Block Scheduling Implementation Team MeetingNotes
Wednesday, September 13, 2017 –11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Action Items
- Determine Registration Date for Spring
- Harper to send note to advisors to keep cushion of requested seats to a minimum
- Newberry and Dirkse will be notified when documents are updated in O365 by Harper
- Advisors to notify Harper when seat are finalized
- Kirkbride to schedule individual meetings with Harper, Bacon and Madden
Members / Attendance
Belen Mendiola / Present
Ben Perlado
Christina Ramirez / Present
Darius Riggins
Debra Jackson
Jacqueline Mimms
Jaimi Paschal / Present
Jennifer McCune
John Dirkse / Present
Karen Ziegler-Lopez / Present
Liora Gubkin-Malicdem / Present
Lisa Zuzarte / Present
Lori Paris
Melisa Cruz / Present
Paul Newberry / Present
Tanya Boone-Holladay / Absent
Vernon Harper / Present
Vikash Lakhani / Present
Valari Kirkbride / Present
Summary Overview of Meeting
Harper reviewed the agenda and updated the team on other BCS group meetings, and that students were in their respective blocks, and registered and in classes. He introduced a new member to the team, Melisa Cruz, Advisor in the Athletics Department.
He handed out a sheet about Executive Order 1110, Assessment of Academic Preparation and Placement, and updated the group on its status. Summarized that universities are to reduce or eliminate remedial course work, and students will start fall in college ready courses. EPT and ELM will be eliminated. This will taking place in Fall 2018. Early Start is required. Entering students will enroll in credit bearing courses with potential of 1 or 2 units in pre-baccalaureate classes.
Harper said that the EO will not be delayed or an extension granted. However, EO 1100 was granted extension at a few institutions. Placement protocol is being developed by the Chancellor’s Office Committee that is handling the details of the EO. The cut line of college ready vs. Remedial will be difficult to determine, and there will be three categories of (replacing the term “remedial”) pre-baccalaureate students: student who need no support; those needing minimal support; and those that need considerable support. That is analogous to what we have been referring to as College Ready, Rem 1, and Rem 2. The committee is trying to use Smarter Balance and GPA scores as the primary metric. Harper asked if this was an effort to reduce number of remedial students, or lower the standards per se, and he was told by the Chancellor’s Office that is not the case, and will not happen. Harper conveyed the challenges to make this institutional change in one cycle, and the financial implications, and reallocating resources.
Implications for Block Scheduling: Newberry led a meeting with Sociology, Mathematics, Psychology, and English that is coming back with plans at a later time.
Harper said we should plan on the same number of “pre-bacc” students coming in, with no dramatic drop.All student will be ready to take a co-requisite.
Pascal asked if it takes away the UTRAN student career classification.
Harper said he was told that the CO thought through all financial aid implications. Harper said more communication is forthcoming. Will monitor and adjust as necessary.
Harper handed out the Flow for Spring currently being built. SLO only does BCS for Fall. Spring is a big project. Reservations for spring are created on a timeline before classes are created. Students in the blocked classes are reviewed, and updates to the seats are made for spring. ADs and Chairs can then be provided recommended sections for spring for blocked students. (The seat reservations spreadsheet was given out, and columns explained.) Dirkse advised that “B3” GE area doesn’t exist anymore, and lab reservations were discussed. Harper added that the sheet will eventually be vetted by all ADs.
When are BCS student able to register for Spring was asked. Zuzarte said 10/30th. Gubkin-Malicdem asked what determines the registration date, and if it could be moved up because these students don’t need advising and they are in a distinct student group. Earlier registration would enable others to know how many seats will be released earlier. Implications for earlier registration was discussed.
Harper will send note to advisors to put in as little buffer as possible in seat requests.
Harper will send email to Dirkse and Newberry when reports have been updated.
Harper will send instructions to ASCs about entering block scheduled courses.
Harper mentioned that the Provost said to hold off sending note to chairs to discuss block scheduling seats, at this point.
Early Start implications, and a definitive enrollment cut-off date was discussed.
The structure and how block scheduling is ultimately built for the entire university was discussed.
Harper will individually meet with Deans Bacon and Madden to discuss block scheduling 3-5 programs from each school.
He added that after the implementation team’s efforts are done, there will be on-going AD meetings each term, who will have more control over forecasting and scheduling.
Harper adjourned the meeting and thanked everyone.
Documents Provided to Members
- Meeting Agenda
- EO 1110 Analysis Sheet
- Block Scheduling: Pilot Front-End Process for Spring (9-13-17 v1)
- Spring 2018 Seat Reservations Spreadsheet