Bridging the class schedule from CLSS to Banner (checklist)

Identify unbridgeable sections

 Run a Data Consistency Report of “Unbridgeable Sections” to see if the dept was locked out of any sections and couldn’t update before submitting (so you’ll know not to check those sections and also to make them editable after bridging, by going to Bridge Tools). https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/admin/reports-data-consistency.html

NOTE for any links below- to pinpoint the department you are looking for, click “filter” then “section”, then type the department code into the “scheduling unit” field, then click “apply”. This will filter down further to just your target department.

Reconcile number of sections/seats

Departments should submit at least the same number of sections/seats (or more) as they offered in the previous like semester. (The final numbers at the end of that previous semester are often a good indicator of future demand.) A quick way to check: change the 202310 in the CLSS URL to 202210 (then filter out any IND,INT,HTH).

https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/search/#osc=!HTH%2CIND%2CINT  

Even time block distribution

Ensure the schedule is evenly distributed per time block rules. The new TIME BLOCK rules* (effective 202210) should check for this; if uneven, most large depts will get an error, and most small depts will get a Registrar workflow.

For Registrar workflows, you should check manually: In the visualization tool, make sure schedule is as evenly distributed as possible; no one time slot should be used much more than another. If too uneven, get more info from the dept – find out what they can do to fix.

Sections that don’t count in the rule:

• child sections (“See…”); a group of cross-listed sections counts only once (with “Also…”)

• parent sections in another department

• schedule types LAB, STU, ACT, PRA

• sections that have no meeting patterns (dnm = does not meet)

• sections that meet completely outside of M-F 8:00am-4:50pm hours

*Time Block rules are based on overlapping attributes; a W 3:00-5:30 section will count once each in three different time blocks.

Calculating the total number of sections that count

Insert Scheduling Unit into filters:

[nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/search/#osc=!LAB%2CACT%2CSTU%2CPRA&mpaan=!dnm] minus [nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/search/#oxpoi=!NONE]

Sample Filter of which sections overlap in a given time block (can be used to compare “pairs”)

https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/afrs/index.html#osu=afrs&omn=T*%203*pm%2CR*%203*pm

Verify required minimum contact hours

Required minimum contact hours should be resolved BERFORE bridging.

NOTE: All classes that use a standard meeting pattern and are offered in the main part of term (used by the Academic Calendar) fulfill this requirement. You need to manually check only classes in Special Offering part of term OR any Summer part of term, that use schedule types LEC, SEM, LAB, ACT, REC, SCR, and TUT.

For SACS accreditation, a 50-minute meeting pattern gets credit for 1 credit hour (60 minutes)* Because 50 min = 83% of 60 min, meeting patterns/actual contact time must = 83% of credit hours,
and each credit hour requires a minimum total of (83% of) 750 contact minutes.

*Colette confirms that for SACS, a class’s actual contact hours are 83% of its credit hours.

See file in Registrar > Class Schedule > [term] > Class Submissions from Depts – Bridged > ` Contact Hours calculations – template

1 credit actual contact minutes minimum = 623 minutes   

2 credits actual contact minutes minimum = 1,245 minutes        

3 credits actual contact minutes minimum = 1,868 minutes         

4 credits actual contact minutes minimum = 2,490 minutes

5 credits actual contact minutes minimum = 3,113 minutes   

6 credits actual contact minutes minimum = 3,735 minutes

These are the minimum required minutes; classes may meet for more than the minimum (ex: LABs), but not less.

Verify number of meeting days

Box\Registrar\Class Schedule\[term]\ ]term] proposed Academic Calendar holidays – [date]

A lecture class (with credits greater than 0) that has a co-req lab (with 0 credits)  might not appear on its own to fulfill its contact hours based on its credits, but because the 0-credit lab also has a meeting pattern, when the lecture is combined with the lab, the total minutes usually evens out and is acceptable.

