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| Joseph Santivasci and two assistants handle scheduling of 162 classrooms on UD’s Newark campus. |
Oct. 4, 2002--Each semester, for the past four-and-a-half years, Assistant Registrar Joseph Santivasci has scheduled thousands of classes in hundreds of classrooms at the University of Delaware. In a recent interview, Santivasci discussed what it’s like trying to satisfy the scheduling needs of more than 18,000 students, plus individual requests by members of the faculty.
What are the main responsibilities of your job?
The Scheduling Office consists of two staff members and myself. Together we are charged with creating the course offering database for each semester, producing the registration booklets, creating the final exam schedule and scheduling any and all events in the central inventory of classrooms. I am also responsible for maintaining classroom furniture and upgrades/renovations to these rooms.
How long does it take to complete the work for each semester?
Usually we begin working six to seven months before a semester begins and continue through the first four weeks of class. During this time, we use the previous year’s course offerings as a guide in developing the current course offerings, produce an advanced registration booklet for students to advance register, assign classrooms to courses and print these assignments in the revised registration booklet and schedule final exams. We actually begin scheduling for fall during Winter Session. However, it is not uncommon for us to work in several different terms in any given week.
How many classrooms are there at UD?
On the Newark campus, there are currently 162 classrooms and six computer labs. I am not responsible for the classrooms on either the Lewes or Wilmington campuses.
Do you get any unusual requests?
Too many to describe in detail. They range from requests for windows with southern exposure to rooms with lights that will not give the requesting faculty member a migraine—though I still do not know which rooms fall into this category.
What rooms are most popular and why?
Gore Hall classrooms seem to be the most requested classrooms. Although I believe most of the faculty use the new technology Gore has to offer, I think most of the requests are due to the fact that it is a newer building with all the bells and whistles.
If two faculty members both really need the same classroom, what factors determine who gets it?
The first priority would be seating. Although we do our best to honor faculty requests, making sure students have a seat comes first. We also do our best to separate needs from wants. The need for a certain piece of media equipment or type of classroom—lecture, seminar or problem-based learning—is the next determining factor. Lastly, scheduling faculty near their department and office makes sense. Faculty need to maximize their time with students and shouldn’t have to walk across campus to their classroom.
Have you ever had any slip-ups?
We are very thorough in our office about checking and re-checking classroom assignments and the data that gets printed in the registration booklet. This is not to say that things might not slip by, but since I have been here we have not had any major mistakes, which I am very happy about. On the other hand, since I have been here it seems as though the University has experienced numerous natural disasters. Classrooms have flooded several times due to major rainstorms, and we have had several power outages. Luckily, we have always been able to keep classes going and, with the help of other University offices, were able to quickly get back into full operation.
Article by Elissa Serrao AS 2003
Photo by Kathy Flickinger
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