Enrolment for 2005 … and Beyond
Ritchie Theatre, UNSW
27 August 2004
1. Welcome – Topics
Objectives + Agenda Robert Morrell, Student Systems & Publications Office
myUNSW - Services Overview Sarah Thomson, Student Systems & Publications Office
The Course Catalogue, Class Scheduling, Requirements, NSS Enrolment Controls
Geoff Whale, Business Systems Development Services
NSS Class Management: A User’s Perspective Stephen Parnaby, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Online Handbook Kieran Fitzpatrick, Business Systems Development
Services
Timetabling, Academic Rules and Academic Advising Geoff Whale, Business Systems Development Services
Problems, Issues, Gaps + The Way Forward
Objectives
To establish a ‘baseline’ understanding of the current capability and limitations in NewSouth Student for supporting academic rules and core academic administration processes.
To enable staff in faculties to prepare for 2005 enrolments.
To provide a preview of future directions and priorities for enhancing capability and addressing existing issues.
Method
To bring together various ‘players’ and stakeholders in academic administration and on academic committees.
To present an overview of key academic administration functionality in NewSouth Student, and describe how these functions are used in enrolment processes, myUNSW and the Online Handbook.
To identify future directions.
NewSouth Student – Milestones
Initially released in 2000 - development continues
Fundamental shifts Standardised credit point system Terminology changes ‘Rules’ based system Student Self-Service – esp. for web enrolment NSS Online > myUNSW Introduction of workflow-based processes Course Catalogue, Class Schedule Virtual Handbook New assessment policy, processes and reports – incl. Eccles New academic standing policy and procedures New fee policy – based on courses and unit of credit for
tuition fees
NewSouth Student – Gaps
No academic advisingLeads to pressure to ‘improvise’ other forms of online support
Virtual Handbook Sitar (program advice, simple rules engine) Cola (course-level advice, complex rules engine) Extensive use of enrolment controls and requirements to
define and impose ‘progression pathways’
Some current UNSW requirements [esp. exclusions] not well-handled in NSSDespite incremental gains, no institution-wide timetabling
NewSouth Student – Gaps
Change management issues not fully addressed …
Current understanding of facilities and maintenance processes is uneven
Academic administration roles and responsibilities not defined or clearly implemented – in faculties or central units
Need to align jobs, roles and responsibilities with current business needs
Challenges, Opportunities, Dilemmas [COD]
What are the current abilities and limits for NSS implementing and supporting UNSW’s academic rules? How can these be addressed? What is the UNSW coursework program model?
What is a ‘major’? What is a ‘specialisation’? What defines these?
What is a ‘subject area’? How does this relate to fee policy?
How well do we support students in combined degree programs?
Do our program, major, enrolment and progression rules and requirements help or hinder students to pursue their academic goals? Are we ‘best practice’?What impacts will the new budget model and any fee policy changes have on our academic offerings?
Challenges, Opportunities, Dilemmas [COD]
We provide a diverse range of printed, online and in-person advice and information to students. How are these used? Why don’t students take our advice?
If the Academic Board were to abolish pre-requisites, co-requisites and exclusions tomorrow, how would we cope?
A small number of students don’t follow the requirements for the program / plan they’re enrolled in. How should we respond?
‘Everyone agrees’ that Academic Advising is one of the most pressing issues for faculties and Student Administration. How do we move it forward?
The things we used to do, we don’t do those things no more …
DEST is moving away from a semester-based, full-time/part-time view of measuring what students do [built around two fixed census dates] and how they should be supported, to a more flexible unit of study based measuring system, allowing ‘floating’ census dates.
What impacts will the Higher Education Reforms [under HESA] have on our academic structures, programs, offerings and rules?
What can we learn from these reforms? What opportunities do they open up?
