SACRAO 2012The New Pony Express: Following the Paperless

Trail

University of Cincinnati

UC, continued•4-year public urban research university

•2 regional colleges

•12 colleges in total, including College of Medicine and

College of Law

•Fall enrollment – 42,421 students

Semester conversion from 4 quarters to 3 semesters

beginning Fall 2012, August 27th

Semester conversion

•Re-envisioned curriculum – not

just calendar/ course conversion

•New course number convention

•Necessitated substantial

changes to the Schedule of

Classes format

Schedule of Classes (SOC)

The Past

•Summer 2005 & Autumn 2005

– the last printing of a schedule

of classes paper document

•Approximately 100-page

newsprint document

•40,000 copies typically printed

for an Autumn edition

Current SOCSearch by

college/discipline

Search by course/class

characteristics

Current SOC

•Flat file from homegrown SIS (UniverSIS) which is

used by web interface

•2005 – 2008 mainframe flat file refreshed twice/week

upon request

•2009 – automated refresh occurs nightly

•Class enrollment is always returned in real time with

a web service

New SOC•New needs rising from semester conversion changes

15ENGL101 ENGL1001

Class attributes, general education requirements,

campus

•“While the hood is up…”

Class format: DL only, hybrids, disparate meeting

dates

Prerequisites, alternate title, professor email, free text

space

Make data more transparent

More frequent updates of the SOC (real time?)

New SOC•What SOC formats are students accustomed to?

•Ohio schools

•The Ohio State University, Miami University, University of Toledo, Kent State

University

•Many use their SIS’s (Banner, Peoplesoft, etc.) SOC template

•Common Query format

•Students can select and search on the characteristics of classes that they

need, rather than navigating a course bulletin-type format

•Allows for more flexibility in searching for classes

•Ease of use for new students, transfers, visiting students

Basics•Term/Session (Flex!)

•Discipline•Level

•Day/Time (broad, no ranges)•Keyword

•Chose not to do an open/closed search

Trends in Scheduling

•DL only

•Class format

UC-Specific Items

•Campus

•Offering College

•Attributes

•Gen Ed

A wealth of information to display to students

How to fit it all in without being overwhelming?

Clickable links, pop-up’s and hovers!

Clickable links

•Use as many links as possible – serves as the SOC’s legend without

taking up space

Pop-up’s

•Provide a lot of information in a small amount of space that the student can

access at will.

Hovers

•Even without clicking on something,

the student alerted to further content

Items of note•Email link for professors•Physical address for building location (more off-campus classes)•Link to campus maps•Ability to display hybrids and disparate meeting dates clearly and accurately•Prerequisite icons•Alternate titles•Free text space

New SOC

CQL tables rather than flat file

•Allow for minimal added stress on SIS

•Updates every 30 minutes

Class enrollment information continues to be real time with a web service

SOC also interfaces with:

•University Bookstore link (Follett’s)

•Syllabi provided by Blackboard link

New Schedule of Classes goes live for 2012 Fall Semester on March 12th!