Understanding schedule distribution, standard meeting patterns, and contact hours
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Guidelines
Classes not using standard meeting patterns may not be assigned a general pool classroom. Classroom demand is at a record high, so to accommodate the many requests from departments/instructors, these guidelines should be followed.
Distribution Policy: Use all standard MWF/TR meeting patterns before you repeat an existing MWF/TR meeting pattern on your schedule. Then, reuse every MWF/TR meeting pattern before repeating a third time, etc. The exceptions are 8am and 5pm meeting patterns. For these, we require that you choose at least one or the other for MWF and TR (though you are welcome to use both).
Please submit at least the same number of sections/seats (or more) as your department offered in the previous like semester. Unequally distributed schedules will not be accepted and will be returned to the department to be corrected.
Schedule Distribution
How to distribute your courses when scheduling:
First, you should schedule your courses using only standard meeting patterns. You should not repeat a meeting pattern until you have used all possible patterns ONCE. The exceptions are 8am and 5pm. You may choose one or the other for MWF and TR.
Then, if any courses remain to be scheduled, you may repeat each pattern for a second time. You should not repeat the meeting pattern a third time until you’ve used all possible patterns twice.
Repeat until all standard meeting pattern courses have been scheduled.
More on schedule distribution can be found here:
Using the CLSS Time Block rule to support schedule distribution - Registrar - Confluence
Standard Meeting Patterns
Fall/Spring
(Fall and Spring are usually at least 15 weeks long.)
3-credit courses
Standard MWF Meeting Patterns | Standard TR Meeting Patterns |
|---|---|
8:00 am - 8:50 am | 8:00 am - 9:15 am |
9:00 am - 9:50 am | 9:30 am - 10:45 am |
10:00 am - 10:50 am | 11:00 am - 12:15 pm |
11:00 am - 11:50 am | 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm |
12:00 pm - 12:50 pm | 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm |
1:00 pm - 1:50 pm | 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm |
2:00 pm - 2:50 pm | 5:00 pm - 6:15 pm |
3:00 pm - 3:50 pm | |
4:00 pm - 4:50 pm | |
5:00 pm - 5:50 pm |
|
Once-Weekly Seminars | Evening Classes * |
|---|---|
M 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm | 5:30 pm - 8:10 pm |
T 3:30 pm - 5:55 pm | 6:00 pm - 8:40 pm |
W 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm | 6:00 pm - 8:50 pm |
R 3:30 pm - 5:55 pm | *Once weekly: M, T, W, R, or F |
F 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm | Additional times and Saturday options may be available. |
4-credit courses
For every course, choose ONE from EACH group. You should not use either choice again until all other choices have been used once.
(Note: Many 4-credit foreign language classes now account for their 4th hour asynchronously and note this in their Course Notes; these classes schedule only Group 1 synchronously.)
Group 1 | Group 2 |
|---|---|
MWF 8:00 am - 8:50 am | T 8:00 am - 8:50 am |
MWF 9:00 am - 9:50 am | R 8:00 am - 8:50 am |
MWF 10:00 am - 10:50 am | T 9:30 am - 10:20 am |
MWF 11:00 am - 11:50 am | R 9:30 am - 10:20 am |
MWF 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm | T 11:00 am - 11:50 am |
MWF 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm | R 11:00 am - 11:50 am |
MWF 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm | T 12:30 pm - 1:20 pm |
MWF 3:00 pm - 3:50 pm | R 12:30 pm - 1:20 pm |
MWF 4:00 pm - 4:50 pm | T 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm |
| R 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm |
T 3:30 pm - 4:20 pm | |
R 3:30 pm - 4:20 pm |
Related content
Using the CLSS Time Block rule to support schedule distribution
Newcomb Tulane College Summer Standard Meeting Patterns
https://tulaneu.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/REGISTRAR/pages/1554972677 (requires Registrar credentials)
Summer
3-credit courses
Standard MTWRF Meeting Patterns |
|---|
NTC Maymester (10 days) |
10:00 am - 3:00 pm |
|
NTC Early Summer (23 days) or |
9:00 am - 10:30 am |
11:00 am - 12:30 pm |
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm |
Contact Hours
Tulane classes are required to meet for a minimum number of contact hours according to the university’s accrediting body, SACSCOC (the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges).
Courses that use standard meeting patterns in a semester’s Full part of term for Fall and Spring (or in the three NTC parts of term for Summer) automatically meet minimum contact hour requirements.
Contact hours must be calculated for the following schedule types:
Lecture, Seminar, Lab, Activity, Recitation, Screening, Tutorial
If creating a section with a non-standard meeting pattern, or a section scheduled in a non-standard part of term (non-NTC), then use the guidelines below. When calculating the section’s total contact hours for the semester, be sure to exclude any university holidays (listed on the Academic Calendar), and to also reference the calendar for Monday-only classes that may have a one-time Wednesday meeting.
1 credit = 625 minutes minimum
2 credits = 1,250 minutes minimum
3 credits = 1,875 minutes minimum
4 credits = 2,500 minutes minimum
5 credits = 3,125 minutes minimum
6 credits = 3,750 minutes minimum