Campus Communications

March 12, 2020 email

August 28, 2019 email

May 13, 2019 email

March 12, 2020 email

From: Academic Affairs <academicaffairs@csuchico.edu>
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2020 2:11 PM
To: All Announce (restricted) <announce.dis@csuchico.edu>
Subject: Academic Scheduling and Butte Hall Renovation Update

Academic Scheduling and Butte Hall Renovation Update

Since our last communication on August 28, 2019, there has been exciting progress regarding the preparations for academic scheduling necessitated by upcoming building renovations, particularly Butte Hall. 

The Scheduling Task Force drafted a set of interim guidelines for academic scheduling, which were endorsed by Academic Senate on February 13, 2020. The Academic Scheduling Provisions will guide the efficient use of academic space during the Butte Hall renovation, which will leave the campus without 20% of our general use lecture rooms. 

The Development phase of the Room Optimization project was completed as of February 21, 2020.  Milestones reported in the last email were achieved, and Academic Publications and Scheduling Services (APSS) continues to refine the synthesis of room and course preference data with Phase 2: Implementation, which has generated a new set of milestones:

We wish to emphasize the importance of this work, and remind campus that these valuable efforts align Chico State with our Master Plan and our Strategic Priorities. Without the participation and flexibility of all faculty, staff, and administrators, we will not be able to maximize our facility use and offer an optimal range of classes to our students, while simultaneously updating our instructional, working, and learning spaces.

Going forward, the primary contact for this project (including academic scheduling and centralized room placements) is Jennifer Aceves in Academic Publications and Scheduling Services. Please email apss@csuchico.edu with questions, and they will coordinate a response.  APSS will be creating a dedicated webpage in the coming weeks, which will include Frequently Asked Questions.

Thank you to the members of the Scheduling Task Force, particularly co-chairs Tyson Henry and Holly Ferguson, for their extensive review of current data and exploration of possible options. Working together, we can minimize any negative impact to student success, and inconvenience to our faculty and staff. We appreciate the campus’ collective wisdom in updating our scheduling procedures.

Debra Larson                                                                           Ann Sherman

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs       Vice President for Business & Finance

August 28, 2019 email

From: Lori Fuentes <LFuentes@csuchico.edu> On Behalf Of Academic Affairs
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2019 8:38 AM
To: All Announce (restricted) <announce.dis@csuchico.edu>
Subject: Butte Hall Renovation Update

Butte Hall Renovation Update

In anticipation of the Butte Hall renovation project scheduled to begin in 2021, much has been accomplished since our last communication. The table below shows the project’s status since our last communication on May 13, 2019 (see email below).

Over the summer, we have completed steps 1, 2, and 3 below. Course information will be entered into the Astra Schedule Optimizer database in order to begin initial scheduling simulations in November 2019.

To facilitate campus inclusion in this process, an update will be provided on the building renovation during Academic Senate meetings on September 19, October 24, and November 7. Public forums to elicit feedback have been scheduled on September 25, October 29, and November 12. More information about the forums will be provided in campus announcements.

May 13, 2019 email

From: Lori Fuentes <LFuentes@csuchico.edu> On Behalf Of Debra S Larson
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2019 2:20 PM
To: Department Chairs <deptchairs@csuchico.edu>
Cc: PAC <cad@csuchico.edu>; Ann Sherman <asherman@csuchico.edu>; Administrative Support Coordinators <administrativesupportcoordinators@csuchico.edu>

Subject: Butte Hall Update

Colleagues,

We are writing today to tell you about the scheduling process changes associated with the expected renovation of Butte Hall, which is projected to start in fall 2021. For this to occur, Butte Hall will need to be vacated no later than August 1, 2021. This will require the temporary relocation of 324 course sections (including specialty labs), 161 faculty and staff offices and support spaces, the College of Behavior & Social Sciences office, and the 4th floor data center staff offices. The new Physical Sciences building should be occupied by fall 2020. The expected renovation of the current Physical Sciences building might be available by fall 2021 to support campus needs, but can only accommodate a fraction of what is being vacated from Butte.

As a campus, we are all in this together and we will need to support all displaced colleagues and courses. This means that the existing scheduling practices of every department and academic unit will be impacted. In order to efficiently match course needs with room assignments for the campus, the first step in this process is to compile the following information into our existing Ad Astra scheduling software.

1. Facility features, sourced from facilities managers.
2. Course/section characteristics, sourced from Chairs.
3. Faculty course needs and preferences, sourced from Chairs and faculty.

The Office of the Registrar will send each college a spreadsheet that will need to be populated with already-available course/section characteristics from your department or college. When faculty return in August, each Department or Academic Unit will be asked to provide course-specific pedagogical needs and preferences. These data will be entered into the Ad Astra software, which will enable the Registrar and ADSUA to perform optimal scheduling simulations in late fall 2019. These simulations will allow Chairs and ASCs to then validate the methodology and troubleshoot issues. Refinements and additional simulations will be conducted such that consultation can take place in early 2020 and a working system will be in place to implement scheduling for fall 2021.

The table below outlines a timeline for our campus scheduling work.

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Thank you in advance for your assistance in making this a smooth transition.

If you have any questions, you may contact academicaffairs@csuchico.edu or business-finance@csuchico.edu.

Debra Larson                                                                           Ann Sherman

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs       Vice President for Business & Finance