Analytics and Demand (when to offer courses based upon analytical data). Since demand data doesn’t exist currently, this area will be a recommendation only as to what data is needed as either a request for internal reporting or software purchase.
Time offered
Campus location
Delivery method (online, face-to-face, hybrid)
Sections needed
(These reports have been requested from IR and are listed in order of priority. However, they are not available as of this date; consequently, the committee was only able to recommend their creation and use.)
Steps in the Analytics process for demand include:
Assess student demand for courses by comparing enrollments for course offerings in the analysis term to those in the selected last “like” term.
Historical Trend Analysis assesses student demand for courses by comparing enrollments for course offerings in the analysis term to those in multiple selected “like” terms. A mathematical trend is performed on the data points to determine seats needed.
Student Analysis
Program Analysis looks at individual, active students’ academic history/career progress to determine those courses that students are eligible to take in the analysis term that will satisfy currently unmet program requirements. Course demand is assessed by inferring the probability of students taking these courses.
Review results and determine high impact changes that may require schedule adjustment. Provide recommendations about changes and allow end user to make these changes prior to the rollover.
Under-supply is reported when the number of students needing the course exceeds available seats in the roll-forward schedule. The following may be considered when determining if changes should be made:
How many students are impacted?
Is the course a degree requirement for these students?
Are these students near the end of the program?
Over-supply
Over-supply occurs when the number of students needing the course is less than available seats in the roll-forward schedule. The following may be considered when determining if changes should be made:
How many offerings should be reviewed to determine true need?
Is the instructor a full faculty member or a part-time instructor?
Could the instructor be used to teach an under-supplied course?
Do these offerings occur during prime time hours or in highly sought after (bottleneck) rooms?
Examples of high impact schedule changes include:
Adding a course offering so seniors can graduate on time
Removing an unneeded course offering to free up faculty resources to teach an important under-supplied course
Adding a course offering of an under-supplied course in non-prime-time to best utilize classroom space and maximize enrollment ratios
Changing an offering time to correspond with the availability of the students who need it most
Changing an offering time to reduce conflicts between other required courses that students need to take in a given term
Produce final schedule or repeat process during the scheduling cycle Reports
Wrong time of week occurs when courses are scheduled during times when the students who need them are not available. An example of this occurs when all of the students needing the course are evening students and all of the sections are scheduled during daytime hours. Prioritizing these disconnects involves the same factors as under-supply, since the net effect is the same - students can’t get courses they need.
Student Conflict
Student conflict occurs when students have multiple required courses offered at the same time. If those sections have always been in conflict in roll-forward schedules, this problem may go undetected. Prioritizing these disconnects, like wrong time of week, involves the same factors as under-supply.
Other Changes:
Adding a course offering so that seniors can graduate on time
Removing an unneeded course offering to free up faculty resources to teach an important under supplied course
Adding a course offering of an under-supplied course in non-prime-time to best utilize classroom space and maximize enrollment ratios
Changing an offering time to correspond with the availability of the students who need it most
Changing an offering time to reduce conflicts between other required courses that students need to take in a given term
