Scheduling for general assignment (GA) classrooms is governed by UCLA Administrative Policy 870. Senate-approved, regular-term courses have priority in these rooms.
Each term, department staff work with faculty to determine which classes to offer. After deciding on classes and a schedule, staff enter class data and time requests into the Student Record System (SRS). A job is run to place as many classes as possible at the times requested. Schedules are adjusted to accommodate efficient placement.
Regular-session courses approved by the Graduate and Undergraduate Councils of the Academic Senate—and all related instructional activities, such as review sessions, films, special lectures, midterm examinations, optional quizzes, academic tutoring, and final examinations—have priority in general assignment classrooms over all other instruction (UCLA Extension) or activities (events, educational testing) on weekdays, evenings, and weekends.
Room Selection
Classroom features, such as capacity and technology, can help determine which room to request. The Registrar’s Office GA classroom inventory includes capacity and type. The Office of Instructional Development (OID) maintains information on classroom technology systems. For details, see CAT audiovisual equipment. For information about webcasting from a classroom, see the CAT Bruincast for faculty web page.
Scheduling Time Blocks
The goal in scheduling classrooms is to provide the best fit for as many classes as possible in as fair and equitable way as possible. The following practices help to meet this goal:
- Schedule MWF 50-minute classes. MWF classes have priority.
- Monday-Wednesday and Tuesday-Thursday two-hour class start on the even hour (e.g., 8:00–9:50 a.m., 10:00–11:50 a.m.).
- Monday-Wednesday 75-minute classes follow Tuesday-Thursday 75-minute time-blocks (8:00–9:15 a.m., 9:30–10:45 a.m., 11:00–12:15 p.m., 12:30–1:45 p.m., 2:00–3:15 p.m., 3:30–4:45 p.m.).
- Don’t reserve or hold rooms; book just what is needed. Everyone needs a fair chance to schedule a room.
- Be flexible when asked to switch rooms, including classes in priority rooms.
- Spread classes throughout the day. This allows students to build their study lists and gives everyone a better chance to have classes placed. The most frequently requested hour is 11 a.m. Not everyone can be placed at this time. Be prepared to choose another time.
The Schedule Office adjusts times and locations as necessary to provide best fit for as many classes as possible.
Examinations
Midterm Examinations
Per UCLA Policy 870 II.B.6, midterm examinations are expected to be held during regularly-scheduled class meeting times.
However, large classes with multiple sections requiring a common midterm examination can schedule examinations outside regular class meeting times on a space-available basis with the following limitations:
- Notice of these midterm examination dates and times must be published in the Schedule of Classes and MyUCLA before enrollment begins; late requests are not scheduled
- Instructors must include these midterm examination dates in the course syllabus
- Instructors must announce these midterm examination dates and times on the first day of class, and inform students that it is acceptable to request alternate dates and times
- Instructors should make a good-faith effort to accommodate alternate examination times for students with class conflicts
- To comply with Section 92640(a) of the California Education Code, instructors must accommodate requests for alternate examination dates at a time when that activity would not violate a student’s religious creed
Hours for midterms scheduled outside class hours are generally 6–8 p.m. or later and weekends.
Final Examinations
Final examinations are scheduled Saturday through Friday in four standard blocks: 8–11 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., 3–6 p.m., and 6:30–9:30 p.m.
- All requests for final examinations should be given to the Schedule Office by Friday of week seven. Contacts should alert the Schedule Office as soon as they know a final will not be held during finals week.
- The Finl_Proj_Seat field on the OASIS CUD screen may be updated until Friday of week seven, although doing so sooner is desired.
- Beginning Monday of week nine, the Schedule Office starts accepting and processing requests to schedule review sessions for finals week.
- An instructor’s method of evaluation must be announced at the beginning of the class. The method may include a final written examination, term paper, final oral examination, take-home examination, or other examination device (Divisional Senate Regulation A-332A).
- Final written examinations should not exceed three hours’ duration and should be given only at the times and places established by the department chair and Registrar (Divisional Senate Regulation A-332A).
- It is the student’s responsibility to make sure final examination times do not conflict by checking the Schedule of Classes.
- In compliance with Section 92640(a) of the California Education Code, the University must accommodate requests for alternate examination dates at a time when the activity would not violate a student’s religious creed.
Contact
Contact the Schedule Office at 310-825-1441 or scheduling@registrar.ucla.edu.
Related Links
- Classroom Information (ITS)
- SRS Guide to Scheduling Screens (SAWeb, Logon ID required)
- Examination policies and schedules
- UCLA Policy 870: general assignment classroom scheduling
- Teacher’s Guide (pdf) (TLC)