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Timetabling and Room Booking Policy 2011/2012

These documents are definitive!

Last updated by Dr Kate Davies, Deputy Registrar (Academic), January 2011.

1. Principles that Underpin the Timetabling and Room Booking Policy

1. The primary commitment is to support the delivery of the student learning experience at the highest levels of quality within the University's resource constraints.
2. To ensure that students are taught in the most appropriate learning accommodation.
3. To optimise the effective management and use of the University's learning space.
4. To deliver personalised timetables both for staff and students.
5. To provide user friendly and timely timetable and room booking information to students and staff via the web.
6. To provide a unified approach to timetabling and room booking across the University using one system, Syllabus Plus.
7. To support all staff who in different roles contribute to the creation and production of the University's teaching timetable.

2. Bookable Teaching Space

1. Bookable Teaching Space refers to the list of rooms identified within the Room Management System which are primarily used for teaching activities but may also be used for internal and external meetings. In addition it includes the two main meeting rooms in Main House, and a meeting room in the library at Newton Park which are used for ad hoc bookings. The current list of rooms is given in Appendix 1.
2. Bookable Teaching Space includes rooms on the Newton Park and Culverhay campuses, Chapel Arts Centre, Burdall's Yard, Dartmouth Avenue together with a small number of rooms at Sion Hill and Corsham Court. It does not include rooms on any other of the University's sites.
3. Requests for room bookings at Sion Hill (for rooms not included in the list of bookable teaching space), The Circus and Dartmouth Avenue should be directed to the School Administrator, Bath School of Art and Design.
4. The Room Management System is the University's space database and all room numbers, area and capacities should be sourced from this definitive database.
5. All bookable teaching space is recorded in Syllabus Plus, so that the University's room frequency and occupancy figures are as accurate as possible.

3. Teaching Times and Staff Availability

1. The core teaching day for undergraduate programmes is from 9am to 7pm, Monday to Thursday and 9am to 6pm on Friday. Some Postgraduate programmes may be timetabled up until 9pm, Monday to Thursday.
2. Teaching slots should commence on the hour and should finish by 10 minutes to the hour so that students and staff have sufficient time to move between teaching locations. Rooms should also be returned to their original configuration ready for the next occupants.
3. Every effort will be made to minimize the number of classes scheduled on Wednesday afternoons, and no lectures for compulsory modules will be scheduled.
4. Efforts will be made to accommodate staff preferences for timetabling, but this is dependant on other considerations, including the availability of rooms, the availability of students on the degree programme(s) taking the module and the requirement to avoid module clashes, which take priority.

4. Timetable Construction

1. As much of the timetable as possible should be rolled over from the previous year. However, teaching activities will be reviewed each year to allow necessary changes to be accommodated. This will allow the University to retain sufficient flexibility to allow it to enhance the portfolio of modules/programmes offered, and to accommodate changes in teaching space and staffing resources.
2. Standard delivery patterns should be used wherever possible (i.e. same day/time each week or alternate weeks).
3. Rooms should only be timetabled for the exact time, day and weeks required.
4. Teaching takes precedence over one-off bookings during teaching weeks (excepting University events as agreed). Year-long teaching takes precedence over shorter periods of teaching (i.e.1-2 weeks only)
5. During scheduled examination dates Examinations will have priority usage.
6. All teaching activities that students are required to take as part of their programme, including one-off requests, must be recorded in Syllabus Plus. This is so that students get their timetable from a single source. This will also enable the University to quantify all teaching activities so that frequency and occupancy rates are accurate.
7. Full-time undergraduate students should normally be available to attend University on all five days of the working week, between 9 am and 7 pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am and 6pm on Friday. The University will endeavour to ensure that students are not expected to attend more than three consecutive hours of teaching without a break.
8. Access to rooms for staff and students with a disability is a priority and their requirements must be identified as early in the data creation processes as possible. Every effort will be made to respond positively to their requirements.
9. In allocating rooms the following criteria will be considered:
   • the match of class size to room size - larger cohorts will be given priority over smaller;
   • the duration of activity - longer duration events will have priority over shorter;
   • activities that follow a regular pattern will be given priority over those without a regular pattern;
   • the specialist facilities (if any) required for the activities matching to those available in the room;
   • the match of students and staff with a disability to appropriate available learning space.

