• Section 1 - Purpose and Context
• Section 2 - Definitions
• Section 3 - Policy Statement
• Section 4 - Procedures
• Part A - Data Collection and Draft Timetable Preparation
• Base Data
• Finalisation of Course and Unit Offerings
• Roll-Over Timetable Data
• Validation of Initial Base Data
• Data Collection
• Draft Timetable Preparation
• Manual Scheduling
• Automated Scheduling
• Display of Draft Timetable
• Resolution of Timetabling Conflicts
• Part B - Publication of Timetables and Timetable Changes
• Official Timetable Publication
• Timetable Changes
• Timetable Changes Affecting Scheduled Days, Time or Campus
• Timetable Changes Not Affecting Scheduled Days, Times or Campus
• Publication of Official Timetabling Changes
• Part C - Timetable Usage Monitoring and Review
• Part D - Casual Room Booking Procedures
• Part E - Teaching Space Maintenance Reporting Procedures
• Section 5 - Guidelines
• Part F - Timetabled Space Categories
• Common Teaching Spaces
• Specialised Teaching Spaces
• Restricted Specialised Teaching Spaces
• Meeting/Conference Spaces

Section 1 - Purpose and Context

(1) The purpose of this Policy is to inform the University community of the practices and principles that will be used by the University to:

1. assign appropriate facilities to meet the requirements of the University's operations in an effective and efficient manner;
2. inform the University community of their responsibilities in providing necessary accurate and timely information to enable this to be carried out;
3. provide a framework for regular monitoring and review of the University's teaching facilities usage and needs;
4. advise staff and students where and how all teaching space allocation and timetabling issues should be dealt with and by whom.

(2) This policy deals with spaces which have been designated by the University Executive as available for teaching and certain other uses in the University and which are recorded on the Central Timetabling System database (Syllabus Plus). This system is managed and administered by Courses and Timetabling.

(3) For information concerning the allocation and use of University space by external parties, contact the Manager, Venues. For information concerning the management of University facilities refer to the University's Space Management Policy.

Section 2 - Definitions

(4) For the purpose of this policy:

1. casual room bookings - are ad-hoc bookings made by staff, students or external organisations for meetings, seminars, teaching activities for non-award courses, conferences, orientation activities and any other activities that are not incorporated in the University timetable.
2. core unit - is a unit which must be completed by a student in order to qualify for the award in which they are enrolled.
3. Course of Study - the sequence of study the student pursues. Alternatives are 'course' or 'program'.
4. elective - any non compulsory unit undertaken in a course of study.
5. enrolment churn - is unpredictable variations in enrolment numbers.
6. Director of Academic Program - is an academic staff member who has overall responsibility and is the major authority for the management of a course, including any cross-school components within that course.
7. Session - is a period of time when the content of a unit is delivered and the assessment is completed.
8. Syllabus Plus - is the corporate central timetabling system used to prepare the University teaching timetable.
9. Timetabling Template - is a document prepared annually by each school to define the generic staff constraint profile for timetabling for that school.
10. Unit - is a unit of study of one session's duration unless otherwise specified. Formerly known as a subject.
11. Unit Coordinator - is a member of the academic staff who is responsible for academic administration of the unit and students enrolled in that unit.
12. University - refers to Western Sydney University.

Section 3 - Policy Statement

(5) The University recognises the importance of allocating appropriate facilities to meet its operational needs. To this end the University has adopted a formal and structured approach to the booking and allocation of various facilities. This policy, along with its attendant procedures and guidelines, sets the framework within which the University will allocate all teaching and other facilities recorded in Syllabus Plus.

(6) Wherever possible Syllabus Plus facilities will be allocated in such a way as to:

1. schedule classes at times and locations that will facilitate student attendance;
2. ensure that students enrolled in a standard program are able to attend classes in all core units;
3. ensure that students enrolled in a standard program have a reasonable selection of electives from which to choose;
4. provide timetable details in time to enable students to make informed decisions and to make personal arrangements required by a particular study timetable;
5. minimise the number of changes made to the timetable after it has been published; and
6. optimise the use of University teaching resources, teaching staff and facilities.

(7) Further to these objectives, the University will apply the following principles to the allocation and use of teaching facilities:

1. Teaching spaces on each campus will be available for classes from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8am and 10pm. On campuses where sufficient resources are available, classes may be confined to a core period from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am and 9pm.
2. Classes may be held on Saturday or Sunday.
3. Classes should normally commence on the hour.
4. Automated scheduling will aim to ensure even distribution of scheduling across all days of the week.
5. Preferences for specific days and times cannot be guaranteed.
6. Schools that fail to utilise all days of the week, may be given lower priority in room allocation.
7. Where practicable, same day attendance at more than one campus should not be required in order for students to undertake core units in standard programs. Students should be able to complete their degree on one campus, including electives and School staff should consider scheduling classes on the students' campus (i.e. taking the class to the students rather than bringing students to the class); and applying flexible delivery alternatives to their teaching.
8. Once a teaching facility and time has been allocated, classes should be conducted within the scheduled times.
9. Classes should not be conducted in teaching facilities without being scheduled or booked within Syllabus Plus
10. The University will endeavour to provide a teaching-free period across all campuses on each Thursday of the standard teaching sessions from 1pm to 2pm.

