Classroom Scheduling Standards and Expectations

The Provost’s Office supports classrooms for use across schools and departments. Technology and furnishings are maintained by the Center for Teaching and Learning, and academic scheduling is handled by the Office of the University Registrar. Certain processes described below are explicitly listed as relevant to the scheduling process for Pooled Classrooms; generally, however, these standards and practices are relevant to all scheduling units to facilitate a consistent campus experience, compliance with accreditation standards, and
room utilization.

Units offering courses are expected to schedule classes across available times. No more than 65 percent of classes offered by a given unit should be held between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The most heavily used patterns are 2X week, 80-minute meetings and 3X week, 50-minute meetings. Course sections scheduled outside of these patterns render the classroom un-schedulable on alternate day(s) of the standard pattern. Schedulers are encouraged to pair sections in their scheduling, if possible, to use the full meeting pattern.

Course sections with EMS Domain tags are sent from Workday, upon publication, into EMS. All relevant information must be present to be factored into room assignments. Information changed after optimization begins is not accounted for. Critical data points are:

• Meeting Pattern
• Preferred room features (Classroom Planning Interface, aka CPI)
• Realistic predicted enrollment/seating capacity (Workday)
• Instructor, particularly for back-to-back sections (Workday)
• OUR Pooled EMS Domain Tag (Workday)
• Undergraduate and Graduate course section overlaps (Workday)

The Office of the University Registrar Pooled Classroom Assignments team begins optimization for pooled classrooms after course sections are published and continuing through the Schedule Finalization Period. Once published, classroom assignments are not changed or manually manipulated unless approved through the Pooled Classroom Change Request Form, which reflects the limited scenarios that may be considered.

• Instructors requesting scheduling considerations for health circumstances must present documentation supporting this need to Human Resources. This should be done before the optimization process begins. To learn more visit the WashU Human Resources’ Accommodation Process for Disabilities and Pregnancy-Related Conditions page.
• Non-standard times will not be allowed unless explicitly approved by the school as pedagogically necessary, and will be assigned classrooms after sections at standard times are accounted for. Petitions to teach during non-standard days/times must be submitted to and approved by the University Scheduling Review Committee.
  
  The deadline to submit a Petition to Teach During Non-Standard Days/Times for Spring 2027 is September 11, 2026.
  
• Active Learning Classrooms (ALC) are an extremely limited resource and assigned outside the optimization process. These must be requested and approved before general optimization begins to ensure their assignments remain intact. Due to the popularity and limited number of ALCs, only classes meeting at standard times will be placed in these spaces. Requests for an ALC are approved by the Center for Teaching and Learning and scheduled by the Office of the University Registrar.
  
  The deadline to submit an Active Learning Classroom (ALC) Request Form for Spring 2027 is September 11, 2026.
  
• Students’ eligibility for a health accommodation as determined by Disability Resources may cause classroom reassignments. Depending on the circumstances these may occur at any time before or during a semester.
• Unexpected facilities work may cause classroom reassignments.

Evening sections, i.e. those scheduled after 5 p.m., are expected to adhere to standard end times and patterns unless exceptions are approved. Doing so creates the best conditions for meeting contact time requirements and effectively using space for other course sections and events arranged through Event Management.

Classroom furniture and features are designed to meet standards including safety and egress requirements. Items should not be removed or added. Inquiries should be directed to the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Classes must be held primarily in the instructional locations assigned in Workday. The university must be able to provide instructional support and emergency services and comply with accessibility considerations and accreditation and legal requirements regarding instructional space.

For faculty teaching back-to-back classes, the same room will be assigned whenever possible. When this is not possible, an effort will be made to assign a room in the same building or a nearby building. Faculty must be assigned to a class before a room is assigned for EMS to identify back-to-back classroom needs. If an instructor’s information is added after classrooms are published, a back-to-back classroom assignment is not guaranteed.

Pooled classrooms become available for non-class events two weeks after the start of each new semester and are not available during scheduled university breaks. If a pooled classroom is needed to support instruction during these two weeks, contact pooledclassrooms@wustl.edu.