Course Management & Classroom Scheduling

• What is the difference between a course and a class section?

  A class section is an instance of a course offered in a particular semester. A course is a specific unit of curriculum. New curriculum/courses must first be approved via the course action process which is coordinated by the Office of Academic Affairs. Once a course has been approved, the course will be added to Banner. Section details for a given term along with all logistical information (day/time/instructor) may then be added to the class schedule as necessary. The terms class and section are generally used interchangeably.

• Creating a New Course

  Brand new courses are submitted for approval through their academic college via the annual course action process. (OSU P&P 2-0202).

   

  Please visit the Academic Affairs Website for instructions, forms, and supplementary information on course action forms, and check with the academic coordinator for your college for guidance. Once approved, the classroom scheduling team adds the course to Banner. 

• Creating a Semester Schedule of Class Sections

  The process for a new semester class schedule begins approximately one year prior to the start of the new term. The previous term is rolled to the next like term for editing by each academic department prior to publication.

   

  Departments receive an email from the Registrar's Office announcing the opening of the scheduling period with associated deadlines. The semester class schedule is made available via Coursedog. Once all desired changes are made, the Outreach or Academic Coordinator, Department head and Associate Dean approve the schedule for publication. As of Summer 2024, all scheduling now takes place within Coursedog, an academic operations platform used for class and event scheduling. Visit Coursedog for College & Department Schedulers for more information.

• How to Schedule a New Section

  Once a course has been approved and the term is open for editing, section addition and edits can be made via Coursedog. Visit Coursedog for College & Department Schedulers for more information.

• Scheduling Exams

  In general, there are three types of exams: In-class exams, common evening exams, and final exams. In-class exams are held during a normally scheduled class period according to the class syllabus. Common exams are evening exams for courses that meet certain criteria (see below), and are given between 5:30-6:30 pm or 6:00-7:00 pm on specific published dates. Approved common evening exams are added to individual class sections, and will be reflected on students' class schedules. Final exams are comprehensive exams given during the term’s final examination period, according to a published final exam schedule.

   

  To request a common final or common evening exam:

   

  • Before requesting a common evening exam, first determine whether the course fits the criteria below for a common exam (also listed on the common exam form):
    • POLICIES GOVERNING COMMON EXAMS- Common hours for evening exams and final exams can be used provided that: 1) the course is multi-section; 2) more than 200 students are enrolled in the encompassed sections; 3) a uniform course outline is followed by all instructors involved; 4) the evening exam is given on Monday/Wednesday from 5:30-6:30 pm or Tuesday/Thursday from 6:00-7:00 pm ONLY.
    • Requests for common evening exams and common final exams must be made each semester and should accompany course offering information. Room assignments are made (as available) by the Office of the Registrar. Meeting times for common final exams are also set up by the Office of the Registrar and follow the Faculty Council rotation schedule. When common exams conflict with regularly scheduled courses, the regular course must take precedence. Students with such conflicts must be permitted to make-up the exam without penalty.
    • Requests for changes to common evening exams and final exams made after the submission deadline may be granted provided that: 1) Items 1-4 above have been met, and 2) the date, time and location of all common exams are printed in the initial course syllabus, and 3) the change is approved by the Associate Dean and the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.
  • Review the Common Exam Calendar and choose dates for exams that will not create known conflicts for students. For example, ENSC and PHYS class common exams should not be held on the same date, as students in the ENSC class are highly likely to take PHYS at the same time.
  • Submit a common exam form to the college academic coordinator for approval. The academic coordinator will double check the dates for possible conflicts, and, once approved, forward to the Registrar's Office.

  All other final exams will be scheduled by the Office of the Registrar according to the faculty council approved schedule. Instructors who wish to offer a final exam outside this schedule must submit a pre-finals/finals week request form. Additional information about final exams is available in OSU P&P 2-0207.

• Scheduling Events or Meetings in General University Classrooms

  Faculty and staff of university departments and officers of registered student organizations are allowed to request general university classrooms for academic activities and organizational meetings. Off campus groups are not allowed to reserve general university classrooms, and should be referred to a meeting services venue such as the Student Union, the Wes Watkins Center, Willard Hall, or the Conoco Phillips Alumni Center. Food and drinks are prohibited in all general university classrooms.

   

  Approved individuals may request an event or meeting in a general university classroom.

   

  Faculty or staff with access to Coursedog can request a general university classroom by accessing the Events platform and selecting one of the following forms:

   

  • Faculty/Staff General University Event
  • Student General University Event

   

  Students can request a general university classroom by accessing the following form:

   

  • Student General University Event

   

  Classes and exams have priority in academic space until one month before the start of an academic term. After that date, reservations for general university classrooms are processed on a first come, first served basis. Exceptions for early scheduling of departmental activities may be submitted to gurooms@okstate.edu for review. Reservation Requests can only be made one term in advance. The request will then be held to be scheduled as soon as possible.

   

  If you have an event scheduled but do not plan to meet or need to change something about your event, please email gurooms@okstate.edu.

   

  Applicable OSU P&P:

   

  • OSU P&P 1-0107: Availability of University Facilities
  • OSU P&P 5-0601: Extracurricular Use of University Facilities, Areas for the Purpose of Expression
  • OSU P&P 2-0205: Use of Space for Academic Activities Other than Regularly Scheduled Classes
  • OSU 6-0802 Use of Student Union Public Space
• Faculty Seeking Reasonable Accommodations

  If you are a qualified OSU Faculty member or staff employee with a disability, you may request reasonable classroom instruction accommodation pursuant to the American Disabilities Act (ADA) from your supervisor, chair, dean, or Office of Equal Opportunity by completing the reasonable accommodation form. Contact the OSU Office of Equal Opportunity for details. When possible, this accommodation should be applied before enrollment for the term.