Workshop: Timetabling

1
Workshop Timetabling

• Student Rep Conference 2008
• Timetabling Unit

2
First Activity of the workshop Questionnaire

• Please take a few minutes to complete the
  Timetabling Questionnaire.
• We want to know what do you think about your
  timetables, so we can improve our service to you.
  

3
You might recognise this flyer that was handed
out during enrolment
4
General overview

• The Timetabling Unit is part of Student Support
  and Information Systems (SSIS).
• Our objective is to produce workable and
  equitable timetables for the Faculties,
  considering the student body and lecturers
  availability within our limited space and
  resources.
• We produce timetables for Undergraduate,
  Postgraduate, Further Education (FE),
  Professional and other short courses.

5
General Overview

• Timetables are required for approximately 7.575
  teaching events at Derby Campus (KR/BM/MS) and
  around 1698 at Buxton Campus.
• All these sessions have to be allocated into
• 115 classrooms and lecture theatre space and 155
  specialist rooms at Derby (KR/BM/MS) and
• 41 classrooms and lecture theatre space and 56
  specialist rooms at Buxton.

6
From information gathered through previous
campaigns, we learnt that students wanted some
improvements to their timetables, such as
Wednesday afternoons free for activities like
sports and societies, a reduction in the number
of changes to their timetables or enough notice
given for those who work or need to arrange
childcare

• The University decided to take a new rules
  approach to timetabling that would be student
  focussed, equitable and use university resources
  more efficiently.
• Consequently a University Timetable Group was
  created and together with representatives and in
  consultation with UDSU, it was decided to set up
  a Timetabling Project agreed by Executive and
  University Senior Management that would aim to
  solve these issues.

7

• This Timetabling Project has established
  challenging but essential rules that will help us
  achieve
• an early release of timetables so you can plan
  your life around your studies
• minimizing the number of changes to published
  timetables
• the best use of our space and resources.

8
Now lets have a go at some timetabling exercises
9
Answers to exercise 1
10
Tuesday 9-11am or Thursday 4-6pm
11
Answer to exercise 2

• First if we consider the rooms capacity you
  will need 3 sessions
• Second rooms and students are available for
  Monday evening, Thursday afternoon and Friday
  morning.
• Third then consider the lecturers availability
• - the Module Leader is only available for two
  possible slots Monday evening (6-9pm) and
  Thursday afternoon (1-4pm)
• - the second lecturer is available for a session
  on Friday morning (10-1pm).

12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
Now that you had an insight into the complexity
involved in timetabling, we want to tell you
about some other issues that affect our work

• Staff constraints
• Our academic body must have a balanced
  working week that not only has to fit within
  their personal availability and other teaching
  commitments, it also has to allow necessary time
  for them to engage in research, so they can
  enrich their service to you.

15
Other issues

• Expansion and Resource Development
• When the University engages in projects such
  us constructing new buildings or extending the
  car park, it must first consider costs vs.
  benefits aspects of each operation.
• For example if additional teaching space is
  urgently required, taking into consideration that
  obtaining planning permission can take a few
  years, the University could seek an immediate
  solution such us renting the space. Even though
  this option might seem cheaper, it will be more
  costly in the long run as this is only a
  temporary solution.

16
Other issues

• Projects like the Refenestration which the
  University is carrying on at Britannia Mill and
  Kedleston Road sites might be seen as disruptive
  by some students and staff, but this is necessary
  work that must be undertaken to maintain our
  buildings in good conditions and to improve our
  provision to current and future students.

17
Whats next

• For the Phase 1 of the Timetabling Project, the
  0809 timetables were shaped using a rule based
  approach to allocate staff and resources. The
  signed off for the 0809 timetables was mid July.
• The University Executive has directed that the
  Timetabling Project Phase 2 should deliver a
  draft 2009/10 timetable by the end of December
  2008 and a finalised timetable in March 2009. The
  timetable for 0910 will be based on the previous
  0809 timetable.
• This way your timetable will be available four
  months earlier.

18
Finally, do you have any questions about
timetables
19

• Thanks for attending this session.
• Timetabling Unit