University Business - July/August 2012 - (Page 71)

In some cases, block times can’t be avoided. Bahret points out that career technical programs have different demands in terms of space and time compared to regular transfer programs. “Auto body might have a three-hour block of time from 9 to noon, but then needs gen ed time in the afternoon,” he says. A scheduling system can help people visualize those demands. Balancing such special requirements is easier when the schedule is in black and white on a grid. It can also help with decisions about substantial changes to a program, such as changing to a four-day schedule, says Brehm. “You can run a simulation to see what the impact will be.” history of teaching in a certain location probably isn’t. When final exams were added to the scheduling system three years ago, campus leaders at Lane were surprised to learn about the jockeying that took place as faculty members tried to move their exam to the beginning of the week so they could leave town, shares Bahret. Outside Interference Accommodating community organizations is another challenge for community college leaders since it might prevent them from utilizing meeting spaces for other purposes. “We maintain those areas because we are a community college and we feel there is a need for that space to be available,” says Honeycutt. On most campuses, use by outside groups is managed as an event in the scheduling system and does not conflict with Policy Power “Scheduling is a very emotional process,” cautions Brehm. “It’s like taxes and religion, you can’t talk about it.” While some courses might have lab requirements that restrict them to certain locations on campus, the human factor is not to be underestimated either. “It takes some craftsmanship on top of the technology to get the results that are needed,” agrees Horvath. “When we first set it up, we thought you would press a button and be done.” But that’s not the way it actually works, he adds. “There is a lot of talking that needs to take place as well.” “Scheduling is three pronged. If you focus on one area it will make it difficult for the other two,” says Brehm, noting that there must be a balance between faculty, student, and facility needs. One place politics enters scheduling is if certain departments have claimed ownership of a set of rooms. At Somerset, academic divisions utilizing their rooms to 70 percent will maintain priority, but if they drop below 70 percent then another division might have access, says Honeycutt. If a department has claimed a block of rooms and prefers to keep them available for ad hoc meetings, removing them from the classroom inventory, it can create the illusion of a lack of space on campus. It is best to keep the general classroom space under the control of the registrar or scheduling manager as much as possible, experts say. Brehm says the decentralized system many higher ed institutions use to build a schedule can make it difficult to utilize classrooms efficiently because of the ownership issue. She advises looking at general classroom space and determining whether there is really a need for a department to “own” it. “Once you start placing restrictions on classes, it makes it difficult to build the schedule,” she says. When faculty members have a desire to teach in the same classroom, or in a location that’s close to their offices, clear policies as well as an appeal process, can help. A scheduling committee composed of representatives from administration and faculty can mediate conflicts. The exception process must be clear to everyone, scheduling experts note. While a physical disability might be a legitimate reason to request rooms that are always on the ground floor, a universitybusiness.com While a physical disability might be a legitimate reason to request rooms that are alWays on the ground floor, a history of teaching in a certain location probably isn’t. academic use. While academic use of campus space is given priority, most outside groups are interested in evening or weekend times anyway. “Summer has become a challenge with special programming for high school students,” acknowledges Horvath. “There is the illusion that there is plenty of space in the summer and then one year it all hit.” Since off-campus users might not be familiar with the facilities, it’s important to review their requests carefully. At Fullerton, smaller rooms open onto one of the large conference rooms. One year Whelchel from Fullerton College found it necessary to contact a user to confirm he had intended to book two small rooms on opposite sides of the main room. She has also learned to put a cushion from half an hour to an hour for clean up and resetting the room between meetings. When construction or renovations are going to take rooms offline, it’s important to remember to consider the impact on outside rentals as well, so the campus events department is prepared. “The word has gotten out in Orange County that we have space to rent,” says Whelchel. “The impact on space is that we got bond money a few years ago and we’re still renovating. One building was torn down and the other was gutted. We’re down two buildings.” July/August 2012 | 71 http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - July/August 2012

University Business - July/August 2012
Contents
Editor’s Note
Ad Index
College Index
Behind the News
Viewpoint
Admissions
Models of Efficiency
Floor Plans
Consulting Guide
Limited Liability
Touch to Begin
A Sound Investment
Voluntary Retirement
Human Resources
Money Matters
What’s New
End Note

University Business - July/August 2012