Ad-hoc Room Bookings

Owned by Tanya Pompilio
Last updated: Nov 07, 2024
3 min read

This procedure details how academic-related event bookings are received and handled by the Scheduling Office. This procedure also outlines how and when the Registrar-managed space is made available to Central Stores for non-academic events along with permission-related procedures surrounding booking future term, between-the-terms, and weekend bookings.

 

PROCEDURE FOR BOOKING AN ACADEMIC AD-HOC EVENT

  • Scheduling or Midterm Representatives submit academic room booking requests via email (phone calls if an emergency) to the Scheduling Office.

  • Occasionally, requests are submitted by instructors. In this case, scheduling staff must copy the Scheduling Representative in the reply.

  • Requests submitted by student teaching assistants are not accepted. Scheduling staff can forward these to the Scheduling Representative of the department associated with the T.A. to see if an academic booking is needed.

The Scheduling Office will:

  • Redirect any non-academic event booking requests to the Central Stores Bookings Coordinator.

  • Verify that all relevant information is provided with the request (the event name, time, date, number of seats, etc.).

  • Book all urgent academic event rooms with the highest priority, using Infosilem Campus room booking software.

  • Retain all requests in a queue for future terms when room assignments have yet to occur/transferred to Quest/WatRooms.

  • Follow up if problems arise (e.g., there is no room available at the time requested).

  • Send written confirmation, to the requestor once a room is booked for their academic event.

  • Have a separate staff member in Scheduling check the booking for accuracy and then file a copy electronically.

  • Friday night requests are special. There are three standard midterm slots approved by Senate, which no bookings (academic/non-academic) shall interfere with. The Friday night slots are: 4:30-6:00 p.m., 6:30-8:00 p.m., and 8:30-10:00 p.m. Room bookings that overlap any of these slots must be refused unless the department seeks approval from their Associate Dean. Those approved for an overlap will have to book two or more slots with the appropriate start and end times. (See Chapter 13 for more procedure information) Encourage the department to book during one of the slots or prior to the slots starting (4:30 pm).

  • For a presidentially backed booking that is requesting a date during any holiday make-up schedule, double-booked over the holiday make-up date as well as on the actual date at the same time of the stat holiday to ensure no courses/events will be meeting in the same room on the holiday makeup date. All requests for rooms on makeup dates shall be refused other than those backed by the President’s Office/Secretariat’s.

CENTRAL STORES BOOKING COORDINATOR ACCESS TO REGISTRAR ROOMS

  • A month prior to the start of term, academic events start to be booked, by the Scheduling Office. The Scheduling Office will notify Stores when Registrar-managed rooms are released for non-academic events to be booked.  For the exam period, Stores will be notified after most of the exams have been booked for the term. This occurs typically one week after the Final Examination Schedule has been posted.

  • Typically, rooms are available to Stores for the next upcoming term immediately after the midterm and other academic event queues have been booked by the Scheduling Office. This occurs typically one month before the start of the upcoming term.

  • Rooms are not available to Stores for events requesting times during the final exam period until after the Exam Specialist officially releases the rooms.

  • Stores has blanket approval from the RO to book any date that occurs after exams are over and before the start of a new term up to 1 year from the date of request (all terms)

  • Stores has blanket approval from the RO to book anything during Reading Week up to 1 year from the date of request (for all terms that have a Reading Week).

  • Stores has blanket approval from the RO to book any weekend not involving final exams up to 1 year from the date of request (all terms unless the RO has pre-identified a term where Saturday midterms from MATH/SCI are in play as they take priority).

  • Stores has blanket approval from the RO to book the two study days following the term up to 1 year from the date of request (all terms).

  • As long as REG rooms have been released following booking courses/midterm exams/final exams: Stores has blanket approval from the RO to book any weekdays (max. 3 months in advance – i.e. current month plus 2).    

  • Tanya checks with Jen on anything that looks like it may cause an issue, or if it is more than 3 months in the future for a weekday request (and for these, Jen will check with Plant Ops/ITMS leadership for any potential maintenance/reno issues)

  • For statutory holidays: Stores may book non-academic events in classrooms that are already booked for courses on stat holidays, as courses are canceled on said dates. Should a room conflict ensue between the non-academic event and the course who may show up for an unscheduled meeting (study session etc.) – it will be left up to the two groups which group is to move to a vacant room nearby.