5. Staff Responsibilities

1. All Academic and administrative staff have an individual responsibility to:
   • follow the annual timetabling process and submit timetabling requests and other timetable information in the format and at the times and dates requested by the Student Administration Advisor (Timetabling and Exams) or the Timetabling Coordinator and Deputy Registrar (Academic). Key dates in the timetabling process for the construction of the 2011/12 academic timetable are given in Appendix 2.
   • check thoroughly the timetables sent out by the Student Administration Advisor (Timetabling and Exams) or the Timetabling Coordinator. Inaccuracies must be reported immediately to the Student Administration Advisor (Timetabling and Exams), Timetabling Coordinator or Deputy Registrar (Academic).
   • adhere to the latest version of the published timetable.
   • report immediately to the Timetabling Coordinator when rooms they have booked are no longer needed.
2. Staff must not use rooms they perceive to be free of teaching without first requesting use of the room from the Student Administration Advisor (Timetabling and Exams) or Timetabling Coordinator. Rooms may be empty for a number of reasons, and may well be timetabled for use in future weeks.

6. Requests for Timetable Changes

1. Requests for changes to the timetable after the agreed date for publication must be kept to a minimum. Changes arising from unforeseen circumstances after that date must be approved by the Head of School and the Deputy Registrar (Academic). Valid reasons for late changes include:
   • new and late staff appointments/withdrawals;
   • health, safety and emergency issues;
   • modules with insufficient numbers or unforeseen expansions;
   • reasonable adjustments to cope with student's special needs.
2. Student Administration Services is responsible for communicating late changes to students. The web will always reflect the most up-to-date version of the student timetable.
3. Provided reasonable notice is given, the Student Administration Advisor (Timetabling and Exams) or the Timetabling Coordinator reserve the right to move a class to a different location. The reason for the change will be communicated to the affected Department.

7. Ad hoc Room Bookings

1. Rooms not required for teaching may be booked by University staff and students for ad hoc purposes.
2. Ad hoc bookings should not be used for teaching activities as the activities will not be reflected in the online timetable, nor appear in our usage statistics. Ad hoc bookings should not be made as 'cover' i.e. for the just in case scenario. Similarly rooms should not be block booked or booked for more hours than is necessary. All block ad hoc booking requests will be referred to the Deputy Registrar (Academic) by the Student Administration Advisor (Timetabling and Exams) or Timetabling Coordinator, for her approval.
3. Ad hoc bookings taking place in term time will be scheduled after the timetable has been published.
4. All requirements for teaching activities in the evenings or at weekends should be dealt with at the same time and in the same manner as other teaching activities.
5. University staff and student requirements for evening and weekend bookings and out of term bookings should be directed to the Student Administration Advisor (Timetabling and Exams) or Timetabling Coordinator
6. All requirements for evening and weekend bookings not directly related to University students, staff or activities should be directed to the Student Administration Advisor (Timetabling and Exams) or Timetabling Coordinator in the first instance.
7. The University's requirements for rooms and facilities take priority over any external persons wanting to use the rooms.
8. The use of the University's rooms and facilities by external bodies must be compatible with the University's mission statement.
9. All room bookings must adhere to the University's Policy on Freedom of Speech.

8. Penalty System

1. To support the better management of space, by ensuring that booked teaching space is being used, a continuous room audit process will be carried out by Student Services staff throughout the year beginning in January 2011. The audit will be carried out each week on a random basis and each building will be audited at least five times during the calendar year.
2. Room usage will be compared against bookings and it is proposed that a fine of £100 per hour be applied in situations where a room was booked but found not to be in use at the time of the audit.
3. A School based fines list will be complied and on issue of the list Schools will be given two weeks to clarify why an event did not take place and to give valid reasons for non use. An example of a valid reason for non use is staff sickness.
4. Finishing an event early will not be accepted as a valid reason, for example if a room is booked for a 2 hour seminar and the event finishes after 1 hour and 10 minutes then a School would be fined for the second hour. If the event finished after 1 hour 35 minutes then finishing early in this case would be accepted.

