Senate Bill No. 0203-05
University Senate
University at Albany
State University of New York
Introduced by:
Educational Policies Council
Date:
April 24, 2003
Modification of starting times for courses meeting in standard
time zones
It is hereby proposed that the following be adopted
1.
1. That the starting time for standard time-zones used for
the scheduling of semester courses be revised as follows:
a. a. Courses meeting MWF begin at 8:15am rather than
8:00am
b. b. Courses meeting TTH begin at 8:45am rather than 8:15am
c. c. That the starting time for courses in the standard time
zones be adjusted accordingly (see attached)
2.
2. That this change become effective with the Fall 2004
semester.
3.
3. That the EPC establish a review cycle for the purpose of
considering modifications to the standard time-zones for three
credit courses.
4.
4. That this bill be referred to the President for approval.
BACKGROUND:
The Office of the Registrar issues guidelines each semester
regarding “Available Time-Zones for Semester Course Scheduling”.
Those guidelines state, in part, “Classes are scheduled according to set
‘time-zone patterns’ in order to avoid student/course-schedule conflicts
within a department and school, and on a university-wide basis. These
‘time-zone patterns’ also allow greater academic space utilization, thus
enabling the university to make maximum use of its academic
facilities.”
The basic semester time-zones for 3 credit courses distributed
with the above guidelines provides for 32 standard time zones. The
proposed revision will include 36 standard time zones, and provides
additional standard time zones for courses meeting once or twice a
week, as follows:
Three credit Courses meeting 3 times per week: (six time zones)
MWF
8:15-9:10am
9:20-10:15am
10:25-
11:20am
11:30am-12:25pm
12:35-1:30pm
1:40-
2:35pm
Three credit courses meeting 2 times per week (12 time zones)
TTH
8:45-10:05am
10:15-11:35am
11:45am-1:05pm
1:15-2:35pm
2:45-4:05pm
4:15-
5:35pm
5:45-7:05pm
7:15-8:35pm
MW
2:45-4:05pm
4:15-5:35pm
5:45-7:05pm
7:15-8:35pm
Three credit courses meeting once per week (18 time zones)
M/T/W/TH/F
2:45-5:35pm
4:15-7:05pm
M/T/W/TH
5:45-8:35pm
7:15-10:05pm
It should be noted that courses are scheduled on the basis of the
requests submitted by the school/college/department and the
individual educational programs and needs of these respective units.
This proposal of the standard time-zones for three credit courses does
not limit the current flexibility for scheduling courses. Studio courses,
mini-courses, beginning languages meeting 4 or 5 days a week, four-
hour seminars, one hour discussion sections linked with a lecture
course, laboratory courses, and all other forms of “non-standard” time-
zones will continue.
RATIONALE
The University’s Official Schedule of Classes dates back
several decades, and there is little knowledge of how some
of its idiosyncratic features came to be. The proposed
adjustment to the schedule is intended to spread activity
more evenly across the week, reducing peak demands on
classrooms and parking, and increasing the range of
choices for students and faculty.
Why change the Basic Semester Time-Zones for 3-
Credit Courses?
Demand for classrooms is excessively
concentrated on TTH and in the late morning and
early afternoon. The University has insufficient
classroom capacity at these critical times.
Demand for bus seats and parking spaces is
excessively concentrated in the same periods,
causing frustration and late arrivals in classes.
Because classes are concentrated on TTH and in
the late morning and early afternoon, students have
less effective choice of courses, because they often
find that several of the courses that they want or
need to take are scheduled at the same time.
Enrollment and attendance are low at classes that
start at 8:00 AM and at 8:15 AM
Many graduate instructors and students like one
class a week, with a break in the middle. The official
version of the list of Current Time Zones does not
allow for 3-hour classes, but de facto such classes
exist and have been scheduled for many years. De
facto approval has long been granted for evening 3-
hour classes starting at 4:15, 5:45 and 7:15 PM, and
their inclusion in the following table recognizes that
practice.
For lower division undergraduate classes,
attendance at Friday afternoon classes is often low.
Though some instructors prefer three short classes
a week (MWF), most prefer a two- or one-class per week
format.
Though there are no gaps on the current MWF
schedule beyond the 10 minutes assumed necessary to
move between successive classes, the current TTH
schedule has gaps from 12:35 to 1:00 PM and from 3:50
to 4:15 PM. Closing up these gaps permits a later start
in the morning, making the first class more attractive to
most faculty and students.
Insufficient scheduling options are available for
quarter courses, especially when a large classroom is
needed.
What principles have been used in preparing the
adjusted version of the schedule?
The official schedule of classes and standard time-
zones are intended to minimize timetable clashes
and overlaps for faculty and students, and to
facilitate the organization of exams. Nevertheless, it
is recognized that arrangements can be, and often
are, varied for small classes and special
circumstances. Such arrangements are negotiated
between the Registrar’s Office and academic
departments.
Changes to the official schedule should be small.
Major changes, for example shifting to a MWTH and
TF schedule, would disrupt faculty and students’
established routines.
Changes should spread demand for classes,
classrooms and parking more evenly across the
week.
Changes should increase the scheduling choices available to both
faculty and students.
