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2016-2021 AMP Implementation Updates (February 2018)

Initiative 2: Offer Alternative Scheduling and Delivery

CHARGE TO THE COMMITTEE—OFFER ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULING AND DELIVERY 

The Academic Master Plan Initiative 2 work group will recommend actions to the senior vice presidents of academic affairs and student affairs to effect alternative scheduling and delivery and guidelines for efficient and effective scheduling that enhance student retention and completion rates and are financially sustainable. This multi-year effort will be based on a data-driven audit of existing practices and informed by best practices. Implementation will parallel approval/acceptance of recommendations.

OVERVIEW

When students cannot register for the courses they need to earn their degree or transfer, their ability to complete is threatened (Complete College America, 2014). Nationally, 20% of community college students have reported that they were unable to get the classes they need for their degree (CCA, 2014). At Montgomery College, students who must balance their jobs, transportation, school and family priorities have expressed frustration about their inability to register for the courses they need.

Effective scheduling fosters student success and completion for full and part-time students by scheduling at the intersection of demands of curriculum pathways and students’ availability. The College’s 78% retention rate for full-time students drops to 57% for part-time students. For part-time students with the capacity to take more courses, effective scheduling coupled with advising can make this possible. Traditional day and evening, face-to-face, semester-long classes will continue to meet the needs of and be preferred by some students. However, for a growing number of students, the path to completion is dependent upon, or may be accelerated by, clearly articulated alternative scheduling and delivery.

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COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

  • Margaret Latimer, VPP (Chair)
  • Monica Parrish Trent*
  • Beatrice Lauman *
  • Ellen Olmstead
  • Scot Magnotta
  • Beth Ridings
  • Harry Zarin
  • Sharon Fechter
  • John Hamman
  • Kathy Michaelian
  • Phong Banh
  • Ernest Cartledge
  • Deborah Morris
  • Ayanna Burney
  • Tonya Baker
    * Co-chairs

FEATURES OF THE NEW PRACTICE/POLICY

Data-driven academic scheduling is an institutional priority, as expressed in the Academic Master Plan 2016-2021, which calls for “intentional decisions to vary our terms, class times, pathway options, and delivery methods” to facilitate completion and better serve our students. New practices, including the use of predictive analytics, Collegewide coordination, and multi - year schedules built to foster completion (required course sequences in multiple disciplines scheduled conveniently) of full-time, part-time, day, evening, and online students will increase retention and completion.

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WHAT THE INITIATIVE IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS (DATA FROM MC)

  • Reduce the nine parts of term which define the blocks of time (days/weeks) during which courses may be offered, thereby limiting the number of standard start and end dates for terms.
  • Standardize year-round terms (flex terms) (7-week, 14-week, etc.) and market courses and degrees (programs) built around flex-term scheduling
  • Reduce the number of distinct meeting patterns, currently over 400, and class start times, currently over 100, to maximize flexibility while minimizing confusion. 
  • Currently, many programs can be completed in an evening format, but students who need this option are not aware of this. They cannot see the pathway.
  • Recommend software that uses institutional data to create effective Collegewide scheduling.
  • Use two or three year rolling enrollment data to predict demand and schedule high-demand courses at optimal times.
  • Minimize class cancellations.
  • Post multi-semester (multi-year) schedules showing 80% of courses.
  • Guarantee that program requirements posted in the multi semester schedule will run.
  • Rotate low-enrolled courses by campus, semester, and time-of-day.
  • Define and use standard start and end times for classes.
  • Couple scheduling and academic program advising;
  • Ensure ratio of course offerings by campus reflects appropriate campus balance unless specialized facilities necessitate otherwise;
  • Achieve average 85% seat utilization rates during fall and spring terms.
  • Make recommendation(s) regarding Collegewide oversight of schedule development.  Currently, over 40 chairs and coordinators develop schedules with a campus based process.
  • Develop and/or identify alternative scheduling that allows students to complete programs entirely in evening/weekend and/or online enrollment.

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IMPACT ON STUDENT SUCCESS, FACULTY, RESOURCES (DETAILED)

  • Already, meeting the 85% seat utilization goal has achieved significant cost savings and resulted in fewer classes being canceled.
  • The average number of credits that students take has fallen slightly. A degree seeking student who successfully completes 9 credits per semester and does not take summer or winter term courses, will complete in 7 semesters. If a combination of better scheduling and advising increased the average per semester credit completion by just 1 credit to 10 credits per semester, the student completes in 6 semesters. The student gains all of the opportunity costs associated with that.
  • Fewer cancellations provide faculty and students with greater assurance that their planning and efforts to prepare for a semester will be rewarded.
  • Multi-year scheduling permits faculty to project and coordinate their teaching schedules and other responsibilities (committees, grant writing, etc.)
  • Students who are to see the impact of successful course completion and plan for multiple semesters.