(8) The practice of overbooking and therefore over constraining the timetable is not acceptable.

(9) The Timetabling Services Unit will have primary responsibility for managing and maintaining timetabling information on Syllabus Plus and for preparing the teaching timetable. All other parties involved in the overall process are expected to co-operate and comply with reasonable requests in order to support achievement of the University's objectives with regard to the appropriate allocation of Syllabus Plus facilities.

Section 4 - Procedures

(10) The timetable from one year is not rolled forward to the next year. Instead the University timetable is prepared annually using parameters defined within Syllabus Plus. In June of each year, Timetabling Services will issue to the schools a timeline outlining timetabling data preparation requirements and due dates. Data to inform the following year's timetable will be collected for a specified period of time, usually from August to October.

(11) When preparing the timetable:

1. priority will be given to units which are components of University award courses offered during teaching sessions described in the published University academic datelines;
2. non award units or those offered outside of normal teaching session timelines will be accommodated if resources permit unless their needs have been incorporated into a prior written Space Usage Agreement;
3. automatically scheduled activities will be grouped into priority groups for scheduling - the priority groups are formed based on criteria that determine the degree of difficulty involved in scheduling an activity. Activities with the greatest degree of difficulty are scheduled first; and
4. conflicts will be managed in accordance with clauses (26) through (27) of this procedure (Resolution of Timetabling Conflicts).

(12) Consistent with anti-discrimination laws and University policy, when preparing the timetable consideration will also be given to staff and students with special requirements related to:

1. disabilities;
2. religious beliefs; and
3. carer's responsibilities.

(13) Staff and students may seek advice from officers of the Equity and Diversity Unit or the Counselling and Disability Services with regard to the provision of reasonable accommodation on the grounds outlined in clause (12)a, b and c.

Part A - Data Collection and Draft Timetable Preparation

Base Data

(14) The following information will be used as base data for the preparation of the new timetable and must be ready within the scheduled timeline.

Finalisation of Course and Unit Offerings

(15) Courses and units being offered in the forthcoming academic year must be finalised before timetables can be prepared. Schools must finalise their course and unit offerings for the forthcoming academic year in accordance with University's Course and Unit Approval processes so that all data can be updated on Callista by the end of July.

Roll-Over Timetable Data

(16) Only base data from the previous year's teaching activities will be rolled over in August to provide a foundation for the following year's timetable. The previous year's schedule will not be included in this data.

Validation of Initial Base Data

(17) Finalised Course and Unit Offerings (now contained in Callista) are then compared with Roll-Over Timetable Data to ensure consistency. Where discrepancies are identified amendments are made to Syllabus Plus to ensure it accurately reflects the offerings contained in Callista. Only Course and Unit Offerings that are on Callista for the year in question will be timetabled on Syllabus Plus.

(18) The validated base data is then made available to the Schools for further clarification and data collection.

Data Collection

(19) The schools are then responsible for reviewing the base data and providing (via the web) further clarification in regard to related operational parameters, including:

1. Courses (clash avoidance)
2. Units (delivery structure, location requirements, variations to teaching week pattern)
3. Staffing (allocation to units).

(20) Additional information related to staffing availability is also to be provided by the Dean or Deputy Dean of the School during an annual meeting (usually prior to data collection) with the relevant Timetabling Officer. This information is essentially the generic constraint profile for full-time staff in the School.

(21) The Dean or Deputy Dean must also approve any exceptions to the generic constraint profile and notify the relevant Timetabling Officer.

(22) To facilitate consideration of the issues outlined in clauses (11) and (12), staff and students must provide all relevant information and requirements within the timeline for collection and preparation of timetable data as issued by Courses and Timetabling in accordance with clause (10).

Draft Timetable Preparation

Manual Scheduling

(23) Bookings for the forthcoming year for the following activities will be confirmed:

1. standard examinations;
2. deferred examinations;
3. graduation ceremonies; and
4. block bookings for maintenance.

Automated Scheduling

(24) Once manual scheduling is complete and the Courses and Timetabling is satisfied that other system or operational requirements have been fulfilled, Courses and Timetabling performs an automated scheduling process based on the parameters collected during the data collection period. In line with the established priorities, this process results in the generation of a draft timetable.

