Academic leaders often ask us how other institutions approach course scheduling, including necessary infrastructures such as business processes, policies, and workflow. Leaders also want to understand how institutions integrate course scheduling into institutional planning efforts such as accreditation review, academic planning, and strategic planning. This 2018 research report from Hanover Research discusses the importance of course scheduling in higher education and its impact on student outcomes. The report also includes several institutional examples of exemplary course scheduling practices.  

The course schedule’s importance and impact on student outcomes are even more critical now than in 2018. As many institutions move to more flexible course offerings in response to COVID-19 safety precautions, leaders will find the examples provided in the institutional profiles helpful when refining their course scheduling infrastructure. Optimal infrastructure can afford an institution the ability to adapt faster and with greater ease, because the business processes supporting the course schedule and academic planning are clear and consistently applied across the institution.  

If you want to learn more about best practices in course scheduling or dive deeper into supportive course scheduling infrastructure, please reach out to us to schedule a conversation.  

About the Author: 

Lisa spent 15 years in higher education, serving as a full professor and academic administrator. She has published and presented on a wide range of topics in higher education, including student success, curriculum planning, assessment, institutional effectiveness, accreditation, and higher education leadership. At Ad Astra, Lisa works with institutional leaders to design a mutually beneficial partnership that addresses their needs for data-informed academic planning solutions. She coordinates Ad Astra’s educational content and regularly contributes as an author.