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Policy and Procedure Statements
Texas State Policy and Procedure Statements Division Policies Academic Affairs / Provost AA/PPS 08.01.01 - Classroom and Teaching Theater Scheduling

AA/PPS 08.01.01 - Classroom and Teaching Theater Scheduling

Classroom and Teaching Theater Scheduling

AA/PPS No. 08.01.01 (4.12)
Issue No. 2
Effective Date: 7/08/2021
Next Review Date: 4/01/2024 (E3Y)
Sr. Reviewer: Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to providing appropriate facilities to ensure the delivery of instruction in the most efficient and effective matter.

  1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

    1. To maximize the opportunity for students to access classes and graduate in a timely fashion, the university has developed a uniform class scheduling system.

    2. The university must also identify classes that can be taught effectively in larger settings and provide the appropriate facilities and support systems for these classes. To this end, the university has built and equipped a number of teaching theaters that are available to every department on a priority basis. These teaching theaters can serve relatively large classes, and the university has provided extensive media to support the instructional process in each.

    3. This document outlines policy and procedures related to the uniform class scheduling system and the use of the university’s classrooms and teaching theaters (Alkek Library, Centennial Hall (CENT), and LBJ Student Center).

  2. PROCEDURES FOR COORDINATION AND OVERSIGHT OF CLASSROOM AND TEACHING THEATER SCHEDULING

    1. The Classroom Scheduling Committee (CSC) is responsible for general coordination and oversight of Texas State’s class schedule, first-call classrooms, and teaching theaters. CSC members are appointed by the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs (VPAA) by September 1 of each year in accordance with the following membership guidelines:

      1. Chair – associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing;

      2. Members – university registrar, vice president for Academic Success and dean of University College, one school or department chair (three-year term), associate vice president for Finance and Support Services Planning, faculty member (three-year term); and

      3. Ex-officio – provost and VPAA.

    2. Within context of the uniform class scheduling system, the role of the committee is to monitor and oversee classroom and teaching theater scheduling to ensure schedule coherence and course accessibility, and aid in efficient classroom utilization. Ideally, the work of the committee will:

      1. optimize student access to courses required by the university, its college, schools, and majors;

      2. ensure students reasonable opportunities to explore elective courses to enrich their educational experience; and

      3. provide adequate opportunity in scheduling for faculty to remain current and active in their research pursuits.

  3. PROCEDURES FOR UNIFORM CLASS SCHEDULING

    1. A uniform class scheduling system has been approved by the university, and it is described as follows:

      1. Monday, Wednesday, Friday (MWF) morning classes begin at 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m. for 50 minutes plus 10-minute passing time.

      2. MW classes begin at 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. MW morning lectures are allowed if Friday is used for a lab that utilizes the same room. Departments are allowed to teach up to 10 percent of their classes MW, from 11:00 a.m. until 12:20 p.m.

      3. With dean and provost and VPAA approvals, some classes may be offered at 11:00 a.m. until 12:20 p.m. MWF and conclude earlier in the semester.

      4. Thursday, Thursday (TR) classes begin at 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m.

      5. No one-day a week morning classes are allowed. One-day a week classes are allowed at 12:30 p.m. and later, if they begin at standard times.

      6. All classes must end no less than 10 minutes prior to the next scheduled class time.

      7. Graduate courses are exempt if not affecting first-call room utilization.

      8. Any exception to these rules must be reviewed and accepted by the CSC.

    2. First-Call Classrooms – Department chairs are responsible for assigning classroom and other instructional space under their control including first-call classrooms. The Office of the University Registrar and the CSC are responsible for allocating unreserved first-call classrooms as needed after the published deadline for reserving first-call classroom space has passed.

    3. Teaching Theaters – The CSC shall delegate responsibility for assigning the teaching theaters to a teaching theater subcommittee (TTS). This subcommittee shall be composed of the chair of the Council of Chairs and chairs of departments with a current stake in the allocation of space and time in the teaching theaters, typically the chairs of departments that have offered courses in the teaching theaters during the preceding academic year. The TTS will meet every summer (or at least eight weeks prior to the due date for submission of the fall schedules) to create and update a two-year schedule for the teaching theaters.

    4. The TTS will assign classes to the teaching theaters in accordance with the following general guidelines:

      1. Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., all three teaching theaters are available for classroom use.

      2. Monday through Friday, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the CENT Teaching Theater is available for classroom use.

      3. At other times, the LBJ Student Center Teaching Theater is reserved for student activities; and the Alkek Library Teaching Theater is reserved for special events, administrative activities, and academic activities, unless otherwise negotiated with the CSC.