Systems today and tomorrow
Academic Advising
Students, Advisers
Results History
Timetabling Syllabus Plus
Existing functionality
Potential functionality
ProgramRules
WebCT-Vista
Students, Staff
CourseCatalogue
ClassSchedule
OnlineHandbook
Enrolment Requirements
Enrolment Quotas
Reserve Capacities
Meeting Times
myUNSW
Equivalent Courses
All users
Students,Staff (proposed)
Configuration maintained by Schools
2. myUNSW – Services overview
myUNSW enrolment process: Integrated with workflow processes, especially for
commencing students ‘Shopping trolley’ concept Reasonably intuitive, with online help and links to
support tools Students can design cohesive timetable either
manually or through auto-timetabling functionality before committing to enrolment
myUNSW – Services example
Examples of myUNSW enrolment functionality:
1. Advanced class search2. Search for course list by student’s program/stage
with plan selectable3. Class selection including choosing between on-
campus Lecture/Tutorial delivery and Web class4. Viewing timetable grid with clashes5. Auto-timetabling functionality to select non-
clashing optionsProcess example: class search, detailed enrolment Play
myUNSW – enrolment control
Enrolment controls limit and prioritise access to classes:
Prerequisites, corequisites and exclusions Overall quotas Reserve capacities Consent-based enrolment Term/session unit limits Career pointer exception rules Enrolment appointments
3. Course Catalogue
Purpose Maintains history of all course changes Captures fundamental characteristics of a
course under several offerings Provides template for new sets of classes New record should be created only for
genuinely new courses
Course Catalogue growth
Active: in handbook and can be scheduledUnpublished: not in handbook but can be scheduled (RSCH etc)Not current: remain active, but not currently offered
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
2004
2003
2002
2001
Number of Courses (x 1000)
ActiveUnpublishedNot Current
BIOM 9027
PGRD
Course Catalogue structure
Components
Offerings
LECTitles: Medical ImagingUnits: 6Consent: NoGrading basis: GRD TUT
LAB
BIOM 9027
PGRD
BIOM 9027
UGRD
BIOM 4020
UGRD
Effective date: 2003-09-09
Effective date: 2002-01-01Effective date: 2000-07-31
Equivalent Course
Links to class schedule
Enrolment Requirements (per offering)
Course Catalogue: multiple offerings
Each offering can have its own Subject area and/or catalogue number Career Campus Other: faculty, school (though usually fixed) Enrolment requirements
Preferred mechanism for Subject area aliases for differential fees
(MINE/MNNG) Subject area aliases for promotion (EURO/HIST/JWST) Multiple careers (UGRD/PGRD)
Process example: creating a new offeringPlay
Course Catalogue components
ComponentsCapture activities undertaken by student:
1. Nominal (one component per course):thesis, work experience, web, honours
2. Conversion default (one component per course):lecture
3. Regularly timetabled (up to three per course):lecture, tutorial, seminar, laboratory
Process example: adding a Web componentPlay
Course Catalogue linkages
Descriptionextracted to online handbook
(currently)
Equivalent coursesall equivalent courses link to
common object Enrolment requirements
links to enrolment requirement setup
Process example: aliasing existing courses
Play
4. Class Schedule
Classes enable student enrolment in a given session
Identifies cohort engaged in specific activity Enrolment managed by
Overall quota Quota for identified groups (reserve capacity) Consent (where required)
Full timetable and location details Component-linked classes allow students’
complete timetable to be recorded Structure must be stable prior to enrolment
period
Class Schedule growth
Active: available (possibly stopped), enrolment not zeroEmpty: available, no enrolmentsInactive: cancelled or tentative
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
2004
2003
2002
2001
Classes (x 1000)
Active classesEmpty classesInactive classes
Empty classes: where and why?
Goal: improve accuracy of class schedule so it reflects genuinely available and running courses
Empty Classes 20047
355
250
237
488
305 Non-awardResearchPostgrad - consentPostgrad - openUndergrad - consentUndergrad - open
Classes: 1642Open: 542 (33%)Consent: 738 (45%)Other: 362 (22%)
Class Scheduling models (common)
A. Implicit choice
LEC
LAB
LECLEC
TUT
TUT
LABLAB
TUTTUT
B. Explicit choice, non-associative
Pick lecture stream
Pick tutorial
Pick lab
Models simplified since introduction of myUNSW:hides administrative class detail from user
Class Scheduling models (extended)
Enrolment procedure: Choose association first,then TUT if applicable
WEB
LEC
TUT
TUT
TUT
TUT
TUT
TUT
Association 1 Association 2
Association: grouping of classes that represent complementary activities
Class Schedule: structure
Process example: adding web classes
Reserve Caps
Session: S1Section: M11AComponent: TLBDates: …
Capacity: 18Consent: NoneStatus: Active
Tutor’s details
Program 3400: 10
Places reserved for Arts & Social Science students
