Academic Planning

The Office of the Registrar and the Office of Academic Affairs work in partnership with the colleges and departments to facilitate the scheduling of academic classes. Standard policies and guidelines are followed to optimally utilize classrooms and provide a consistent registration experience for students.

CourseLeaf Section Scheduler (CLSS) streamlines data entry for departments. The tool is used for everything from inputting, editing, validating, approving, and updating course offerings in the class schedule. Each academic department has a team of Schedulers who work with this tool to build the course schedule. CLSS User Guides may be found under the Resources section of this webpage.

• Single Sign-On credentials are required for login

• CLSS Course Scheduling: https://nextcatalog.tamusa.edu/wen/

Schedule Building Timeline

Meeting Patterns

To maximize classroom utilization, standard class meeting patterns and times must be adhered to. Meeting patterns are built into CLSS and will be available based on meeting type.

Non-standard start/stop times disadvantage students who may not be able to add courses to their schedule due to time conflicts. Additionally, off-grid sections may have adverse effects on a student's enrollment verification, Coordinating Board census dates, and students on financial aid. 

Departments may use the User Defined feature in CLSS to submit and request new timebands. All requests for off-grid sections will be routed to the Strategic Scheduling Team for approval. Department chairs should contact Academic Affairs for more information.

Instruction Method

There are four instruction method codes used in Banner. They include:

Classroom Assignments

Classroom scheduling is a dynamic process requiring reevaluation of class size, equipment specifications, and pedagogical changes each term. Classroom scheduling practices are greatly enhanced with the use of standardized class meeting day and time patterns. Additionally, departments are expected to distribute their MWF and TR classes equitably throughout the week.

Classroom assignments are completed by the Registrar's Office, but classroom preferences can be noted in CLSS in the "Additional Comments" section. Use the Room Attributes features to request specific room types, such as computer classrooms and science labs. 

While every attempt will be made to assign classrooms as requested, the Office of the Registrar cannot guarantee assignments due to conflicting requests and limited classroom resources. Every effort is made to ensure that classrooms are assigned fairly, used appropriately, and accommodates the University's academic and instructional needs.

Room Capacity

Seating capacity has been determined in accordance with state and city safety regulations. Make sure that your enrollment cap for the course is no higher than the total student seat capacity of the room you've requested. If it appears that student demand will surpass the scheduled room, departments should contact CourseLeafHelp@tamusa.edu immediately, before the class grows too large, to determine if alternate space is available. 

Questions regarding room capacity should be sent to Hoyt Garner (hgarner@tamusa.edu)

Computer Classrooms

There are a limited number of computer classrooms available. The Registrar’s Office will attempt to accommodate as many requests as possible. 

Location

The location, usually an on-campus building and room, indicates where the class will meet. If the location is "TBA", refer to the course comment below the section information or contact the department offering the course.

General Information

Resources

CourseLeaf CLSS Support (Login required): https://luc.courseleaf.com/help/clss/

Academic Terms

Specific dates for each academic term can be found on the Academic Calendar. When building a course schedule all terms will be listed as Full Term (FT) unless otherwise noted. Options include:

Assigning Faculty to Classes Early

Departments should assign faculty early in the schedule building process. Attempts will be made to try to assign the instructor in the same classroom or at least in the same building. Reports identifying classes with no assigned faculty will be sent to the department one week before classes begin. 

Study Days

Each fall and spring semester, two days are designated as Study Days. Classes do not meet during Study Days. Furthermore, Study Days should not be used as dates on which papers are to be turned in, examinations are to be given, quizzes are to be scheduled, mandatory review sessions are to be held, or for any other class-related activities, other than office hours. Voluntary review sessions at which no new material is presented may be conducted by faculty on these days. There are no Study Days during the summer semester or shortened semesters.

Important Terms

Strategic Scheduling Team

The Strategic Scheduling Team is responsible for developing recommendations to modify/improve the existing course scheduling guidelines, including scheduling grids, production timelines, and others initiatives in place to support an efficient course schedule.