Display of Draft Timetable

(25) The results of the scheduling process are displayed to allow for modifications and adjustments. School staff should check the draft timetable thoroughly and provide feedback to Courses and Timetabling well in advance of the official publication dates.

Resolution of Timetabling Conflicts

(26) In the event that a conflict arises in relation to timetabling the parties involved are expected to attempt to resolve the conflict with a view to achieving the University's objectives. In attempting to resolve the conflict the parties should consider the following factors:

1. justification for requiring a specific location;
2. justification for requiring a specific time;
3. the availability/unavailability of alternative teaching space/time;
4. the extent to which the alteration of existing arrangements will impact on other staff and students;
5. that a degree of sharing/turn-taking is considered;
6. the importance of the activity to the University;
7. specialist teaching spaces shall only be used for designated purposes (e.g. science and computer laboratories);
8. activities requiring specialised teaching facilities (e.g. media equipped lecture theatres) have priority over those requiring standard facilities;
9. requests made prior to the publication of the timetable will be given priority over those made after publication;
10. larger classes have priority over smaller classes;
11. activities which occupy large blocks of time have priority over those which occupy small blocks of time; and
12. access for students with disabilities takes precedence over other considerations, unless this causes unjustifiable hardship.

(27) Conflicts that cannot be resolved by reviewing the conflict in consideration of the above factors will be mediated/arbitrated by the Academic Registrar. The decision of the Academic Registrar will be final.

Part B - Publication of Timetables and Timetable Changes

Official Timetable Publication

(28) The timetables for all teaching sessions held in the first half of the year become official in November while the timetables for all teaching sessions held in the second half of the year become official in May. While the University endeavours to limit changes to its official timetables these may occur in accordance with the provisions for timetable changes detailed later in this document.

(29) The University timetable is published on the official University web pages only, in accordance with clause (28).

Timetable Changes

(30) When making timetable changes it is important to consider the effect on students and staff. Where changes occur with little notice, schools must advise all affected students. If rooms are changed, the school must arrange to put appropriate signs on the old location to direct students to the new location.

(31) Students plan their forthcoming academic program based on knowledge of their timetable, (i.e. campus, day, time and location of teaching activities in their units). Consequently, changes to the published timetable will be kept to a minimum. It is the responsibility of the schools to ensure that information used to prepare the University timetable is accurate, and subsequent changes are only made for valid reasons. Valid reasons for changes include:

1. unexpected enrolment variation;
2. unexpected staff turnover;
3. a location is a health or safety hazard;
4. a unit is no longer deemed viable; and
5. reasonable adjustments to accommodate students with special needs.

(32) Requests to change a unit after official publication will be accepted from unit coordinators or Directors of Academic Programs, subject to the following provisions.

Timetable Changes Affecting Scheduled Days, Time or Campus

(33) For changes that affect scheduled days, time or campus and that most directly affect students' planning and unit/course choices:

1. a request for timetable change should be submitted to the relevant Timetabling Officer;
2. the Timetabling Officer should check availability and potential for change on the Syllabus Plus system and advise if all or part of the request is possible. This advice will include listing all programs that are linked to the unit for clash avoidance. When requesting a change the Directors of Academic Program of the affected programs should be consulted in regard to the change;
3. email approval is to be received by the Timetabling Officer from the Dean owning the unit, before the change is actioned;
4. the Courses and Timetabling will collect statistics on changes made to identify problem areas and a report will be provided to the Deans, Deputy Deans, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellors (Education), the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President, Academic and the Academic Registrar; and
5. where there is doubt in regard to whether a request for a change is justified the Courses and Timetabling Manager should be consulted.

(34) It should be noted that changes of this type are highly discouraged and must be well justified.

Timetable Changes Not Affecting Scheduled Days, Times or Campus

(35) Changes that do not affect scheduled days, time or campus can be carried out by the Timetabling Officer. Examples of changes that fall within this category include:

1. a change of staff allocated to an activity;
2. a change of location providing it is the same campus;
3. the deletion of booked space no longer required; and
4. the addition of a repeated activity, justified by enrolment numbers.

Publication of Official Timetabling Changes

(36) Once approved and actioned, official timetabling changes will be updated on the official web page by Courses and Timetabling.

Part C - Timetable Usage Monitoring and Review

(37) Once a timetable has been established and bookings confirmed staff and students are expected to utilise facilities in accordance with the official timetable. This means that all classes should be conducted within the scheduled times. Where necessary every effort should be made to ensure lecture theatres are vacated 10 minutes prior to the start of the next class to facilitate student movement.

(38) Students may leave the venue in that last 10 minutes and will not be penalised, even if they leave prior to conclusion of the teaching.

(39) Where classes use a room without a booking they may be asked to leave. In situations where more than one party presents to use a room at the same time, the party that is booked on Syllabus Plus will be granted use of the room.