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SCHEDULING AND DELIVERY IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

Meetings with Faculty Council, campus-based chairs groups, and a student survey were held in Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 to inform and seek input. Support for the initiative was overwhelming.

An AMP committee was formed and charged in Spring 2017 following the decision by the ATD team that scheduling was also an ATD priority. This allowed for coordination from the outset.

Efforts to increase average seat utilization to 85% were already underway with significant results: increased seat utilization, decreased course cancellations.

Seat Utilization
Term Number of CRNs Seat Available Seats Filled (Final) % Seats Filled
Spring 2016 3,816 81,007 63,246 78.1
Spring 2017 3,434 72,663 59,819 82.3

 

Reducing parts of term by one third, from 9 to 6, was established as an achievable goal that could be implemented in Spring 2018. Based on data showing the number of sections (CRNs) offered in each part of term, a recommendation was forwarded to the SVPs for Academic Affairs and Student Affairs in August 2017. Additional parts of term (POTs) will be eliminated in Fall 2018.

Data on start times has been provided that will inform decisions regarding standardized start times.

Data on evening and weekend students has been provided that will inform recommendations regarding that population of students pursing programs through alternative scheduling.

Fall 2017, an RFP was created to being the software procurement process. Company demonstrations occurred in November 2017. A recommendation to the SVPs will be made following the demonstrations. If approved, it will be submitted to the Board of Trustees.

Semester-by-semester timeline

  • Reduce Number of Class Cancellations (Fall 17)
  • Achieve average seat utilization rate of 85% (Fall 17)
  • Reduce Parts of Term (Spring 18)
  • Standardize Start Times (Spring 18)
  • Recommend Schedule Building Software (AY 17-18)
  • Confirm evening, weekend, and DL Programs (AY 17-18)
  • Establish Collegewide Scheduling Protocol (AY 17-18)

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IDENTIFY POSSIBLE CONFLICTS/CHALLENGES

There is sensitivity to overhauling the longstanding campus-based schedules. The committee members will represent their constituents and communicate the goals and priorities and seek input on all decisions and recommendations made by the committee. Data will support changes. Collegewide scheduling policy changes that support student success will need to be established and followed. This will require joint leadership and enforcement from the senior vice presidents for academic and student affairs.

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges will be coordination with IT to guarantee full integration with a student success management system or scheduling software company or building our own system. Close collaboration with IT to determine which approach is best for institution is critical.

Faculty course load expectations will have to be managed, as it will take time for the college culture to adjust to one where the student schedule is guaranteed based upon enrollment trends and program completion. Currently, faculty schedules are “guaranteed” without much regard for student demand. Scheduling for student success may necessitate scheduling some classes at times that have not been the traditional and expected meeting time for some classes.

Fewer sections of some courses will mean fewer part-time faculty are hired. 

Ongoing communication and collaboration with Student Affairs, as well as the Collegewide community, will be critical.

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ASSESSMENT

Retention will be assessed with awareness that multiple efforts are underway to increase retention and completion. In alignment with the College’s Student Success Goals and Academic Affairs Key Priorities, particularly increasing graduation and transfer rates and decreasing cost and time to degree, the Scheduling Initiative will utilize several specific outcome measures to assess its effectiveness. These include, but are not limited to measuring changes in:

  • Student assessment of ability to take the courses needed
  • Student assessment of ease of registering for required courses
  • Rate at which students are completing degree certificate requirements and/or completing their academic plans 

Attainment of fiscal accountability and Spending for Student Success goals, will be evaluated through measures of:

  • Seat utilization rates
  • Course cancellation rates

Benchmarks under consideration include, but are not limited to:

  • Reduce the number of start times and meeting patterns by 25%
  • Achieve 85% average seat utilization at 3 weeks
  • Reduce the number of cancelled sections to no more than 3% of sections originally scheduled
  • Reduce number of parts of term by at least 25%
  • Build a desired course schedule that supports full and part-time students’ programs
  • Recommend scheduling software for purchase and use
  • Actively market and increase enrollment in evening and weekend programs
  • Identify students with capacity to take additional courses (i.e. those at 12-credit hours per semester)

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