Ex: a 3-credit LEC (BMEN 6790) meets only T 3:30-4:45pm (only 75min weekly), but its 0-credit LAB (BMEN 6791) meets W 3:00 – 4:50 (about 120min weekly),

so the combined 3 credits (3+0) meets a total of about 200min > 150min weekly

Identify classes with non-standard meeting patterns

Non-standard meeting patterns require Registrar approval via workflow. Check how many are requesting a general pool room (Filter > Room ID = -1, schedule type = !ONL).

Ensure there are no meeting patterns before 8am or after 11pm

The exception to the 8am rule is ROTC.

The exception to the 11pm rule is for abroad courses, which is seen in the business school.

This also shows as a warning rule.

Ensure no instructors are double-booked

Run the Validation for the dept to see if it triggers the warning of “An instructor is scheduled during conflicting meeting patterns.” Check in CLSS by selecting menu View By… > Instructor, and scanning down the list for overlapping times of sections that are NOT cross-listed. (Can also filter to include Staff but exclude HTH, IND, INT, and RSH).

This also shows as a warning to notify the department.

 Ensure there aren’t too many sections assigned to “Staff Instructor”

“Staff Instructor” should not be assigned to more than a few sections. https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/search/#osc=!HTH%2CIND%2CINT&miai=000000000

Review cross-listed classes

( nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/search/#oxs=%3E%3D0 )

• Combined Caps should equal the total of all Absolute Maxes (and when first bridging, Enrollment Caps should equal Absolute Maxes, now a rule in Design Mode).

• If any sections cross-listed with another department appear to have data that no longer matches, do not update; these sections should resolve when the other department bridges.

• SLA may not cross-list classes of different departments (per the school’s Curriculum Committee docs), but must use co-ops instead. Classes of the same subject/dept but different levels may be cross-listed (grad with undergrad).

• If a grad and an undergrad section are cross-listed, the grad section should be grad ONLY (and not also allow undergrad).

• Some exceptions, for 4+1 programs.

Review service learning sections

Service Learnings should NOT be cross-listed with their co-reqs (they should be co-reqs, as requested in the Comments to Registrar).

https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/search/#oaa=RPS&oxs=%3E%3D0

Review Restrictions

ALL sections should have a level restriction of either Undergraduate and/or Graduate.

• Some Graduate sections may also have Professional and/or Medical.

• Joe ran a job to copy SCACRSE restrictions into SCARRES just prior to 202230 roll.

Check that all 6000-sections’ level restrictions (at the section level) match SCARRES:

• https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/#ccn=6*&crt=!lvl

• https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/search/#ort=!lvl

 Ensure there are no co-requisites conflicts

• Check that NONE of the Lectures/Seminars have time conflicts with ANY of the Labs/Recitations! To do this, use the “course code” filter under “Section” in CLSS filters. Ex: CHEM 107* (this will show CHEM 1070 and 1075). Then click the visualizer to easily see overlapping sections.

• Check that the (smaller) co-reqs (usually the labs/recitations) have at least as many combined seats as their one co-req lecture/seminar (sometimes more, but never less).

Identify updated fees

If you catch an updated fee before you bridge, you only have to update it in one place (SCADETL) instead of two after bridging (SCADETL and SSADETL, maybe for multiple sections!) If a fee is not listed in Comments to Registrar but already exists in SCADETL, alert schedule and ask if it has changed or should be deleted. 

Reconcile prerequisites

Make sure all prereqs are typed in the Course Notes.

Sections with actual prereqs but no ‘prereq’ Course Note: https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/search/#onprq=%3E0&oltn=!*pre*req*

Sections (like Special Topics!) that may have a Course Note but no actual prereqs (in this case, make note of the requested pre-requisite and enter into Banner, SSAPREQ, after bridging the department): https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/search/#onprq=0&oltn=*pre*req*

Note that grad-level courses with undergrad prereqs may list these prereqs in the Course Notes but do NOT have to enforce them as actual prereqs (a grad student may have completed undergrad work at a different university).

