Amy Martin, associate dean for Student Success Strategic Initiatives, said that over-concentration of classes during the morning and early afternoon, along with low Friday course offerings, is one of the main focuses of the initiative.

“We’re aware that the concentration of classes between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. creates challenges for students,” Martin said. “We want to make sure that students can take the classes they need when they need to take them, while taking into account travel time.”

According to the Office of the Registrar, undergraduate students take an average of 15 credits each semester, and the higher concentration of morning classes often makes it difficult for students to take the classes they need. 

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Lynmarie Posey says the project is focused on collecting data to gain a better understanding of scheduling issues facing students.

“We have been examining processes and practices followed by the Registrar’s Office for scheduling classes for upcoming semesters. We have also been working with academic units to clean up how class information is entered in the Student Information System so that we have a more complete picture of the current state of class scheduling,” Posey said in a statement. 

Posey also said that the project is gathering student input by meeting with student groups, facilitating pop-up surveys, and seeking student feedback on the challenges students face when registering for classes. 

Martin said the project plans to have a full report by July, after which the team can determine next steps regarding potential changes to class times and overall scheduling.