A Comprehensive View of Undergraduate-Class Scheduling Practice, Policy, Data Use, and Technology

Academic Policy
Academic Scheduling
Interpretation and Application of Data
Registration & Records
Research
Special Topics
Student Academic Records and Academic Policy
Coursedog

AACRAO is pleased to announce the release of its most recent report, A Comprehensive View of Undergraduate-Class Scheduling Practice, Policy, Data Use, and Technology.

AACRAO is pleased to announce the release of its most recent report, A Comprehensive View of Undergraduate-Class Scheduling Practice, Policy, Data Use, and Technology. This report, and the research supporting it, represents a continuation of AACRAO’s partnership with Coursedog to investigate and benchmark institutional practices related to back-office academic operations and student success.

The benchmark report shines a spotlight on factors related to building the class schedule, characteristics of student-centric schedules, and the use of data to inform the class schedule. All of these factors are critical to understanding how the class schedule does or does not serve students. Data indicates that class scheduling remains one of the last holdouts in higher education to embrace student-centric practices. This report will help institutions evaluate where and how their scheduling processes can be improved and optimized for student success.

Key Findings:

At 78% of institutions, faculty preference remains a strong influence in determining when, where and in what delivery modality undergraduate classes will be offered.
Only 27% of respondents agree or strongly agree with the statement, “Our institution engages in student-centered class scheduling.”
Fewer than half of respondents have, and use, an undergraduate class-scheduling software.

For most undergraduate-serving institutions, class scheduling is a complex process that involves numerous factors contributing to when, how, and where a class is scheduled. Furthermore, overcoming the driving forces of faculty availability and preference means surmounting a great deal of inertia tied to historical practice, policies, and the limited use of available data to understand student class-scheduling needs. AACRAO advocates for the use of data-driven decision making and recommends the use of data to initiate discussions to move toward student-centric undergraduate-class scheduling practices.

Download the full report to learn more key insights and recommendations to ensure your institution is operating in a way that truly benefits students.

Unless otherwise noted in a specific report, the AACRAO member institution size, type and control categories are based on the following definitions and sources:

The enrollment value used to delineate the institution's size category is defined as full-time enrollment plus 1/3 of part-time enrollment and is based on the enrollment reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).