Students registering for classes on all New Brunswick/Piscataway campuses will be affected. Class periods will be staggered for: College Avenue/Downtown New Brunswick (CAC/DNB), Busch/Livingston (B/L), and Cook/Douglass (C/D). All classes on CAC/DNB will start and end at the same time that they have in the past. All classes on B/L will start and end 30 minutes later, and classes on C/D will start and end 1 hour and 5 minutes later than in the past. For example: The first class on CAC/DNB will start at 8:10 am. The first class on B/L will start at 8:40 am, and the first class on C/D will start at 9:15 am.
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How does the staggered class schedule differ from the existing schedule?

Except for the staggered start times, the basic format of the class schedule will remain the same. Classes will continue to meet for 80 minutes twice a week or for 55 minutes three times a week with 20-minute intervals between daytime classes and 10-minute intervals between evening classes scheduled on the same campus.
For details, click : http://scheduling.rutgers.edu/Fall05scheduleinfo.html
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Why is the schedule changing?

The staggered class schedule has been devised to reduce the high volume of traffic that occurs during class changing times throughout the New Brunswick/Piscataway campus. The new class schedule will result in eighteen smaller peaks of traffic during daytime class-changing times, instead of the six major peaks that currently exist. Traffic will be more evenly distributed throughout the day, reducing congestion and delays.The attached chart shows significant decline in number of students leaving classes on a typical Tuesday by time of day under the new Staggered Schedule.

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Who developed the staggered class schedule?

In January 2004, President McCormick appointed a 27-member committee comprised of faculty, deans, administrators, and students, and chaired by Professor Paul Leath. The committee developed many recommendations, including implementing a staggered schedule, to ensure that the university will be able to function effectively during the Route 18 Widening Project.
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Will the new schedule allow more time for inter-campus travel between classes?

Yes. The transfer time between classes on the different campuses will vary depending on the specific campuses involved, but will be a minimum of 50 minutes for daytime classes and 40 minutes for evening classes. Some examples on the transfer time are given below.

Length of Transfer Time between Classes on Different Campuses
from an 80-minute class to an 80-minute class

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Will there still be restrictions on registering for back-to-back classes on other campuses?  

No. As a result of increased transfer time between classes, as of Fall 2005, there will be no restrictions on registering for back-to-back classes on other campuses as long as the transfer time between classes is at least 40 minutes.
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Does the new schedule provide students greater access to classes on other campuses?

Yes. Under the new system, a student on one campus will be able to take either a class before or a class after on another campus. For example, a student taking a 3^rd period class on C/D may take a 2^nd period class on CAC/DNB or on B/L. Similarly, a student taking a 3^rd period class on CAC/DNB may take a 4^th period class on B/L or C/D. Finally, a student taking a 3^rd period class on B/L may be able to register for a 2^nd period class on CAC/DNB or a 4^th period class on C/D.
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Allowing at least 40 minutes to get to another campus and starting an ending classes at different times, will significantly reduce the number of cars on the roads during class change times. This will enable buses to have a more predictable schedule. The new staggered class schedule will make it easier to get around the New Brunswick/Piscataway campus whether you are driving, biking, walking or using the bus system.
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Absolutely not. In all official communications – in print (Schedule of Classes), voice (Touch Tone Registration System), or on the web (Online Schedule of Classes) – the new class times will be referred to by clock time, not by periods. To assist in the transition, pocket-size schedules will be available to students and faculty to serve as ready references.
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Beginning on March 21, 2005, students can pick up the pocket-size schedules at student centers, post offices, libraries, deans' offices, registrar's, financial aid and cashiers offices. Faculty members can pick up the schedules at their departmental offices. This information can also be found online at http://scheduling.rutgers.edu/Fall05scheduleinfo.html
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Class times of courses offered by the Graduate School of Education, the School of Social Work, the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, and the Graduate School on CAC/DNB will not be affected by this change. Class times of courses offered by the graduate and professional schools on B/L and C/D will change. For example, beginning in Fall 2005, graduate evening classes offered by the Rutgers Business School that traditionally met from 6-9 p.m. once a week on B/L will now meet from 6:40-9:40 p.m.
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The university is constructing two modular classroom buildings(one on Cook/Douglass and one on Livingston) that will add a total of 8 large smart classrooms to the scheduling database. The new classrooms will make it possible to offer a greater number of courses on these campuses, thereby allowing students to take more courses on their "home"campuses and reducing the need for inter-campus travel.
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Changes that may be implemented, based on an outside consultant's recommendations include having extra buses on standby to respond to demand or need, using different routes to avoid congestion and establishing new express routes with fewer stops. These recommendations are under careful review and will be finalized in the near future.
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The university is investigating the possibilities of making a "schedule builder" system available online (including the popular Schedule Agent) to help students as they transition to the Staggered Class Schedule that takes effect for the Fall 2005 term. This online scheduling service may not be available right way, however, updates can be found by visiting http://scheduling.rutgers.edu/Fall05scheduleinfo.html regularly.
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