Class Meeting Times Compliance
Standard start times for lecture/seminar classes are enforced as a way to minimize conflicts in student schedules and final exams, and to maximize classroom utilization. All lecture/seminar classes meeting Monday through Friday before 5:00 p.m. must be scheduled in compliance with Class Scheduling Policy Statement 17-07 and are closely monitored by Academic Affairs and Academic Scheduling. The Standard Scheduling Grid provides detailed information on class meeting times and should be referred to when deciding on class meeting times.
Classes not in compliance will not appear in the Schedule of Classes, and will not be available for students to enroll. Lab and activity sections are not currently monitored. However, they should also conform to the start times specified above whenever possible so that time conflicts do not prevent students from taking other classes.
Room type is not a consideration when determining compliance. Whether a lecture/seminar class meets in an All-University classroom or college/department proprietary space, it must still follow scheduling policy. The one exception is off-campus classes, which are not monitored at this time.
Exceptions, if any, require approval from Academic Affairs and must be submitted via a Request for Exception to Standard Class Start Timeform found in Faculty and Staff Forms (SSO login required). Classes that receive approval will be coded by Academic Scheduling. The Class Meeting Times Compliance Report (LBSR0689) identifies classes that are scheduled out of compliance.
Requests for exception must be submitted for each semester the class is offered, since the circumstances necessitating the exception will normally change. Departments are expected to make adjustments to their schedule the following term, so the circumstances that justified an exception will have been addressed and an exception will not be necessary.
An approved exception does not guarantee a room assignment. Most daytime meeting patterns continue to be impacted. Scheduling outside of standard times decreases the likelihood of room availability.
| Resource | Where to Access |
|---|---|
| Class Meeting Times Compliance Report (LBSR0689) | CSLink |
| Class Scheduling Policy Statement 17-07 | Policy Statement 17-07 |
| Request for Exception to Standard Class Start Time | Faculty and Staff Forms |
| Standard Scheduling Grid | Standard Scheduling Grid |
During online schedule building by departments/colleges:
- Run the Class Meeting Times Compliance Report (LBSR0689) routinely during schedule building. Depending on the parameters you select, this report will list classes that are out of compliance and classes that have been approved and coded as exceptions.
- Use the Class Meeting Times Compliance Report (LBSR0689) to identify scheduling errors that have placed your class out of compliance. For example:
- Verify am/pm times are correct, that classes are scheduled in the afternoon instead of early morning, e.g. 2:00 p.m. instead of 2:00 a.m.
- Verify classes are scheduled as an academic hour, e.g. 9:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. instead of 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
- Move class start time into compliance. For specific class meeting times, check the Standard Scheduling Grid. This grid shows correct start and end times for lecture/seminar classes offered during the day. It is organized first by contact hours and then days offered.
- Submit a request for exception to Academic Affairs if necessary.
At the end of online schedule building:
- Review your schedule and promptly follow up on any classes that need an exception. Academic Scheduling will delete classes not in compliance without an approved exception before the class schedule is made available to students to view.
After registration begins:
- When adding a new section or changing class meeting days and times, check the Standard Scheduling Grid before submitting a Schedule Change Request.
- Submit Request for Exception to Standard Class Start Time form to Academic Affairs if necessary.
- Indicate on the Schedule Change Request to Academic Scheduling that a request for exception has been sent to Academic Affairs.
- Classes that are out of compliance will not be added to the schedule until an approved exception is received from Academic Affairs.
- Academic Affairs stops considering requests just prior to classes starting for the semester.
Sometimes a class is out of compliance because its contact hours do not match its start time. Pay attention to contact hours and course components. Check the Class Components tab on the “Adjust Class Associations” page in PeopleSoft to confirm contact hours for a class.
- Lecture/Seminar classes are taught one contact hour per week for each unit earned. A 3-unit lecture/seminar class should be offered for 3 hours per week.
- Multiple component courses split their contact hours between the primary and secondary component, e.g. lecture and lab. The lecture section of a multiple component class must start at a standard time. Example: a 3-unit course could have 2 contact hours for the lecture and 2 contact hours for the lab. Only the two contact hours for the lecture should be considered when determining a correct start time.
