Undergraduate and graduate course scheduling

The Fall 2025 Health course requirements formÌýis now closed.ÌýPlease direct any questions to yourÌýscheduling representative.

M=Monday, T=Tuesday, W=Wednesday, R=Thursday, F=Friday

Overview

Scheduling software (Infosilem) was implemented and released for use in Spring 2014. TheÌýsystem replaced a manual scheduling process and is intended to improve scheduling outcomes for students, reduce staff workload, reduce the use of instructor block-offs, and improve schedule predictability for instructors. These changes support the University ofÌýÀ¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Principles of Timetabling that have been endorsed by the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Timetabling.

University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ principles of timetabling

  • Provide a positive academic experience for students by constructing timetables with conflict-free core courses and the widest possible selection of elective courses;
  • Support the pedagogical needs of courses and programs;
  • Endeavour to schedule courses so that faculty members can balance their teaching, research and service activities;
  • Consider the work-life balance of all UÀ¶Ý®ÊÓƵ community members: faculty, staff and students;
  • Foster transparency and collaboration between academic and academic-support units in their timetabling activities;
  • Provide support to academic units in their implementation of timetabling;
  • Promote fair and equitable distribution of instructional times and locations;
  • Reduce the overall time and effort consumed to create a timetable;
  • Promote the effective use of teaching space.

TwoÌýprocesses wereÌýimplemented to support the software:

  1. Daytime (core) meetÌýpattern system will be monitored and, if necessary, altered to increase conflict-free course selection for students, course offering predictability, and room utilization. The focus is to improve the balance between undergraduate courses offered 3 x 1 hour MWF and courses offered 2 x 1.5 hours TR orÌýMW.
  2. Teaching availability: Instructors areÌýasked to select a teachingÌýwindow within which they are available to teach each day (one of: 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., 8:30Ìýa.m. – 4:00 p.m., 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.,Ìý10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., or 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) and, if necessary, identify additional times they are not available to teach. AnÌýInstructor Constraint Form will facilitate collection of this information.

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Faculty of Health procedure

Instructors will receive an email that the scheduling process has begun for each upcoming term. The email will include details of the scheduling process for the term and instructions on how to submit information through the Faculty of Health Requirements Form. The form collects information on their preferred meetÌýpatterns, teaching window, and course details.ÌýInstructors must complete and submit the form for up to three course offeringsÌýeach term by theÌýdeadline in order for an instructor’s preferred meet pattern and teaching window to be considered. Instructors DO NOT need to complete this form for Centre for Extended Learning (CEL) online courses.Ìý

The information is then provided to their respective academic unit scheduling representative, who will provide the information to the chairs/director. The chairs/director will review the information to ensure that instructors’ choices are spread throughout the week. If an instructor's meet pattern or teaching windowÌýcannot be accommodated, the chair/director will contact the instructor to discuss other options. Course information is then entered into Infosilem scheduling software at which time the course schedules are created.

Teaching windows

Instructors areÌýasked to select a preferred teaching window within which they will be scheduled to teach.Ìý The windows are:

  • 8:30 a.m. toÌý5:30 p.m. (default),
  • 8:30 a.m. toÌý4:00 p.m.,
  • 9:00 a.m. toÌý4:30 p.m.Ìý(1 x 3 hour meet pattern cannot be selected within this teaching window),
  • 10:00 a.m. toÌý5:30 p.m.,
  • 5:30 p.m. toÌý10:00 p.m. (evening)

Please note that an instructor selects one teaching window which applies toÌýall courses assigned to the instructor that term.Ìý

It is the responsibility of the chair/director to ensure thatÌýteaching windows are spreadÌýevenly over the three start times (8:30, 9:00, and 10:00) to maximize course availability for students and room utilization.

Instructor constraints (level 1, 2, or 3)Ìý

Instructors that require additional block off times from within their selected teaching window may submit a level 1, 2, or 3 constraint:

Level 1 = Requests categorized as level 1 involve documented medical and religious/human rights necessity.Ìý

Level 2 = Requests categorized as level 2 include some medical considerations, some family care scheduling considerations, and some competing academic or administrative commitments. These requests will be coded and all reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate.

Level 3 = Requests categorized as level 3 include personal preferences, logistic issues and travel arrangement considerations.

Levels 1 or 2 constraints must be submitted to your chair/director using the Instructor Constraint Form, available from your school/department scheduling representative. Level 3 constraints do not require chair/director approval and can be noted in the "Additional information" section of the course requirements form.

For more information, see Registrar resources - instructor constraint guidelines.

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Meet patterns

Meet time patterns should promote maximum access for students to courses, course enrolments, and the number of courses that can be scheduled into a given set of classrooms. To this end, the belowÌýguidelines will be followed.

Guidelines

  • The core daytime teaching hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. M - F.
  • Evening teaching hours are 6:30 toÌý10:00Ìýp.m. M - R.
  • Course components (e.g. lectures, labs, tutorials, etc.) held in core hours will be scheduled within teaching blocks of 8:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m., 11:30 a.m. - 2:20 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. - 5:20 p.m.
  • Course components held in core hours must not overlap two teaching blocks.

Specific meet patterns

A list of all available meet patterns can be found on theÌýRegistrar resources site.Ìý

Commonly used meet patterns in the Faculty of Health:

PatternÌý Start TimesÌý
3 x 1 hour MWF Start times can be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., every hour on the half hour.
2 x 1 hour MW Start times can be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., every hour on the half hour.
2 x 1.5 hours TR only Start times can be 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., every hour and a half.
2 x 1.5 hours MW Start times can be 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., every hour and a half for courses with less than 250 students.
2 x 1.5 hours MW, TR Start times can be 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., every hour and a half for courses with less than 250 students.
2 x 2 hoursÌýMW, TR, WF Start times can be 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., or 2:30 p.m.
1 x 1 hour M-F Start times can be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., every hour on the half hour.
1 x 1.5 hours M-F Start times can be 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every hour and a half.Ìý
1 x 2 hours M-F Start times can be 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
1 x 3 hours M-F Start times can be 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., every three hours for courses with less than 80 students.
1 x 3 hours M-F (2:30 p.m.) Start time will be 2:30 p.m. for courses with 80 or more students.Ìý
1 x 3 hours M-R EveningÌý(6:30 p.m.) Start time will be 6:30 p.m.
1 x 3 hours M-R EveningÌý(7:00 p.m.) Start time will be 7:00 p.m.
1 x 2 hours M-F LabÌý Start times can be 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m.
1 x 2 hours M-F Lab/Set up time Start times can be 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.Ìý
1 x 3 hours M-F LabÌý Start times can be 9:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m.Ìý
1 x 3 hours M-F LabÌý(1:30 p.m.) Start time will be 1:30 p.m.Ìý

Please note that meet patterns are chair/director approved and areÌýnotÌýguaranteed.

It is the responsibility of the chair/director to ensure thatÌýthere is an equitable distribution of meet patterns to promote maximum access for students to courses, and to maximize the number of courses that can be scheduled into a given set of classrooms.

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Further information about scheduling is also available on theÌýRegistrar resources site including Registrar-managed classroom layouts.

Questions?

Please direct any questions to your scheduling representative (below) or LeeannÌýFerries,ÌýAssociate Dean, Undergraduate Studies.

Academic unit scheduling representatives

Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences

Alicia Nadon, undergraduate and graduate course scheduling

Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies

Fiona McAlister, undergraduate and graduate course scheduling

School of Public Health Sciences

Doris Makowich, undergraduate course scheduling
​Jaiden Cote, graduate course scheduling
Michelle Fluit, professional graduate programs

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