Scheduling Philosophy

Guiding Philosophy

The academic schedule is intended to serve the needs of students by ensuring, to the greatest extent possible, that they receive their choice of courses required for a timely graduation and the resources of the University are used to their optimum capacity.

Scheduling Axioms

Observe standard class times to:

1. Minimize the likelihood of class conflicts for students.
2. Make optimal use of all classrooms by avoiding overlapping requests for classrooms.

Distribute classes evenly over the academic week to:

1. Maximize the students' flexibility in scheduling their courses.
2. Reduce the risk of course conflicts.
3. Provide for the largest number of non-conflicting time patterns.

Scheduling Strategies

Since the goal is to provide students with the largest number of opportunities to register for their courses, departments must provide a balanced schedule between peak and non-peak hours. Peak hours are between 9:00a.m. and 2:00p.m., Monday through Friday.

• Departments must adhere to the approved standard set of time patterns.
• A balanced schedule means course offerings vary between mornings and afternoons and a variation of meeting days (e.g. TTH vs. MWF).

Note: The scheduling policy is not in effect for summer terms.