Course Scheduling
The process of creating the Schedule of Classes (SOC) is possible through a partnership between OASIS, the schools of Rutgers–New Brunswick, and 100+ academic departments.
How it Works – The Course Scheduling Process
The following guide explains how the course scheduling process works, from finding the correct room, days, times, to assigning the correct course attributes, prerequisites, cross-listing information, registration restrictions, and more. We begin creating the course schedule about 10 months ahead of the first day of classes each semester.
Details of each process are available using the links below.
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The Schedule of Classes (SOC) is created using individual departmental plans, as well as our OASIS systems: CourseAtlas, FITA, and CSS. OASIS publishes a detailed SOC Production Schedule each semester through a Canvas announcement.
During this time:
- Departments begin curricular planning.
- Faculty administrators decide which courses will run in this semester.
- Outreach to faculty and instructors regarding teaching preferences (campus, class format, technology, class size, etc.)
Timing: 1 month prior to CourseAtlas opening.
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Instructors use FITA, the Faculty and Instructor Teaching Availability application, to indicate when they prefer to be available to teach.
During this time:
- Instructors enter preferred teaching availability.
- Instructors request medical/religious accommodations through the Office of Employment Equity.
- Chairs/UGDs enter departmental blockoffs.
- Employment Equity enters medical/religious accommodations.
Timing: 1-2 months, beginning soon after SOC Production Schedule publication.
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CourseAtlas opens to departments for curricular planning and course editing/updating in collaboration with OASIS.
During this time:
- Departments enter their schedule requests.
- Curricular tools rolled from the prior year’s schedule should be reviewed and revised as needed.
- OASIS and department schedulers/faculty admins proactively discuss best use of curricular tools to meet department goals.
- This creates the first draft of the schedule requests.
Timing: 8 weeks, beginning in May for Fall scheduling and November for Spring scheduling.
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OASIS reviews requests entered by departmental schedulers, and confirms information entered into CourseAtlas. CourseAtlas remains opens in view-only mode to departments.
During this time:
- OASIS reviews all department submissions.
- Department schedulers and faculty administrators are consulted for clarification or revision as needed.
- This creates the final draft of the schedule requests.
Timing: 3-4 weeks, beginning in January for Fall scheduling and July for Spring scheduling.
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During this time:
- OASIS performs data integrity checks.
- OASIS reviews all conflicting requests and collaborates with departments to resolve them.
- Scheduling algorithm is run (approximately 1 week).
- OASIS performs initial review of resulting schedule
- This creates the provisional schedule.
Timing: 4-7 weeks, beginning in late January for Fall scheduling and August for Spring scheduling.
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CourseAtlas reopens to departments to review the provisional schedule for the first time.
During this time:
- Departments may submit changes to the provisional schedule.
- Scheduling Deans provide approval for certain types of changes.
Timing: 2 weeks, beginning in February for Fall scheduling and September for Spring scheduling.
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During this time:
- OASIS completes reviewing and implementing the departmental change requests submitted in CourseAtlas.
- This creates the final schedule.
Timing: 3 days, in March for Fall scheduling and October for Spring scheduling.
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During this time:
- The Office of Information Technology (OIT) runs the process to move schedule data.
- OIT and OASIS validate data.
Timing: 2 days, in March for Fall scheduling and October for Spring scheduling.
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The Schedule of Classes (SOC) is released to the public and the university community, typically on a Monday. Information is also available through WebReg and Course Schedule Planner.
During this time:
- Schedule changes are discouraged, as student planning has already started.
- The Registrar’s Office emails special permission numbers (SPNs) to department contact(s) later the same week.
Timing: 3 weeks before Registration begins: in late March for Fall scheduling and late October for Spring scheduling.
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Students may begin to register for their desired class sections online. The first day of registration for undergraduate students depends on the number of completed credits on the student’s record. Graduate students may register beginning on the first day of registration regardless of the number of completed credits.
During this time:
- Schedule changes are discouraged, as student registration has already started.
- Scheduling Deans provide approval for certain types of changes.
Timing: March/April for Fall scheduling and November for Spring scheduling.
Learn more about student registration at the Scarlet Hub.
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It is important for the schedule to remain as stable as possible once students start to plan and register for their future coursework. Changes to the location, day, and time of courses, as well as availability of active sections, impacts our students’ ability to properly plan their schedules.
Any adjustments needed to the course schedule once the schedule is published and registration begins should be submitted by a departmental scheduler through the Course Scheduling System (CSS).
