(1) This policy states the requirements of Charles Sturt University (the University) for: (2) This policy is intended to ensure that: (3) This policy applies to: (4) This policy does not apply to: (5) Timetabling of classes will be guided by four fundamental principles. Timetabling will: (6) Timetabling approval authorities referred to in this policy and the Timetable Procedure are set out in the following table. (7) Scheduling and casual room bookings apply only to learning and teaching spaces. (8) The Facilities and Premises Guidelines - Space Management defines types of learning and teaching spaces. Student Administration will consult Facilities Management (FM) and Division of Learning and Teaching (DLT) when it needs to confirm whether a space is a learning and teaching space. (9) All scheduling and casual bookings of learning and teaching spaces are managed through the enterprise timetabling system, to ensure that the timetable provided to staff and students is complete, correct and as far as possible free of clashes. (10) Timetabling staff must use the enterprise timetabling system to schedule spaces for all class and/or assessment activities as requested by teaching staff and for casual room bookings, unless an exception is approved. (11) The priority for scheduling learning and teaching spaces is as follows: (12) University activities such as graduation, intensive schools, exams and teaching take precedence over other room bookings outside of teaching periods. (13) Once the timetable for a session has been published, or the requested booking is in a non-teaching or non-intensive period, casual booking requests can be made for spaces at times when no teaching activity is timetabled in the space. (14) In exceptional circumstances, an event of strategic importance to the University (internal or external) may displace a learning or teaching activity. To minimise disruption, bookings in this category (e.g. Explore Days) may be incorporated in the development of the class timetable. (15) When scheduling classes, the Timetable Team will consider institutional, staffing and student constraints. The Timetable Procedure lists these constraints. (16) A period of two hours per week will be kept free for non-teaching purposes such as meetings and student activities. The day and time will be the same across the University. Exceptions may be approved where constraints on timetabling make it necessary to schedule a class in the class-free period. (17) Where a class needs a specialised teaching space, equipment or software, the enterprise timetabling system will prioritise the class in the specialised space during scheduling. (18) The Timetable Procedure states requirements for preparing the University's timetable. (19) The Director, Student Administration or their nominee will issue a detailed schedule of dates and requirements for preparing the timetable. These dates will align with data availability and the time required to create and publish the timetable. (20) Staff involved in preparing the timetable must comply with the schedule and requirements. (21) Where a space has been timetabled: (22) Classes must vacate the space by five minutes before the hour at which the booking ends. (23) If two parties arrive to use a space in the same time slot, the party with the scheduled activity in the enterprise timetabling system is entitled to use the space and the other party must vacate it promptly. (24) Where a space is found to be unused once, the user must provide an explanation. Where a user is found not to have used a timetabled space repeatedly, the space may be reassigned after consultation. (25) The Timetable Procedure provides more details of these consequences. (26) Classes should be scheduled during core teaching days. Where this is not possible, scheduling of an activity on a Saturday or Sunday may be approved within scope of the current Enterprise Agreement. Approval will only be given for the following reasons: (27) The timetable comprises only on-campus classes. Accordingly, staff who set classes for online subject offerings must: (28) To reduce the impact or inconvenience to students, changes to the published timetables must be kept to a minimum. It is the responsibility of school and faculty staff to ensure the information used to prepare the University timetable is accurate and subsequent changes are only made for valid reasons. Valid reasons for changes are listed in the Timetable Procedure. (29) The Manager, Timetable and Completion will review a decision on assignment of a space in the timetable or in a casual room booking, if the requester asks for it to be reviewed. (30) Where the review decision of the Manager, Timetable and Completion does not satisfy one of the parties, an appeal will be assessed by the Director, Student Administration. (31) The Timetable Procedure states detailed requirements for timetabling and casual booking of spaces. (32) Nil. (33) For the purposes of this policy:Timetable Policy
Section 1 - Purpose
Scope
Top of PageSection 2 - Policy
Timetabling principles
Timetabling approval authorities
Officer or body
Authority
Director, Student Administration
Approves the use of systems or processes other than the enterprise timetabling system for scheduling or casual bookings.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Executive Dean/Executive Director*
Approves the displacement of classes for other events.
Executive Dean/Executive Director*
Approves the scheduling of classes during the class-free period, with the endorsement of the Head of School.
Executive Dean/Executive Director*
Approves the scheduling of classes outside of core teaching hours, with the endorsement of the Head of School.
Head of School
Approves scheduling constraints for part-time or casual staff members’ availability to teach.
Executive Dean/Executive Director*
Approves scheduling constraints for full-time staff members’ availability to teach.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
Approves the scheduling of classes on non-core teaching days.
Head of School or Associate Head of School
Approves changes to the published timetable as per the process stated in the procedure.
Executive Dean/Executive Director*
Approves changes to the published timetable as per the process stated in the procedure.
*Executive Director of the teaching division, for courses and subjects managed by divisions.
Learning and teaching space
Enterprise timetabling system
Priorities for use of learning and teaching spaces
Timetabling constraints
Class-free period
Specialised spaces
Preparation and publication of the timetable
Adherence to the timetable and casual bookings
Timing of teaching and online learning activities
Changes to the published timetable
Review of scheduled space
Section 3 - Procedure
Section 4 - Guidelines
Section 5 - Glossary
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