More classes at 8 a.m. in the fall | The Triangle

More classes at 8 a.m. in the fall

The Office of the University Registrar released Drexel’s 2011-12 term master schedule July 5 after months of preparation to work around the loss of classrooms caused by the closing of Matheson Hall.

The reduction in classroom space resulted in the fall term schedule having more 8 a.m. class sections and online hybrid class sections than last year’s fall schedule. Rumors had been circulating around campus since winter term that such increases might occur. Registrar Joseph Salomone said the current course totals are subject to change.

“The number of 8 a.m. and online hybrid classes have increased this year, as a result of both the loss of Matheson Hall, as well as the increase in size of this year’s freshman class,” Salomone said. “There are approximately 20 more 8 a.m. sections currently on the upcoming fall schedule compared to last year, and approximately 70 additional online hybrid sections. However, those numbers may very well decrease as we cancel sections due to low enrollment numbers. The number of classes that begin on or after 5 p.m. is currently lower for the upcoming fall term compared to last fall.”

The effects of Matheson’s demolition on the term master schedule were partially mitigated by the Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building, which is on track to open before the beginning of the fall term.

“The Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building has seven classrooms and one lecture hall, as well as 11 laboratories. The building will definitely be ready for the start of fall term classes,” Salomone said.

Although Matheson was home primarily to the LeBow College of Business, Salomone said the loss of classrooms did not affect any one college or department more than another. He described the process of working with each department to develop this year’s schedule:

“We worked very closely with academic departments. We ran an annual scheduling meeting where all department representatives met with each other to discuss what courses were needed for the upcoming year. We also had two meetings each term to discuss all course scheduling matters. We took the time during these meetings to explain the issues we faced with course scheduling and discussed ways to overcome those issues. The feedback and involvement of the colleges and departments was crucial in creating the fall schedule.

“We worked with each department individually to resolve any conflicts, although there were not many conflicts on a day-to-day basis. If a department asked for a course to be added at a time when no classroom space was available, then we suggested other meeting times when available space existed,” Salomone said.

In related news, the provost’s office sent out an email July 20 to all upperclassmen scheduled to be in classes in the fall, announcing that each group of registration time tickets will now be spread out over two hours in order to prevent registration problems caused by excessive network traffic. The new procedure for upperclass time tickets resembles what has already been the norm for assigning time tickets to continuing freshmen for the winter and spring terms. Under the new system, students scheduled to register on a given day will be randomly assigned a time ticket start time between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Time tickets will open in 15-minute intervals, unlike in the past, when they all opened at 7 a.m. According to Salomone, time ticket assignments within each group will be completely random for each term, without regard to the previous term.

“The time ticket distribution is randomized each term with the initial prioritization still intact, so students do not lose their proverbial place in line,” Salomone said. “To further ensure all students get the courses that they need to graduate, we had implemented in 2009 waitlisting and reserved seating. We also have priority registration via advisers both during class and on co-op terms to help with must-have courses. We are monitoring the process, and if there are any issues we will, as always, review so that we are consistently offering the best options for all students.”

For more information on course registration, visit drexel.edu/src/academics/registration.