Course Timetable and Room Scheduling

In most cases, the departmental secretary or another administrative staff member coordinates course scheduling for an academic department.

Across the University, the course scheduling process begins once the Office of the Registrar sends out course proofs. Typically, proofs for the Summer and Fall semesters are sent out in December of the previous year, while proofs for the Winter semester are sent out following the Add/Drop period of the Winter semester (in mid-January) of the previous year. Initial proofs are based on previous years’ timetables.

Course proofs contain essential details like meeting times, locations, enrolment limits, prerequisites, final exam slots, and instructors. As Department Head, you will receive your department’s proofs directly. The departmental review process normally involves the Department Head and the individual instructors who are likely to teach the relevant courses, but this procedure is under your jurisdiction.

Within each department, the departmental secretary or other designated coordinator sends the department's list to the Dean's office for approval. Once approved, the list is forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.

Note that, according to the WUFA collective agreement, faculty must have their courses for the forthcoming teaching year assigned by March 15. Course offerings are publicly posted, without exact meeting times, on April 1.

While the Registrar attempts to satisfy as many scheduling requests as possible, conflicts due to issues with room availability and meeting times (of required courses) are inevitable. When conflicts do emerge, the Office of the Registrar works with the department and/or Dean’s office to resolve them.

If you or the course instructor determine that a proposed course timing is unworkable or that other details in the course proof require change, all requests for changes to it must proceed through the departmental secretary. This process ensures that activities are coordinated across campus and the proper approvals are received by the relevant parties.

In some cases, the Registrar's Office may need to move your class into a different room. Because final course enrolments do not always reflect the enrolment projections made at the start of the scheduling process, some courses are initially assigned to rooms that end up being inappropriately large or small.

Rooms for final exams are assigned after the two-week add/drop period at the start of the semester. If an instructor does not require a room assignment for his or her exam (i.e. if they assign a final paper or take-home exam), please instruct them to indicate this on their course proofs.

Similarly, rooms for mid-term exams are typically not assigned until after the two-week add/drop period. To request a room for a mid-term exam, please go through your departmental secretary.