Transcript Document

TT Unit Ops Group
23rd January 2015
LT1, 7 Bristo Square
Agenda
1.
Action Points from previous meeting
2. 15/16 location allocation timeline and deadlines
3. 15/16 timetabling:
• Template management
• Activity variants
• Personal TT update
• BI Explorer report update
4. Week numbering/labelling in Enterprise
5. Centralisation of services:
• TT data management
• Location management
6. Future of Student Timetabling – project proposal update
7. TT Unit website updates
8. AOB
1. Action Points from 1st July 2014 meeting
ACTION POINT
OWNER
UPDATE
To further simplify the
Course Timetable Browser
disclaimer
TT Unit
Ongoing
To link 13/14 data to the
BI Suite so that class list
reporting can be tested
IS
Completed
To investigate the random
allocation of academic
names when scheduling a
course
TT Unit
TT Unit will feed back at
meeting
2. 15/16 location allocation timeline and deadlines
Schools to check
location allocations
(early-July to end of
August)
Template
Workshops
(February)
Nov 14
Dec 14
Jan 15
Feb 15
Mar 15
Apr 15
May 15
Jun 15
Oct 2014
14 Oct, 2014
Snapshot of 14/15
For Roll Forward
and issue
opt out notice
Jul 15
Aug 15
Sep 2015
Nov 14
3 Nov, 2014 Launch of 1516 SDB
Roll Forward
Opt Out
Deadline
4 Feb, 2015
Official Launch Date
29 May, 2015
Submit
Centrally-allocated
Location requests
15 Jun, 2015
Start
Student
Allocation
6 Jul, 2015
Centrally-Allocated
Location
Allocation
3. 15/16 Timetabling
Area
Update
Template Management
TT Unit will hold
workshops during
Feb/March
Activity Variants
TT Unit is reviewing the
use of variants
Personal Timetables
SA conducted on a daily
basis
Jan 2015 - 22,280
students with partial
timetables
Aug 2014 – 20, 957
4. Week numbering/labelling in Enterprise
•
A request was received in October from a School as to whether the Web Timetables could be
changed to show the week dates rather than the semester week numbers.
Samples of current view -
•
This may be possible but would only show up as “week commencing …”
•
Is there (could there be) a wider demand for this kind of change in other Schools or is this
something that can remain as is?
5. Centralisation of Services
Timetabling Process
School Review Outcome
18
16
14
12
10
Primary
Tier 1
8
Tier 2
6
4
2
0
Timetabling Data
Location Allocation
Student Allocation
Management of Gen Teach Space
• Centralised management from 15/16:
– Central Area
– King’s Buildings
– Holyrood
• £466k capital funding to upgrade AV kit in
identified rooms
• Bookings to be managed by TT Unit – priority
system in operation for Schools
Proposed Enhanced Service
TT Unit/LTSTS Service
Benefit
Commitment of all timetabling
requirements to Enterprise





Centralised booking management of
general teaching space
Centralised booking service for
“specialist” space







Ensures quality and consistency of key data
Ensures provision of accurate student personalised
timetables
Removal of requirement for Enterprise expertise at
School level
Ability to re-direct resource to other tasks
Longer lead time for Schools to confirm
requirements
Reduced requirement for Enterprise management
at School level
Efficient, single-point-of-contact booking service
School teaching space “priority allocation” system
Longer lead time for Schools to confirm
requirements
TT Unit can manage specialist (i.e. labs, workshops
etc) on behalf of Schools
Reduced requirement for Enterprise management
at School level
Ability to re-direct resource to other tasks
Service
level
Core
Core
Optional
Proposed Enhanced Service cont…
TT Unit/LTSTS Service
Central support for general teaching
space
Benefit

Centrally supplied and support AV
equipment

Consistent standard of equipment
provision

Centrally managed fabric and furniture
upgrade and maintenance
Central support for student timetable 
TT Unit service option for any/all
allocation
“random” student allocation models

Reduced requirement for Enterprise
management at School level

Ability to re-direct resource to other
tasks
Timetable “modelling” service for

Safely introduce new courses to
Schools
timetable

Modelling to re-shape programme
offerings

Offline modelling exercises to inform
timetabling flexibility

Make full use of TT Unit expertise
Service level
Core
Optional
Core
Enhanced Service Funding
• Business case submitted to Colleges Jan 2015
• Request for additional funding to transfer
timetabling/booking operations to TT Unit –from
15/16 financial year
• Funding equivalent to 0.4 FTE at Grade 4 per School
• Delivers full range of enhanced service proposal
6. Future of Student Timetabling
Project Update
Key updates
• New project proposal to deliver:
– Full, comprehensive personalised timetable
service
– To be delivered by online student self-sign-up
system
– Provision of calendar service: Office365 or iCal
• Presented to Knowledge Strategy Committee
(KSC) on 23/01/15
Proposed Project Timescale
Project implementation
Timescale
Project start
Aug 15
Centralisation of timetable data management
Aug 15 – Mar 16
Options appraisal: Calendar service
Aug 15 – Nov 15
Options appraisal: Enhanced allocation system
Aug 15 – Mar 16
Initial implementation: Calendar service
Dec 15 – Feb 16
Pilot scheme: Calendar service
Mar 16 – May 16
Calendar post-pilot evaluation and enhancement
Jun 16 – Aug 16
Initial implementation: Enhanced allocation system
Oct 16 – Apr 17
Live implementation: Calendar Service
Nov 16
Pilot scheme: Enhanced allocation system
Nov 17 – Mar 18
Enhanced allocation system post-pilot evaluation and enhancement
May 18 – Jul 18
Training for staff allocation only
May 18 – Jul 18
Live implementation: Enhanced allocation system
Jul 18
Project close
Oct 18
Key project pre-requisites
• Sponsor funding: circa £250k
• Centralisation of timetable data management
1415 Main Allocation Process – Lessons Learnt
(sample)
PART OF OPERATION
AREA
Data Preparation
Module instance
Location allocation
Student Allocation
Miscellaneous
LESSON LEARNT
(including any planned improvements for 1516 where
possible)
Need to check as thoroughly as possible that the correct
module instance has been interacted with (re correct
academic year) – future-proofs SA process
Consistency of process/instructions
In-house documentation existed but this has now been
amalgamated into one document that all in the TTU will
need to use as guidance
Contingency planning
Last year’s 1-person post-MAP allocation system is being
replaced by team of 3 TTU members whittling down
remaining teaching activities
Modelling to maximise space
As more space is removed from our pool of locations we
will need to conduct more modelling exercises to
anticipate impact/problems
Template awareness and understanding
Continue to work closely with Schools through Template
Workshops and Data Collection Workshops to improve
quality of data (esp. for SA purposes)
SPDA management – reverting to UEF
When the SPDAs stop working, our manual back-up
process will be activated sooner, allowing manual
catching-up to be completed more speedily
SDB management
All users benefit from a planned refresh of the database
and August will continue to be the time this is done in
prep for Semester 1
Any other business?