      4. During both the first and second summer session, the LBJ Student Center Teaching Theater is reserved for orientation.

      5. During the week before classes begin in the fall semester and the Friday before classes begin in the spring semester, the LBJ Student Center Teaching Theater is reserved for BOBCAT Preview, the just-in-time program for new freshmen. In August on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before classes begin, the Alkek Library and CENT Teaching Theaters will be reserved for BOBCAT Preview.

    5. Between terms, on non-assigned evenings, and on weekends, the responsibility for scheduling teaching theaters for non-classroom functions is assigned as follows:

      1. Alkek Library Teaching Theaters – Instructional Technologies Support; can be reached at 512.245.2319;

      2. LBJ Student Center Teaching Theater – Student Center director; can be reached at 512.245.2264; and

      3. CENT Teaching Theater – Instructional Technologies Support; can be reached at 512.245.2319.

    6. In all cases, primary emphasis for assignment to teaching theater space will be given to course sections that make effective use of the available seating capacity of these classrooms.

    7. When two or more courses have similar needs for teaching theaters based upon these criteria, the TTS will utilize the following priority system to guide assignment decisions:

      1. First Priority – single courses that fulfill requirements within the General Education Core curriculum (e.g., Comm 1310);

      2. Second Priority – courses that offer options for fulfilling a requirement within the General Education Core (e.g., Phil 1305 or Phil 1320); and

      3. Third Priority – other high demand courses that are not required by the General Education Core.

    8. Information Technology will manage the technological support functions for the teaching theaters and will provide an assistant for all courses, except in cases where departments need to use their own assistants because of course content. If a department elects to use its own assistant, the department is responsible for paying the cost of the assistant.

    9. The TTS and CSC may adopt specific standards for judging the effectiveness of the use of available seating capacity in the teaching theaters subject to the approval of the provost and VPAA.

    10. Selection of courses appropriate to be offered in the teaching theaters and of faculty for these courses will be determined by individual departments.

    11. The director of Faculty Development will create a training program for faculty members interested in developing the special skills required to teach effectively in a teaching theater. Periodically, these directors will invite faculty members interested in developing expertise in the use of teaching theaters to attend special training. Faculty members who teach classes that utilize the teaching theaters are expected to participate in these training programs.

    12. Assignment of workload credits for courses taught in teaching theaters is at the discretion of the department chair and college dean in accordance with AA/PPS No. 04.01.40, Faculty Workload.

  4. PROCEDURES FOR SCHEDULING AND UTILIZING TEACHING THEATERS

    1. Approximately eight weeks before the first draft of the fall schedule is due, the chair of CSC will invite the TTS to submit a draft schedule of the teaching theaters for review. This draft shall cover teaching theater utilization for the next two academic years.

    2. In the case of exceptions or emergency situations requiring a change in established schedule of room assignments, the TTS, in consultation with the Office of the University Registrar, will make every effort to minimize the disruption caused by the schedule change.

    3. Rules concerning the physical care of the theaters may be established by the CSC. As part of its responsibility of establishing rules for use of the teaching theaters, the Office of the University Registrar will work with the director of Custodial Services to assure that the custodial staff give special attention to the theaters from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on days before it is to be used in the evening and again by that staff after evening usage before the next 8:00 a.m. class.

    4. By July 15 each year, the CSC will submit a report to the provost and VPAA via the associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing summarizing the use of the teaching theaters during the previous fall and spring semesters. This report will include, but not necessarily be limited to:

      1. utilization data (number and identity of classes and enrollment in each);

      2. student success data (D, F, W rates for each teaching theater section, plus data comparing the performance of students in teaching theater sections with students in other sections, where common examination data are available);

      3. action taken during the year to increase and facilitate use of the teaching theaters; and

      4. plans for action to be taken during the coming year to increase and facilitate use of the teaching theaters.

    5. Parties interested in utilizing the teaching theater during a time that is not assigned to their department must inform their departmental chair who is responsible for reaching out to the respective chair for approval. Once approval is received, request will be forwarded along with the approval, to the Schedule of Classes team and TTS who will process the request. The schedule as decided by the TTS can be found on the University Registrar’s website.

  5. ALLOCATION OF TEACHING THEATER COSTS

    1. Since the appropriate use of teaching theaters for instruction permits every department to offer more small classes, no direct charge will be made to departments using the teaching theaters. Instead, these facilities will be treated as institutional resources, and the provost and VPAA will support the costs of the teaching theaters from the general academic budget.

  6. REVIEWER OF THIS PPS

    1. Reviewer of this PPS includes the following:

      Position Date
      Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing April 1 E3Y

  7. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

    This PPS has been approved by the following individual in their official capacity and represents Texas State Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

    Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing; senior reviewer of this PPS

    Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs