Evening and Saturday Master Course Schedule
The discussion of a coordinated evening class schedule was in response to pressure from outside the University to have consistent times and provide an opportunity for students to take two courses in one evening. There was feedback that other institutions are able to do this and appear more responsive to students. Additionally, it was discovered in creating the spring schedule that there were general education courses overlapping by 15-30 minutes due to variations in scheduling by departments. There are many reasons to move to a coordinated evening schedule including points listed below.
- Expands our market to include more part-time and working students.
- Provides an opportunity for students to enroll in two classes in an evening making us more competitive.
- Creates a general education pathway with greater enrollment flexibility.
- Encourages students to move from one discipline to another to fulfill program requirements and promote interdisciplinary education.
- Provides greater potential for marketing and ease of advising.
- Promotes greater consistency of class contact minutes.
Departments coordinate course offerings according to the established patterns to realize the greatest potential for students to take two classes in one evening using a combination of course times and deliveries. Classes that are more or less than three credit hours may end at a different time from the patterns listed but all classes start according to the patterns provided.
|
Evening course Matrix MW or TR (75 Minutes) |
Evening Course Matrix M-F (150 Minutes) |
|---|---|
| 4:00-5:15pm | 4:00-6:45pm |
| 5:30-6:45pm | 5:30-8:15pm |
| 7:00-8:15pm | 7:00-9:45pm |
| 8:30-9:45pm | 8:30-11:15pm |
Standard Meeting Patterns for Saturday Three-Credit Hour Classes
- 9:00-11:45am
- 12:00-2:45pm
- 3:00-5:45pm
| Credit hours | Minutes per week | Minutes per semester |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 min | 750 min |
| 2 | 100 min | 1500 min |
| 3 | 150 min | 2250 min |
| 4 | 200 min | 3000 min |
| 5 | 250 min | 3750 min |
Frequently asked questions
- How can we fit two classes into one evening? The 75 minute meeting times for MW and TR- can be used for blended classes providing
50% of the instruction online while meeting one day a week using the standard times
indicated. Two blended classes could be schedule back to back on the same evening.
Some options to consider for three-credit hour courses with two courses in one evening
are:
- Option 1 - 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. (Traditional) and 8:30 to 9:45 p.m. (50% blended)
- Option 2 - 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. (50% blended) and 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. (50% blended)
- Option 3 - 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. (Traditional) and 8:30 to 11:15 p.m. (Traditional)
- When does the standard scheduling format for evening courses take effect? The standard course patterns were implemented in the Banner system beginning with spring semester 2013.
- How are exception requests handled? Exceptions will be considered by the Provost Office using the Non-Standard Day/Time Permission Form available on the Room Scheduling website.
- Why are we moving to standard evening meeting patterns? Standard patterns demonstrate the University’s responsiveness to non-traditional students and working adults who need courses available in a convenient timeframe. These students demand predictability and well defined degree completion schedules that fit their busy lifestyles.
- Why do the day and evening standard patterns overlap slightly with the 4:00 start times? The overlap was present with the previous informal scheduling pattern and appeared not to cause problems.
- How can a 4:00 p.m. start time be considered appropriate for working adults? While this is a scheduling option, it would not be used for programs serving working adults. Many lab classes use the 4:00 p.m. standard meeting pattern.