Vol. 19, No. 1	Sept. 2, 1999

Behind-the-scenes planning a year-round project

Each fall and spring semester, thousands of students occupy more than 200 Newark campus classrooms that are used in the mornings, afternoons and evenings. Instruction occurs in settings ranging from a 371-seat auditorium-style lecture hall to a 15-person seminar/conference room-and the assignment process begins more than a half-year in advance.

Joe Santivasci, registrar's office, is the person with the most knowledge of this logistical people puzzle since it's his job to insure that students and teachers are in the right place at the right time. His command post is a third-floor office in Hullihen Hall where a computer allows him to schedule, modify and check on the results of his work.

According to Santivasci, who came to UD in February 1998, his office is responsible for scheduling the University's 170 central inventory classrooms, plus Bayard Sharp Hall and five computer classrooms.

The sites scheduled by the Office of the University Registrar office include:

• 116 lecture classrooms- traditional flat-floored rooms with tablet-style arm chairs and capacities from 20 to 115 seats.

• 12 case study rooms-classes with several elevated levels of connected tables that overlook the speaker, such as the four rooms in MBNA America Building or three rooms in Gore Hall, with capacities from 34 to 90 seats.

• 18 auditorium classrooms-the inclined classrooms in Smith, Kirkbride and Sharp halls, with capacities from 78 to 371 seats.

• 17 seminar/conference rooms-tables with seats behind them, with capacities from 15 to 22 seats.

• 7 problem-based learning classrooms- movable chairs and desks that facilitate group interaction and learning, with capacities from 30-72 seats.

"On the average," he said, "there are at least one or two, or maybe more, classrooms or labs assigned by individual departments. Also, our office does not schedule the classrooms in Arsht Hall, the Downtown Center in Wilmington or teaching sites in Lewes."

To sort out the ongoing placement puzzles that occur throughout the year from semester to semester, Santivasci and staff uses SIS+, the Student Information System computer program. But first he receives requests from a contact person in each academic department responsible for submitting the initial classroom needs.

July 15 is the date he targets for completion of fall room assignments, and Dec. 16 is his personal deadline for spring semester assignments. But the human element has not been eliminated. To meet special needs-whether they involve the latest technology or teaching space-he contacts faculty members to respond to their requests.

"The sooner we know about what is needed, the better for us and for the faculty member and students involved," Santivasci said.

With more faculty using multimedia, Santivasci said, his office has been working with Media Services to upgrade classroom technology. This fall, he said, 55 percent of campus classrooms will have data video projector (DVP) capability. In these sites, a ceiling projector has been mounted or installed to allow VCR, Internet and Power Point presentations, eliminating the use of the heavy equipment cabinets that used to be pushed from classroom to classroom.

"Each year," Santivasci said, "our office monitors the condition of our central inventory classroom space. Based on the results, we make recommendations to purchase new equipment to maintain the quality of classroom furniture and the overall classroom upkeep, which includes minor renovations such as painting and lighting fixtures."

The demand for problem-based learning classrooms also has increased "noticeably," Santivasci said, and he said he expects the requests-which include faculty in both the sciences and humanities-to continue to grow.

However, he said, one change in a classroom time, size or location will affect a number of other sites on the schedule.

"We also work around room repairs and renovations plus use by visiting conferences and special summer programs. That's why we begin our planning so far in advance," he said, "and that's why we want to hear about special needs and requests as early as possible."

-Ed Okonowicz