a two day a week teaching schedule in the middle of the day. This resulted in a schedule that created conflicts for students and issues for other areas of the campus. Students found it difficult to graduate on time, facilities were overtaxed (we did not have enough classroom space), it was difficult to park on campus on certain days, and areas that often depended on student workers had no one available to work on certain days.

In the Fall of 2019, the Registrar’s Office endeavored to make a change. We modified our approach to scheduling and the way we worked with academic departments to create the class schedule. We gathered data and we made changes to our time zones. The data illustrated the issues created when everyone wants to teach on the same day and at the same time. We worked with academic departments to create a balanced schedule to help students access the courses they needed to complete their degrees in a timely manner and to prevent overtaxing of facilities and other resources on campus (e.g., mass transit, dining services, classroom utilization, etc.).

Out of this project emerged the Business Intelligence UAlbany Scheduling Dashboard data visualization tool. This was made possible through a partnership with Institutional Research Planning and Effectiveness, ITS, and the Registrar’s Office. Now, pulling data to analyze the schedule each semester is a breeze. Join us for a walk through the process.

Which one or two theme(s) best describe the presentation? Enrollment and Student Services , Policy, Reporting and Research

What Professional Application does this sessions apply to? 1. Educate campus partners (through the use of data) and gain support for a balanced class schedule 2. Develop strategies for evaluation of the class schedule 3. Prepare for, and manage, obstacles to success. 4. Maximize campus resources to support student success.

Presentation Begins:

Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at 2:10 PM Eastern Time

Presented By:

Jessica Lansing, University at Albany
Ashley DeSantis University at Albany