TT Unit Ops Group

23rd January 2015

LT1, 7 Bristo Square

Agenda1. 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 meetingACTION 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)

Oct 2014 Sep 2015Nov 14 Dec 14 Jan 15 Feb 15 Mar 15 Apr 15 May 15 Jun 15 Jul 15 Aug 15

Template Workshops(February)

3 Nov, 2014Roll Forward

Opt Out Deadline

14 Oct, 2014Snapshot of 14/15 For Roll Forward

and issue opt out notice

6 Jul, 2015Centrally-Allocated

Location Allocation

15 Jun, 2015Start

Student Allocation

29 May, 2015Submit

Centrally-allocated Location requests

4 Feb, 2015Official Launch Date

Nov 14Launch of 1516 SDB

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 basisJan 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

Timetabling Data Location Allocation Student Allocation0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

PrimaryTier 1Tier 2

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 ServiceTT Unit/LTSTS Service Benefit Service

levelCommitment of all timetabling requirements to Enterprise

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

Core

Centralised booking management of general teaching space

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

requirementsCore

Centralised booking service for “specialist” space

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 tasksOptional

Proposed Enhanced Service cont…TT Unit/LTSTS Service Benefit Service levelCentral support for general teaching space

Centrally supplied and support AV equipment

Consistent standard of equipment provision

Centrally managed fabric and furniture upgrade and maintenance

Core

Central support for student timetable allocation

TT Unit service option for any/all “random” student allocation models

Reduced requirement for Enterprise management at School level

Ability to re-direct resource to other tasks

Optional

Timetable “modelling” service for Schools

Safely introduce new courses to timetable

Modelling to re-shape programme offerings

Offline modelling exercises to inform timetabling flexibility

Make full use of TT Unit expertise

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 TimetablingProject 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 TimescaleProject 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 LESSON LEARNT (including any planned improvements for 1516 where possible)

Data Preparation Module instance 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

Location allocation 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

Student Allocation 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

Miscellaneous 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?