Tutorial part of tut-lab starts week 2
Mee
tin
gs
Notes
Program 3420: 4
Mon 11:00–12:00All weeks, no clashQuad G049Dates: …
Mon 12:00–13:30All weeks, no clashLeaf lab Mech EngDates: …
Tutor’s details
Demonstrator’sdetails
Play
Class Schedule: the future
Increasing need for accuracy (HESA reforms)Increasing need for completeness (WebCT-Vista requirements, timetabling)Staff portal could present class structures in different ways from NSS/Citrix panelsIrrelevant fields suppressedEasily extended to collect timetabling parameters
5. Enrolment Requirements
Purpose: To express required background in terms of prior or
concurrent course completion To record essential and logical progression rules To limit access to professional courses to relevant
cohort
Never intended to mimic program rules by establishing rigid pathways independent of required knowledge
Enrolment Requirements
Supported rule types Specific course prerequisites and corequisites Prior knowledge in terms of units completed in
subject area, faculty or overall Program restrictions Simple logical combinations of these
Rule types poorly supported Course lists subject to frequent change Complex “if-but-maybe” networks Exclusions
Enrolment Requirements: exclusions
Complexity of configuration precludes widespread use:
Data
Offerings
Components
Description
Requisites (1)
Taxonomy
Owner
Course CatalogueEnrolment Requirement Group
Requisite (3-5)
Parameters
Detail (2)
Detail Params
Requirement (3)
Params (1)
Controls
Line Item (4)
Line Item Params (2)
Line Item Controls
Line Item Detail (2)
Academic Requirement
Description (3)
Detail (2+)
Parameters
Course Lists
Other enrolment
requirements
Exclusion requirement
Course Identifiers
Exclusion course list
Exclusions: 1Courses: 2Panels: 9Entry fields: 22
Often avoided by using equivalent course links
Enrolment Requirements examples
Examples from Arts & Social Sciences courses shown later
6. Enrolment Controls
Overall quotas apply to all classesClass Sections panel provides ability to
Monitor demand in real time Adjust quotas Change class status
Class utilisation website (over) shows class enrolment by subject area (daily refresh)Subquotas created for program-based cohorts through reserve capacities
Class Utilisation web pages
www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~nss/sitar/classes
Updated daily
Class Sections panel
Overview of class status, capacity and total enrolmentAll classes for a course in one scroll areaImmediate feedbackCan update (except for class cancellation)
Process example: adjusting class limitsPlay
Reserve Capacities
Part or whole of class enrolment quota reserved for students meeting enrolment requirementPredefined codes
for every active program 20PPPP by faculty (based on program)
4FF0 by seniority (units completed in multiples of 6)
6UUU
Multiple subquotas possibleDate driven: can “unreserve” later
7. Class Management – a user’s perspective
Areas of responsibility: Class scheduling Enrolment requirements Reserve capacities
Class scheduling approaches vary across faculty: ENGL3754 – tutorials and lecture fully represented PHIL1010 – students enrol in tutorial timeslot, actual
classes assigned by school SOCA#### – school negotiates tutorial classes at first
lecture, based on nominal room bookings
Class Management – enrolment reqts
Frequent changes – high maintenanceCommon faculty rules – progression by maturity
Minimum units for upper level Minimum units in subject area Minimum average mark in subject area or overall
Exclusions currently quite prolific
Process example: reviewing typical enrolment requirements: Play
Class Management – reserve capacity
Process example: extending and managing reserve capacities:
THST2143 has one open class and one reserved for Dance Education studentsSubquotas possible by faculty or seniority (units of credit completed in multiples of 6)
Play
8. Online Handbook
February 2003: Academic Board sponsorship for project to redevelop the Online Handbook
Concerns about currency, quality, controls
No integration with printed Handbooks
Online Handbook – Objectives
Policy and Governance: A policy and standards-based approach to student publications, including handbooksUniversity Rules: Rules and processes must be communicated clearlyContent: Must be accurate, relevant, complete and authoritativeMarketing: Presentation must be attractive and engaging
Online Handbook - Solution
Online Handbook - Status
Data is being migrated by Student Systems and Publications nowHandbook editors can access CMS system now, to review migrated data and get some experience with the systemCourses will be migrated from NSS on September 21Handbook web site to go live in late September
9. Timetabling – state of play
UNSW has no coordinated strategy for updating the academic timetableUNSW uniquely uses no scheduling toolsSome parts of the timetable are in a 1970s time warpLow effective utilisation of physical resources and timePoor choices for students, especially in combined programs
Timetabling – room utilisation 9am-6pm
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
