The goal of this policy is to distribute class offerings more evenly throughout the day. By avoiding the overloading of classes at popular times for fall and spring semesters, students will be allowed more flexibility in their course scheduling. This will also leave classroom space available for emergency or overflow situations during peak hours.

This policy affects only those classes that are taught in regular on-campus university classrooms. It does not affect classes taught in department-controlled labs or conference rooms.

For the purpose of this policy, a department is defined as an academic unit which has a department head who reports to an academic dean, and is usually identified by the first four digits of its department code.

For this policy, we will consider the following times as "prime times" for MWF: 9:05, 10:10, 11:15, 12:20, and 1:25, for TTH: 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, and 2:00. Furthermore, if a class spans across two or more of these time patterns, it must be counted once for each time pattern it occupies. For example, FR 101 (4 credits) meets 9:05MWF and 9:30T. This is, in effect, using two "prime time" slots and will be counted twice.

Exception: If the language department also scheduled another class into the open 9:30TH time slot in that room, e.g., GER 101 at 10:10MWF and 9:30TH, it would only be counted once because the 9:30TTH time slot has already been counted. These two classes would then be counted as 3 prime time slots (9:05MWF, 10:10MWF, and 9:30TTH), not 4.

View all standard meeting times..

For this policy a class is defined as one section of a course. Classes with a lab may be counted twice if both the lecture and the lab are covered by the scope of the policy. One department should count different classes meeting at the same time and in the same room only once. This includes cross-listed courses, and 400/600 level pairs. The parent department counts cross-listed courses only.

Policy

Each small department (those offering fewer than 15 classes in regular university classrooms) may offer up to 60% of its classes in prime time, with no more than 2 classes in each prime-time slot. The department may round up when calculating the number of classes. (See formula re: rounding.)  Each large department (those offering 15 or more classes, in regular university classrooms) may offer 5% of its classes in each prime-time slot and is limited to 50% of its classes in prime time total. The department may round up to the next full class when calculating these numbers. (See formula re: rounding.)

Each department must schedule their courses such that they are in compliance. Departments (or college) not in compliance are required to adjust course offerings. Registration Services performs regular analysis of room compliance.

The 60% figure is derived in the following way. There are a total of 19 time slots available throughout the week, with 9 defined as "prime time." A "perfect" distribution between prime time and non-prime time is about 47%.

The 5% limit is derived from actual class offerings in the spring of 2005. With roughly 2335 classes offered, the "perfect" distribution is 123 classes (5.27%) in a time pattern. The total number of rooms available in a time pattern is 184 (7.88% of spring 2005 classes.) Even with departments rounding up their class offerings, the number of classes in a time slot should not exceed 184 classes. This will leave some rooms open for emergencies and will help ensure that a class can get the size room that it needs.

Because this policy is based on the "perfect" distribution of classes, it will hold as Clemson grows towards the current maximum of 3496 classes (184 classrooms times 19 time slots). This policy may need to be reviewed if there is a significant change in the number of university classrooms available on campus.

To calculate the total number of classes a large department may offer in a prime-time slot.

Total classes offered multiplied by .07 = Number of classes in a time slot. If this number is not a whole number, it may be rounded to the next higher whole number.

To calculate the total number of classes a department may offer in prime time.

Total classes offered multiplied by .60 = Number of classes that may fall in prime time. If this number is not a whole number, it may be rounded to the next higher whole number.

Questions regarding the Classroom Distribution Policy should be directed to Reagan Blondeau, 864.656.2431.