Room Scheduling Accusations and Excuses #3
Why are my back to back classes all over campus rather than in the same area? How many times do I need to tell you I need a smart classroom/computer lab/lecture hall/document cameras/moveable chairs/tables and chairs/lots of board space/no windows/non-smelly room/I’m allergic to chalk/my lecture and lab need to be in a lab room/my lab needs to be in a lecture room/I need a computer lab on Tuesday and a lecture room on Thursday/ I hate building 5/6/7/8/9/9A/10/11/12? You badly need some Gingko because you don’t seem to remember anything I tell you from one semester to the next.
The truth is that I actually DO remember what kind of room everyone on campus needs and what everyone’s preferences are. The problem is that when I do the initial classroom assignments no one has been assigned to a section; when I do room scheduling every course is taught by STAFF. As new sections are added and I move classes to better suit them to the size of the room, I will notice that someone I know needs a smart classroom is in a non-smart room and I will move them. The problem is that there aren’t enough of me to print everyone’s 1F5 screen to see what rooms they are assigned to and then compare that to their preferences. I depend on you telling me, after you have seen your room assignments, that you need a change. You and I have a co-dependency thing working that usually gets the job done. But the closer to the start of the semester we get, the fewer miracles I can accomplish.
When is the best time to let me know you need a different room? As soon as you know what section you will be teaching. I do the initial room assignments for spring in October and the initial room assignments for fall in March. (I slap Summer and Intersession together in April and November). If you let me know if October (spring) or March (fall) what you need, I can practically guarantee you will get it. If you let me know in January (spring) or August (fall) there is only about a 50% chance I can work it out.
Based on my success rate you may not believe this, but I would really like every single professor on campus to be teaching in the type of room they want. If you let me know early in the room scheduling process what you need, even if it is the 20th time you have told me, there is a much better chance of achieving perfection.
Check your room assignments early and check them often and you can’t go wrong…most of the time. We still have to contend with the "we're only human" obstacle.
Deborah Benjamin
Registration and Records
09/07/2005 |