Scheduling Classes

We use EMS Campus Planning Interface to work with departments on course offerings and classroom assignments. Through this program, you will create, delete or edit course offerings. There are typically two phases of each semester's schedule, during which you can review your existing course offerings and make changes. After the last phase, the schedule is published.

The course schedule will be prepared and published on an academic year basis. Summer terms will still be prepared and published separately. If you have any questions about this, contact Kristen Kernstock.

Schedule preparation timelines:

• Fall 2025 and Spring 2026
• Summer 2025 on campus and online

To make minor changes to courses after schedule edits are completed, first discuss it with your chair. Then the department scheduler will need to submit the Faculty Schedule Change Form.

Please read the following guidelines and recommendations to make the scheduling process as efficient as possible.

GENERAL SCHEDULING GUIDELINES

SCHEDULE COURSES ACROSS THE DAY

Schedule no more than three courses in any one time slot. This helps ensure available classroom space during each time block.

HONOR TIME BLOCKS

Stay within the standard time blocks defined below:

• MWF: 50-minute blocks begin at 8:30 a.m.
• TR: 80-minute time blocks begin at 8 a.m.
• Community Hour: TR, 11–11:50 a.m. No courses should be scheduled during this time.
• Chapel: MWF, 10:30–11 a.m. No courses should be scheduled during this time.
• If necessary, a MWF start time of 8 a.m. may be used.

Here is a printable version of the time blocks for use with students.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO COURSE DISTRIBUTION

Give special consideration to course distribution for lower-level (particularly first-year) courses and courses required for majors. Finding a balance between course offerings that fulfill major requirements and general education requirements is most beneficial for our students.

OFFER EVENING INTRODUCTORY CLASSES

This helps spread out course times and provide more opportunities for students when making their class schedule.

HALF-SEMESTER COURSE OFFERINGS

Two credit, half-semester course offerings should be offered during both halves of the semester.

CLASSROOM SPACE UTILIZATION

The efficient use of classroom space is an increasingly important issue and affects everyone on campus.

Please estimate projected enrollment accurately. Overestimating or underestimating, or accepting more than your originally projected enrollment in your class, affects a number of things:

• The Bookstore orders materials based on your max projected enrollment. If the number is too high, the college loses money for overpurchasing. If the number is too low, students may not be able to get the materials they need.
• Classes with an enrollment more suited to the space could use your classroom, or, your classroom may not have enough seats if you go over your max projected enrollment. Additional seating may not be available from the Physical Plant, and you also may be in violation of the fire code.
• When submitting schedule changes after the schedule is published, we cannot guarantee that a classroom will be available during your desired class time.

In addition to following the general scheduling guidelines, you may find these guidelines helpful:

• Spread your course offerings throughout the day to maximize choices for students, and maximize the chance you will get your desired classroom.
• Limit the number of back-to-back courses.
• The Registrar’s Office may make changes to your max projected enrollment based on enrollment history, preliminary enrollments and actual enrollments so as to match class and room size. All classes will be scheduled into “right sized” rooms, that is, rooms that are not too large for the projected enrollment and enrollment history.
• All space within reasonable walking distance is available for scheduling any class. Special accommodations will be made upon request.

NOTICES FOR YOUR DEAN

When you've completed phase 1 of the schedule, please send your dean a list indicating each instructor's course load, and another listing the days/times when courses are to be offered.

Any projected enrollment changes made to courses need to be approved by your dean.

INDEPENDENT STUDIES

When planning to teach an independent study, a verbal or written agreement with the student shall not be made until all approvals are obtained. Independent studies can be added while the schedule is being built and through the drop/add period stated on the Academic Calendar.

Before adding an independent study to the class schedule, the following items should be documented by emailing your department chair and dean:

1. Rationale for the course, including a syllabus describing content, schedule of meeting times, evaluation of grading, etc.
2. Valid subject, course number and number of credits from the College Catalog.
3. Justification for offering the course (e.g., “This student declared their major after the last time this course was offered. The course will not be on the schedule of classes until the next academic year, but the student plans to graduate next semester. The course is needed to fulfill major requirements.”).
4. Written approval must be received by the department chairperson and their dean. Please upload email permissions to the form, linked below.

Note: Some departments have their own paper forms that require handwritten signatures. It can be scanned and uploaded as permission.

After department chair and dean approvals are received, submit the Independent Study Course Request Form with the student’s full legal name to get the course created and the student registered. This form can be submitted by the department scheduler or instructor.

SCHEDULING RESOURCES

Classroom capacities

Time block planner (all courses should follow these time blocks)

Course schedule type codes

All scheduling guidelines are enforced.

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE COURSE PROPOSALS

See the Curriculog page for more information.

HELP USING EMS

Please follow the EMS CPI User Instructions and EMS Scheduler Tip Sheet with each phase of the class schedule.