More Advanced Topics

DARS Phases in Depth

The Phases of DARS

Course Matching andMovement Among Requirements and Sub-

requirements

Three Basic Phases• Match Phase – DARS matches and assigns the

student’s courses to sub-requirements

• Adjust Phase – DARS moves courses from requirements/sub-requirements with extra courses to requirements that still need or want courses

• Limit Phase – DARS enforces limits specified in X-lines and sub-requirements

Order of Phases

• Match Phase (first)• Adjust Phase (first or only)• Limit Phase• Adjust Phase (second, if active)• Match Phase (second, if active)

Match Phase

• Each course is matched against each sub-requirement

• Matching courses are assigned to the first sub-requirement in each requirement group (single requirement or set of requirements with the same GRP1 or GRP2)

• May also be assigned to other sub-requirements due to REUSE

Match Phase

• Sub-requirements may be skipped– Inactive sub-requirements due to a system

condition code setting– Second match phase sub-requirements, during the

first match phase

Courses Assigned To

• First matching sub-requirement in a requirement with blank group codes

• First matching sub-requirement in the first requirement with a specific group code

• Any matching sub-requirement with REUSE

AssignC and AssignCX• Condition Codes are assigned to courses assigned

to that sub-requirement during the match phase• Once assigned, a condition code is not removed

when a course is adjusted away from the assigning sub-requirement

AssignC

AssignCX

RACTL, ACTL and ACTLX• Condition Codes assignment that is dependent

on the completion status of a sub-requirement or requirement is determined by the status at the end of the Match Phase

ACTL

ACTLX

RACTL

AssignC Requirement

Sub-requirement

Adjust Phase• Requirements that are not satisfied pull courses from

sub-requirements that have extra courses

• Courses that are wanted adjust from the sub-requirements where they were originally assigned to the sub-requirements that need courses

• All adjustment is driven by which courses are needed elsewhere, and by which sub-requirements need courses

Courses Will Adjust From• A satisfied requirement

– If the course can be removed without making the requirement go from satisfied to unsatisfied

• An unsatisfied requirement, if removal of the course will not hurt1. If course is above sub-requirement’s MAXHRS

or MAXCT setting2. If sub-requirement is complete and

requirement is looking only for sub-requirement count

Courses Will Adjust From• An unsatisfied requirement, but removal of

the course will not hurt3. Sub-requirement is not being used because of

a USECT value4. If sub-requirement is not complete but the

only remaining courses needed are required courses, while extra courses are assigned to the sub-requirement

Courses Will Adjust• From an unsatisfied member of an OR’d sub-

requirement set to another sub-requirement in the set– DARS tests each member of the set in order to

attempt to complete one member of the set– Adjustment stops when a member of the set

becomes complete– If no member is complete, each course will adjust

to the last sub-requirement in the set to which it can be assigned

No Adjustment Into

• Residency Sub-requirements

• Optional Sub-requirements during the first adjustment phase, if second adjustment phase is used

Limit Phase1. X-lines and Y-lines are processed in the order in

which they appear► Any added or modified by exception come first► Those from requirements follow, in the order they

occur in the degree program

2. Sub-requirement limits defined by MAXCT or MAXHRSCK are processed in the order of the sub-requirements

Two Match and Adjust Phases

• Match phase will occur twice if second match phase sub-requirements exist– First Match Phase happens before others– Each sub-requirement is processed only during one of

the match phases– Second Match Phase after adjust and limit• No adjustment into or out of second match phase sub-

requirements• No limits can be enforced on second match phase sub-

requirements

Two Match and Adjust Phases

• Two Adjust phases will occur when COM.ADJUSTFLG = ‘2’– When two adjust phases, optional sub-requirements

will not attempt to adjust courses during the first adjustment phase

– First or only adjust phase occurs before limit phase– Second adjust phase occurs after limit phase

Second Adjust Phase

• Optional sub-requirements wait to adjust courses during the second adjust phase

• The hungry elective, as the last grouped requirement and with an optional sub-requirement, doesn’t adjust courses until the end

Hungry Elective

• Grouped with all requirements checking for specific degree components

• Processed during second adjust phase, after limits and other adjustment has occurred

Second Match Phase

• Occurs only if second match phase sub-requirements exist (SEQCHECK field set to ‘2’ on sub-requirements)

• Needed only if using ASSIGNC2 or ASSIGNM to assign condition codes

Second Match Phase

• Just like the first match phase, except only second match phase sub-requirements are processed

• No adjustment or limit is possible on second match phase sub-requirements