(40) Timetable data and actual usage of facilities will be subject to periodical evaluation, therefore all parties should take care to ensure that the information supplied and requirements are consistent and up-to-date. Particular attention will be given to ensuring that timetabled space is in fact required and has been utilised in accordance with stipulated booking requirements.

(41) Those who do not utilise requested timetabled space may be subject to penalties as determined by the Vice-President, People and Advancement.

Part D - Casual Room Booking Procedures

(42) Individuals or groups seeking to make a casual room booking should refer to the Space Management Policy, being aware that casual room bookings in a teaching area during main teaching sessions cannot be confirmed until:

1. the beginning of week three of each session, irrespective of how far in advance the casual booking was made; or
2. the working day before the booking, if the booking falls within the first two weeks of any session, irrespective of how far in advance the booking was made.

(43) This process must be maintained to ensure consistency with the University's position regarding priority being given to core teaching activities.

Part E - Teaching Space Maintenance Reporting Procedures

(44) The Office of Capital Works and Facilities send notification to the Courses and Timetabling Manager, with as much notice as possible, of any unavailability of teaching spaces. This notification should include:

1. the location/s affected
2. the dates/times affected
3. the reason for the unavailability (indicating if there are safety issues etc)
4. the details of a contact person from within the CWF

(45) The Courses and Timetabling Manager or delegate performs an analysis of the impact of the unavailability. Based on this analysis, one of the following courses of action will be followed:

1. Where the impact is minimal and it is feasible to address the unavailability by rescheduling etc, this will be carried out and consultation will occur with all affected parties. Notification will be provided to the CWF contact person that the scheduling has been cleared as requested; or
2. Where the impact appears to be considerable, with rescheduling not feasible and with many students and staff members being affected, an impact analysis report will be sent back to the Office of Capital Works and Facilities contact person for further consideration and to the Assistant Academic Registrar, Student Administration - Services for information. This consideration may involve revised timelines for the work required or, particularly where there are safety considerations and the work is deemed urgent, consultation with affected parties to consider other means of addressing the unavailability, e.g. cancellation of classes/bookings etc. In such a case, the Office of Capital Works and Facilities staff, Courses and Timetabling staff and other affected parties will negotiate a workable solution or reconsideration and all will be advised of the outcome.

Section 5 - Guidelines

Part F - Timetabled Space Categories

(46) The Courses and Timetabling will maintain a database containing all the spaces the University has designated for use in teaching, meetings and conferences. Overall responsibility for the scheduling of these spaces is vested in the Courses and Timetabling Manager. This database will include and identify appropriately the following categories.

Common Teaching Spaces

(47) Common Teaching Spaces are defined as general, non-specialised areas used for teaching and other related activities by the academic community at large. Typical examples are lecture theatres, lecture rooms, tutorial/seminar rooms and the computing and information technology laboratories supported by Information Technology and Digital Services.

Specialised Teaching Spaces

(48) Specialised Teaching Spaces are designated as teaching areas which provide specialist teaching facilities for use by the academic community at large. They are not suitable for lectures, tutorials or general teaching functions.

(49) Control of such areas is vested in a specified school or research institute but their use is allocated via the central timetabling system (Syllabus Plus). The controlling academic unit will have first preference in the allocation of these facilities.

(50) Such spaces are typically configured and equipped for teaching a particular discipline or area at first or possibly second year undergraduate level and are supported by specialised technical staff. They are however available to all students and staff wishing to acquire or impart the particular knowledge and skills associated with the specialised functions of the space. Typical examples are undergraduate first year science and computing laboratories or introductory music studios. The costs of providing these facilities for students not enrolled in the controlling unit will be subject to inter-unit agreements.

Restricted Specialised Teaching Spaces

(51) Restricted Specialised Teaching Spaces are areas intended for highly specialised use. Such areas are normally developed by specific shcools or research institutes and will be controlled by these units. The use of these areas will be scheduled via the central timetabling system (Syllabus Plus) but they are available to the academic community only at the discretion of the controlling unit. Typical examples are design studios, specialised computer laboratories, language laboratories and so on.

(52) Specialised technical support is required. Characteristically such facilities will be configured or equipped in such a manner that students without previous background in the area or non specialised teaching staff would be at risk working within this space and may compromise the effective operation of its facilities.

(53) The costs of providing these facilities for students not enrolled in the controlling school will be subject to inter-school agreements.

Meeting/Conference Spaces

(54) Meeting/Conference Spaces are bookable areas which support both academic and administrative activities. The scheduling of these facilities will be via the central timetabling system (Syllabus Plus). Other meeting spaces designated as either locally bookable or for specialised use only will be available via the academic or administrative unit best located to monitor and provide access to the facility.