Common Timetabling Platform

Rebecca Warren – Project Manager

Kate Steele – School Administrator, Economics, Finance & Management

Sophy Sidnell – Timetabling Implementation Officer

Agenda

• Project Overview

• Timetabler’s Overview

• System Tour

• Plans For 08/09

• Questions and Answers

What are we doing?

• A three year project to create LOCALLY controlled electronic timetabling and room booking

• Enabling current staff with the expertise in a Department/School/Faculty to more effectively meet LOCAL needs using electronic timetabling

• Using Syllabus Plus Enterprise Suite• Project signed off by UPARC and committed to

by your Dean

Key Milestones2007/08• All teaching space bookings recorded on the system – web views

available

2008/09• Pilot departments using full student timetabling on Enterprise• Others timetabling with staff and student sets• Staff online and Calendar timetables by end 2009

2009/10• All departments using full student timetabling• Online personalised timetables available to students by end 2010• Integration with other systems (e.g. Portal)

What are we NOT doing?

• The project will NOT centralise timetabling!

• Nor will it change control of space

• Or change things for the sake of it

Who are we?

• Project Manager (Rebecca Warren)• Project Assistant (Mo Morris)• Timetabling Implementation Officer (Sophy Sidnell)• Business Analyst (Caroline Griffin)• Standards Group Leads – Kate Steele, Chris Willmore

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/timetabling

Project Management Group

Chair: Derek Telling

Members: Prof E Dagless, Derek Telling, Rebecca Warren, Paula Coonerty, Sandy Kemlo, Lynn Robinson, Tim Phillips, Chris Willmore

Members: Luke Taylor, Rebecca Warren, Caroline Griffin, Chris Willmore, Kate Steele, Sophy Sidnell + faculty representation

IS Working Group Standards Working Group

Change Management Working Group

Customisation System Integration System Support

Lead: Luke Taylor Rebecca Warren Steve Pass Simon Speight Jenny Cleeve Andrew Dixon Tony Musotsi Sophy Sidnell Paul Robinson

Software Standards Process Re-design Training

Lead: Derek Telling Rebecca Warren Kate Steele Alison Leach Sophy Sidnell Others tbc

Academic Focus/Quality Assurance Group Chair: Mark Allinson

EDUCATION STRATEGY FINANCE STRATEGY RESEARCH STRATEGY I.S. STRATEGY ESTATES STRATEGY

Mora McCallum Gina Stuart Sylvia Elliott Jean Parr-Burman Tim Obey Brian Stollery Judith Anstee Paul Robinson Gail Parker Lesley Barry

Christine James Sue Kriefman Trish Parker Andrew Dixon Simon Speight Kim Bown Sophy Sidnell Mike White Helen Craven Frankie Macmillan Janet Woolway Allen Sally Burrell

Members: Mark Gilbertson Giles Brown Others tbc

Project Support

Stakeholder Analysis Communication Strategy

User Support Testing Data Collection/Entry Data Verification Lead: Rebecca Warren Sophy Sidnell Mo Morris

Lead: Chris Willmore Caroline Griffin Jenny Cleeve Jane Coles Kate Steele Nicola Kerry David Brown Mo Morris Rebecca Staatz Rebecca Warren Jessica Inglis Sarah Greenaway

Project Board Chair: Prof. Waterman-Pearson

Why are we doing it?

• To provide online staff and student timetables and integration with other systems

• To improve staff satisfaction with the timetabling process, making it easier for timetablers to accommodate teaching staff and students’ individual requirements

• To gain a better understanding of space usage and inform future capital and recurrent spend on teaching space

• To provide better disaster recovery for teaching space

A timetabler’s perspective

how to throw away the paper and pens and still stay sane

Kate SteeleSchool of Economics, Finance and Management

EFM timetabling over the years

• the olden days: a month in Cornwall

• 1999 – 2004 paper, pens, post-it notes

• 2005-06 implemented Syllabus Plus (S+) – rooms and staff only

• 2006-07 – added students

• 2007-08 – students’ timetables on web

• 2008-09 – staff timetables on web

Committed resources

• 1 x senior administrator

• 1 x IT officer

• 2 days’ Scientia training course

• support & knowledge from other Depts

• 1 x day’s dedicated consultancy from Scientia

• Scientia help-desk support

Planning, planning, planning

Modules

Programme of study

Activity templates

LEC x 1

EXL x 2

CLN x 1

TUT x 1

COMP x 1

x 23 groups

x 12 groups

Teaching plans

• WHO teaches what? – teaching loads

• WHEN are they available – constraints

• WHAT do they like? - preferences

• HOW do they teach? - patterns

• WHEN do they teach? - timings

Univ Week

Week begins Lectures

Exercise Lectures Tutorials

Timetabled Clinics

Course work hand

in NotesS+

week no

2 hours 1 hour 1 hour

0 29.9.08 9

1 6.10.08 LEC1 10

2 13.10.08 LEC2 EXL1 T1 x 6 Exercise lecture and tutorials to 11

3 20.10.08 LEC3 T2 x 6 be after the lecture 12

4 27.10.08 LEC4 EXL2 T3 x 6 13

5 3.11.08 LEC5 T4 x 6 14

6 10.11.08 EXL3 T5 x 6 Essay 15

7 17.11.08 LEC6 T6 x 6 16

8 24.11.08 LEC7 EXL4 T7 x 6 17

9 1.12.08 LEC8 T8 x 6 18

10 8.12.08 LEC9 EXL5 T9 x 6 19

20-23

11 12.1.09 LEC10 24

12 19.1.09 T10 x 6 Essay 25

Unit title:

Unit code:

Unit Director:

Christmas vacation

Massimo Molinani, Raul Crespo, Hector ValleTutor(s):

Intermediate Microeconomics

ECON21133

Dr Francesco Giovannoni

Dr Francesco GiovannoniLecturer(s):

Aut

umn

Ter

m

Tea

chin

g B

lock

1

Benefits:Academics, Administrators, Students

• single, comprehensive information system

• detailed, accurate information

• desktop availability to all admin staff

• online timetables for staff, students

• easy to see possible alternative slots

• easy to change student options

• dispenses with indispensibility

• feeds Blackboard and new Student Feedback System

• guaranteed 2 research days for academics

• easy to accommodate special constraints

• academics can get live class lists

• easy to export information e.g. for Faculty room requests; analysis; etc

• better use of rooms (alternative slots)

• roll-over year on year

• direct imports from SiTS, datahub

So if it’s that brilliant why hasn’t everyone done it?

• requires cultural shift

• initial set-up is resource-intensive and painful

• complex and demanding system

• all consuming activity

• requires last minute leap of faith

Scientia Enterprise Suite

Sophy Sidnell

Timetabling Implementation Officer

Enterprise Foundation Suite

Scientia Database

Enterprise Reference Data

Manager

Enterprise Reference Data

Manager

Enterprise Course Planner

Enterprise Course Planner

Enterprise TimetablerEnterprise Timetabler

Syllabus Plus

Enterprise Course Planner

Enterprise Timetabler

Reference Data Manager

What will you need to do?• Now – ensure that your unit and programme

information has been returned, check the timetablers’ list and start thinking about your individual circumstances

• January – follow up on staff availability information• March/April – 2-day training course for all timetablers• May – Central room requests via the system• June onwards – timetabling using the system

Any questions?

(and answers)