Room Scheduling Process

The Initial Room Scheduling Process

General Assignment Classrooms are assigned based on the priority established in the Room Assignment Policy, information provided by the departments on the worksheets, and the scheduling programs algorithm.

Time Schedule Worksheets are distributed 6–8 months prior to the beginning of a quarter. The initial scheduling of classrooms is based on the information provided on these worksheets. The worksheets are designed to allow departments to request specific classrooms or to provide information that will aid in the classroom scheduling process. A room scheduling software program is used and schedules based on the following criteria:

• Size of the course (Note: if you list that you want a specific room, be sure the limit does not exceed the rooms capacity. The program will not assign a room to a course if the course limit is larger than the official room capacity). Official room capacities are available from Classroom Support Services list of buildings and classroom descriptions.
• Location on campus (every department may define up to four levels of preferred classroom locations). You may change these locations by contacting the Time Schedule/Room Assignments Office, times@u.washington.edu
• Classroom characteristics (a complete list of available characteristics.) Check-off boxes of the most commonly requested characteristics are listed on the worksheets.

Once all the pertinent course information has been entered into the Student Database, the program that assigns the rooms to the courses is run and all the rooms are assigned in one large batch process. The newly assigned rooms are then added to the course information in the Student Database.

Reviewsheets are then run and distributed to the department at which time they are made aware what rooms have been assigned to their courses.

Courses not assigned rooms fall into three catagories:

1. The physical characteristics requested do not exist in the combination requested.
2. There are no longer classrooms with the requested characteristics at the day and time listed
3. There are no longer classrooms of the size requested at the day and time listed

Departments are then requested to alter the days, times, or course limit in order to be assigned a classroom.

Requesting Classrooms after the Initial Scheduling

Once the initial assignment of rooms has been made, scheduling is done on a first-come first-served basis and any remaining classroom space becomes available for events and other non-academic uses. Contact the Room Assignments Office prior to submitting your course add or change to make certain that space is available at the time and days desired. Send email to times@u.washington.edu or call 206-685-0540.