Appendix 1 - Bookable Teaching Space

Campus:	Room Code:	Room Description:	Seating Capacity:	Area m2:
Burdall's Yard	BY.ZONE 1	Performing Arts Studio	25
	BY.ZONE 2	Performing Arts Studio	25
Corsham Court	CC.F.24	Conference Room	40
	CC.F.27	Seminar Room 1	12
	CC.F.28	Seminar Room 2	10
	CC.F.32	Humanities and Cultural Industries Seminar Room	20
	CC.F.39	Chinese Room	20
	CC.GW.F.1	Seminar Room	30
Chapel Arts Centre	CHAPEL ARTS	Performing Arts Studio	30
Culverhay	CV.HB.101	Seminar room: Music	20	113
	CV.HB.102	Seminar room: English	30	105
	CV.HB.103	Seminar room: MFL	20	80
	CV.HB.104	Seminar room: RE/History	30	107
	CV.HB.105	ICT room	26	98
	CV.HB.G01	Seminar room: Maths	30	106
Dartmouth Avenue	DARTMOUTH AVENUE	Art Studios	50	113
Newton Park	NP.AN.G01	Dance studio	30	150
	NP.AN.G15	Drama studio	30	66
	NP.ART SHED	Art Studio	25	60
	NP.CE.101	Seminar room	25	39
	NP.CE.201	Seminar room	25	40
	NP.CE.G01	Seminar room	20	40
	NP.CN.108	Seminar room	35	68
	NP.CN.109	Student Group Study Room	10	37
	NP.CN.114	ICT room	18	43
	NP.CN.G06	Laboratory - physics	25	80
	NP.CN.G14	ICT room	20	47
	NP.CP.101	ICT room	30	87
	NP.CP.103	ICT room	30	87
	NP.CP.G11	FDCM Studio	15	87
	NP.CP.G12	Seminar room	30	87
	NP.DY.G01	Publishing Lab	18	27
	NP.DY.G03	Publishing Lab	18	27
	NP.DY.G07	Seminar room	25	27
	NP.DY.G10	Seminar room	25	30
	NP.GH.201	Broadcast Media Lab	17	27
	NP.LY.G03	Meeting Room	10	15
	NP.MH.111	Seminar room	40	37
	NP.MH.G15	Board Room	40	81
	NP.MT.101	Piano Room	5	12
	NP.MT.G01	Auditorium	200	148
	NP.MT.G02	Small teaching room	5	17
	NP.MT.G18	Small Seminar room	10	17
	NP.MT.G22	Small Seminar room	10	32
	NP.MT.G30	Gallery	20	183
	NP.NA.G01	Seminar room	30	60
	NP.NA.G02	Seminar room	30	60
	NP.NA.G03	Seminar room	30	60
	NP.NE.101	Seminar room	140	140
	NP.NE.105	Seminar room	30	58
	NP.NE.111	Seminar room	30	58
	NP.NE.203	Seminar room	30	50
	NP.NE.209	Seminar room	30	51
	NP.NE.G02	Seminar room	80	98
	NP.NE.G08	Seminar room	30	81
	NP.NE.G13	Seminar room	30	71
	NP.SN.G01	Lecture theatre	72	83
	NP.SN.G08	Seminar room	30	59
	NP.SN.G10	Seminar room	30	52
	NP.SN.G11	Seminar room	30	48
	NP.SN.G11a	Seminar room	30	48
	NP.SN.G14	ICT Room	32	105
	NP.SN.G15	ICT Room	16	91
	NP.ST.103	Seminar room	45	64
	NP.ST.106	Seminar room	45	70
	NP.ST.G03	Seminar room	25	64
	NP.ST.G17	Seminar room	30	64
	NP.TE.105	Laboratory - ecology and physiology	20	86
	NP.TE.G04	Laboratory - biology	25	86
	NP.TE.G07	Meeting Room	8	37
	NP.TN.101	Seminar room	40	105
	NP.TN.115	Music Tech Studio	16	105
	NP.TN.116	Music Tech Studio	17	105
	NP.TN.G17	Seminar room	40	105
	NP.UT.112	Studio	25	95
	NP.UT.113	Studio	25	104
	NP.UT.G01	Auditorium	170	235
	NP.UT.G06	Studio	25	74
	NP.UT.G07	Entrance/Break-out space	15	109
	NP.WE.G01	Laboratory - chemistry	25	89
NP.WE.G02	Laboratory - microbiology	25	87
Sion Hill	SH.MB.LG23	Lecture theatre	200	138

Appendix 2 - Key Dates for the Construction of the 2011/12 Academic Timetable

Deadlines:	Action:
1 February	Role forward 'cleaned' version of 2010/11 timetable and create new database for 2011/12
1 March	Confirmation of 2011/12 subject/programme timetables by academic staff
11 March	First draft of timetable published - staff to review
4 April	Guides to Year 2 & 3 Modules 2011/12 made available to students (online)
11 April	Student Portal opens to allow current students to select modules
12 May	Student Portal closes
20 May	Transfer student module selection data to Syllabus Plus
30 June	Allocate students to modules
1 July	Second draft of timetable published - staff to review
31 July	Individual Timetables available online for returning students
31 August	Make final changes to the timetable
1 September	Publish final timetable
28 September	Year 1 students select modules
30 September	Individual Timetables available online for Year 1 students