Review special topics courses

Special topics courses have the RVCT attribute.

• can’t be offered with the same title as a permanent course number (do a Banner query)

• can’t be offered with the same title for more than two terms for SLA, or more than three terms for any non-SLA in NTC, or for SOPA. This policy was created in 2010, so check back that far. (Check with a SSASECT query.) Run a filter in CLSS for Course-level attribute RVCT (and exclude any IND,INT,HTH,RSH). https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/search/#caa=RVCT&osc=!IND%2CINT%2CHTH%2CRSH%2CSER

• Check if they are requesting to add any prereqs (or attributes).

• Check if the same course number is used to offer multiple sections with different titles – If a student is interested in more than one title, they won’t be able to register due to a duplicate course error. Suggest to the dept that they offer different titles with progressive course numbers (REGR 4010, 4011, 4012, etc.), if those course numbers are available (and if not, send to CIM/CATalog manager).

• “Special Topics” are different than “Topics.” Both have RVCT attribute, BUT “Topics” should have a title of “Topic: …” and CAN repeat the same title as many times as they’d like, BUT students can only take these courses a maximum of two times. “Topics” are usually in SLA.

Verify consistency between Schedule Type and Meeting Type

Check that the Schedule Type (in the Edit/Create Section window) is consistent with the Meeting Type (in the Scheduling window); if multiple meetings, the Schedule Type must be consistent with at least one Meeting Type. With multiple Meeting Types where one is online and one is an in-person type, the in-person type should be the primary Schedule Type back in the Edit Section window. This is rule.

Ensure HTH, IND, schedule types courses have zero sections

Course numbers of schedule types HTH, IND should have zero sections created. This will allow for a numbered section to be created in Banner after the last day to add, when schedulers can’t create new sections in CLSS.

(working on a filter for this; until then, click the ellipses button in SCACRSE and search for titles of Independent Study/ies, Internship, or course numbers 4990 and 5000)

Check 4990 and 5000 (HTH) courses for RHON attribute and student attribute restriction

If the attribute exists, delete at the course (SCADETL) and section (in CLSS) level. Also end date the restriction in SCARRES.

Ensure all sections are visible

This is done to verify the rules are working. All sections are visible except for numbered sections of IND, INT, and HTH, and any sections on the WC campus: https://nextcatalog.tulane.edu/wen/202310/#ospc=!Y

Check department-triggered rules (anything leftover from validation that wasn’t covered in steps above)

Check the Rules Triggered by the department during Validation in CLSS. You can copy/paste the results of the Time Block/Schedule Distribution rule and paste them into your exported pre-bridge spreadsheet, and/or export the Validation results.

Run the validation for the department to see any warnings it triggers; warnings will NOT appear in the workflow validation that you see when it’s submitted.

Review Comments to Registrar

Check the Comments to Registrar in your pre-bridge export for anything else that might be easier to address/correct before bridging rather than after. Also, sometimes it’s helpful to screenshot the rules triggered by the validation workflow as well as the list of workflow roles this dept cycled through (including which scheduler submitted it to workflow, if multiple schedulers), for future reference. Examples: classes with new co-req requests cannot have waitlists, SOPA paid, co-ops requests. If you need to take action on a NEW section, make a note of this and then take the action after bridging the department.

Ensure Course Notes only contains unique information 

Check the Course Notes, which should include only data not listed anywhere else. Ex: If a section is restricted to undergrads, that should be a restriction – not re-typed out here. (Can run a filter for keywords “open to”.)

• Confirm that all pre-reqs are listed accurately here.

• No old lift dates, or other out-of-date notes. (Now a warning rule.)

• No personal email addresses or individual contact names. (Now a warning rule.)

• No course descriptions for anything but special topics (have RVCT attribute). (A rule.)

• No other permanent, course-level data that should be published in the Catalog instead.

• Check for notes included here that should be in “Comments to Registrar” instead.