Large theatre frequencyLarge theatre occupancyMedium theatre frequencyMedium theatre occupancy
Source:
CATS bookings,
S1 2003Large: 180-500 seats (excl. Clancy, NSG, Ritchie, Sci; 16 theatres)Medium: 100-168 seats (22 theatres)
% of time room is booked
% of seats occupied
when in use
Timetabling – 2005
Removal of Heffron theatres squeezes last drop from safety marginPlanning tools non-existent: one-off analysis and manual adjustments CATS-2 system exacerbates scheduling problems, difficult to justify continuationNeed for wider range of learning space, yet no drop in demand for conventional roomsProgress hampered by incomplete and inconsistent record of facilities on NSS (see over)
Timetabling – CATS/NSS correlation
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
COMM ARTSC SCI ENG LAW MED BLTEN
Num
ber o
f CA
TS B
ooki
ngs
NSS class matchedNo NSS matchCasualNot used (after audit)
Source:CATS bookings,S1 2004
Timetabling – 2006
Development of centralised timetabling procedures has been proposed, but awaits funding for detailed analysisPrinciples
Improve utilisation, goal is accepted standard of 75% (frequency times occupancy) compared to current 50%
Increase available course combinations for students Smooth chronological peaks Even the playing field for recently introduced courses Accommodate preferences where possible
Business process: Class schedule roll forward (indicative class structures) Schools adjust parameters for class size, room
requirements Data exported to scheduler Provisional timetable reimported to NSS + bookings to CATS Amendments require approval + manual room bookings
10. Academic Advising
Manual checking processes represent on-going headache for staff and students
Features of UNSW program rules: Scale – 527 UGRD/PGRD active programs, 2967 active
plans (major, minor, specialisation) Complexity – many kinds of interacting rules Inconsistency – similar plans have minor differences,
why? Ambiguity – some rules subject to interpretation Instability – changes occur regularly, so cohort-specific
PeopleSoft AA suits US rulesets (complex but in a different way from UNSW)
Hybrid system possible: PS tables, UNSW rules engine, web presentation + simpler, more uniform program/plan rulesNo cheap solution exists, requires rule rationalisation
Academic Advising – complexities
ENGL
HPSC
KORE
GREK
CHIN
GERS
HIST
JAPN
EDST
INDO
MUSCLING
PHIL
SLSPPOLS
FREN
POLS RUSS
THST
SPANAUST
COMD
ITAL
EURO
SOCW
LATN
SOCA
WOMS
MATH
IROB
COMP
ECONBIOS
PSYC
GeneralEducation
Overall units
Max 12uc@ level 1
IBUS
3400 Arts
Major sequence
areas
Other Arts areas
Other faculty areas
Min. plan units
Academic Advising – sample report p.1/2
Program requirement – 3502 Commerce Overall units: 42/144 General Education (Commerce & Economics)
Overall units: 0/12Own faculty courses (max 3 units)
Option (3 units): GENC####Other faculty Gen Ed (max 12 units)
Required (9 -12 units from): GEN[~C]#### ZGEN#### Limits: no more than 60 units of Level 1 courses
Completed (48 units). Level 1 core courses (36 units)
Completed (30 units): ACCT1501 ACCT1511 ECON1101 ECON1202 ECON1203In Progress (6 units): ECON1102 [WD]Required: nil
Academic Advising – sample report p.2
Plan requirement – MARKA13502 Marketing (single major) Overall units: 6/48 Stage 1 courses (6 units)
Completed (6 units): MARK1012 Stage 2 courses (24 units)
Required (24 units): MARK2051 MARK2052 MARK2053 MARK2054 Stage 3 courses (12 units)
Required (12 units): MARK3081 MARK3082 Options (6 units)
Required (6 units from): MARK1014 MARK3071 MARK3072 MARK3091 MARK3092
Plan requirement – ACCTA23502 Accounting (minor) Overall units: 12/24 All courses (24 units)
Completed (12 units): ACCT1501 ACCT1511Required (12 units): ACCT[234]### FINS3626
Free ElectivesCompleted (6 units): COMP1091
Unused Courses – these do NOT count in this programNo courses in this category
11. Problems, Issues, Gaps [PIG]
Academic Admin and Handbooks: Roles and ResponsibilitiesArticulating the UNSW coursework program modelCombined degree programsReviewing and rationalising plans, courses, classes and requirementsAcademic AdvisingTimetablingReviewing the Academic Calendar
12. The way forward – potential projects & initiatives
Timetabling Sponsors: Professor Robert King (DVC Academic), Dr Alec
Cameron (DVC Academic), Academic Board (Academic Services Committee)
Academic Calendar Review Sponsors: Professor Robert King (DVC Academic), Academic
Board (PAC)
Academic Rules and Academic Advising Sponsors: Professor Robert King (DVC Academic), Professor
Adrian Lee (PVC Learning & Teaching), Academic Board (PAC, Committee on Education)
Roles and Responsibilities Sponsors: Professor Robert King (DVC Academic), Deans /
VCAC
Combined Degree Programs Sponsors: Professor Adrian Lee (PVC Learning & Teaching),
Academic Board (USC, Committee on Education)
Further Information?
myUNSW my.unsw.edu.au site map:
www.my.unsw.edu.au/student/sitemap.html
Ask NSS Questions Send an email to the explode email: "NSS Question" <newsouth-
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