Email - DCU is open for coding

Owned by Elysia Gallinaro
Last updated: May 08, 2024
3 min read

Once the database has been created, this email is sent out to all the scheduling reps along with the attachments.

 

From: UW Regstep 

To: Scheduling reps

Cc: Libby Askin; Elysia Gallinaro; Jennifer Coghlin; Jennifer Crane; Annette Ertel; Tanya Pompilio; Danielle Jeanneault ; Meghan Miceli; Madi Polanic

Subject: DCU is open for Spring 2023 coding 

Date: Monday, December 12, 2022 9:19:54 AM 

Attachments: Instructor Constraint Chair Approval Form (7).xlsx ; Quick Reference Notes for DCU.docx Departmental meeting request form (4).xlsx DCU Reminders with screen shots.docx Helpful Hints for DCU coding.pdf ; S2023 cycle memo.docx 

 

Good morning Graduate and Undergraduate Scheduling Reps, 

The DCU is now open for you to enter/edit your Spring 2023 room requests, meet pattern requests, instructor information and Course Combinations. 

https://isacadweb.nexus.uwaterloo.ca/DCU/ 

Please make sure you’re using Google Chrome, Firefox or Edge to connect. Other web browsers are not compatible. If you have any trouble connecting to the DCU, please contact us for assistance. 

Around December 23, we will be sending you a spreadsheet that lists all of the Course Combinations that exist in the DCU to date. We encourage you to review it carefully, even if you haven’t had an opportunity to work on your own combinations, since your courses may be included in another department/faculty’s combinations. This will give you an opportunity to work with other Scheduling Reps to ensure that Course Combinations are accurate. We will send a full DCU report out on January 9 and you will have until January 11 to make changes in the DCU. 

 A reminder that REG is still the room type for REG rooms. If you are searching for departmentally-managed rooms, you will need to search on the room number and take note of the room type before you attempt to force it on a delivery. 

Please only choose Lecture Capture as a room characteristic if you have confirmed instructors will require it. 

We strongly encourage you to review this document that describes how course combinations are built and used: 

Course Combination Training 

Here is a link to a Course Combination planning spreadsheet: 

Course Combination data collection worksheet 

A few reminders as you begin your DCU data entry: 

  • If you’ve entered a note in the DCU, please do not duplicate the same information elsewhere. Scheduling staff will act upon your request regardless of where it’s coded. 

  • Any classes that require Registrar-managed classrooms need to balance the number of MWF/TR/MW meet pattern use so that we have an even distribution across faculties/departments/courses. Unbalanced meet pattern use will result in the unavailability of REG classrooms during peak days/times. 

  • All synchronous/asynchronous deliveries (remote/CEL/BLND) sections need to have the Online Room Type and Online Pavilion input in the DCU for each offering. 

  • Be aware of your meet pattern use as they relate to the instructor’s selected Teaching Window. 

    • “h” meet patterns finish teaching by 5:20pm 

    • “he” meet patterns start and finish in the evening only. 

    • “All day including eve” and “he” meet patterns will override selected Teaching Windows, so do not use them if your instructor is not willing to teach evening courses. 

  • Not all information is carried forward so please review your information carefully. You must go into each course and edit/check it for accuracy for the Spring 2023 term. 

You have the ability to enter forced times in the DCU. Keep in mind: 

  1. You may not force off-pattern in Registrar-managed (REG) space and forcing on-pattern in REG space should be kept to a bare minimum. 

  2. If your forced time creates a problem for a course combination, we will contact you to resolve the conflict. 

  3. All time requests (Forced Times, Pattern Request and Forced Pattern Times) must be entered in the DCU (not as a time request note). 

  4. A forced time request may result in no room assignment when the schedule is created. Pattern requests have the most flexibility and are therefore much easier to accommodate. 

We will be monitoring any increase in the use of forced times and enforcing the rules listed above. 

Attached you will find some reference documentation to aid you in your Spring 2023 planning and DCU coding activities. If you have any questions or concerns, as always, please feel free to contact anyone in the Scheduling Office. 

 All the best, 

 The Scheduling Office Team