How to Prep a CCYYS for Room Scheduling
General Information
Throughout the semester, we receive emails requesting reservations for future semesters. We wait to process events and reservations until the course schedule has mostly been finalized- as courses are more important to help students reach graduation, and it is more difficult to find semester-long reservations than single day events.
In the time between when we start receiving requests and when we process these requests, we create a 'queue' by filing away emails according to the YYS in folder in the inbox. REMEMBER: semester dates span from the first class day until the last day before the next first class day. This means that a reservation for an event on August 23rd, 2018 would still be a summer 2018 reservation, while a reservation for an event on January 16th 2017 would still be a fall 2018 reservation.
Timeline
Each semester, the dataset is made first, followed by the scheduling of courses. Special events are scheduled after the course catalog is close to being finalized- and reservations are typically not released until after OCS. The goal is to open the semester early enough for Student Activities to have about four weeks to process the student organization room requests before the first class day of the semester, without scheduling special requests too early- making finding rooms for courses more difficult.
Fall: Start preparing queue mid-late June. Send confirmations mid-late July.
Spring: Start preparing queue late October. Send confirmation mid-late November.
Summer: Start preparing queue early April. Send confirmations mid-late April.
For more information on specific dates, see the Room Scheduling Production calendar:
** Keep in mind that this process takes a couple of weeks from contacting priority requestors to sending out reservation confirmations. Organization is key- and going slowly and methodologically will help minimize errors.
Prep Process
Make a semester prep template by copying the information from the 'Semester Prep Template' section below into a new word document, save it in this folder, with the YYS in the title:
Fill in any dates (semester dates, holidays, final exams, etc.)
Print an updated GPC list, and make sure unavailable rooms, rooms that can't have minors, and special rooms (lab rooms, computer labs, etc.) are indicated, to use when vetting requests.
Search the inbox (and semester folder) for any requests from departments with priority reservation status, and print any reservation requests. In Outlook, highlight printed emails in yellow, highlight amended requests in pink, and highlight acknowledgement-only of requests in gray.
If priority reservations have not been received, reach out to contact person, and give a deadline for response, giving users 2-7 days to respond (as time allows), using the below template.
Double-check the previous semester folder for any bundled requests. Sometimes requests come in for both fall and spring midterms in the same request.
We should already have a copy in all applicable folders at this point-this is just a safeguard.
Double check other semester folders for requests for the future semester that were filed incorrectly. These are typically in the room requests folders as well as the RG 750 folders.
Open the future semester room request folder, and starting from the bottom of the folder (earliest reservation request), start printing requests. As you go, highlight printed emails in yellow, highlight amended requests in pink, and highlight acknowledgement-only of requests in gray.
Work your way up through the entire folder, stopping periodically to paperclip requests together (such as multi-page emails, and emails with their room reservation request forms), and ensure that everything is printing correctly.
Ultimately, everything will need to be in chronological order, so organizing these requests as you go will be helpful.
To print a request, you can right click the original email containing the request to 'quick print' and then open any relevant attachments and print those as well.
If a request comes with an attached (approved) RG 750- simply write on the request that a form was received, and indicate the date of the received RG 750 form (printing is not necessary for these RG 750 forms)
You should, however, print any stray RG 750s that aren't obviously with a reservation request (as these will need to be looked into).
If a request requires a RG 750 make sure that the RG 750 has been signed and filed in the RG750 CCYYS folder in the shared Scheduling email account and make a note on the printed request that it has been received.
As you go, any requests or emails that were incorrectly placed in the CCYYS folder in question should be moved into their appropriate folder.
Everything in the CCYYS folder should be highlighted at this point, and all received reservation requests (and stray RG 750s) should be printed.
Go through all printed reservations, and highlight the original date the request was sent in.
Make sure they are in chronological order.
Your events should also be separated into different categories:
Priority event requests
Regular reservations
Stray RG 750s – and requests still pending RG 750s.
Email contacts for any stray RG 750s and requests pending RG 750s using the below email templates.
Check for events with minors (using RG 750) and make sure they have not requested any 3rd and 4th floor rooms in WEL. Make a note on requests with minors to not schedule 3rd and 4th floor Welch rooms.
Do a cursory check to see if any requests are for special days: no class days & dead days, final exam days (if the request is for an approved event on a final exam day it should be filed in the final exam day request inbox folder), holidays, partial control rooms, rooms unavailable due to construction, etc. by using the dates listed on your template SUMMER** Pay special attention to differing sessions
If any requests are for special days, highlight/flag the date on the printed request.
We will schedule any dates that are allowed. When following up with requestor confirmation, make them aware of special days reserved as requested and dates not allowed to be scheduled per the academic calendar (explain reason).
Divide reservation requests between Scheduling team while keeping reservations in the order received.
Process reservations by priority then by the date we receive them.
In the summer, do not use the option to reserve multiple dates at once from the graphical semester calendar- as this method has scheduled rooms in conflict in the past.
Write down confirmation codes on each sheet- DO NOT send confirmation emails yet!
If the GPC requested is not available, schedule something comparable/close. If necessary, contact the person requesting the GPC for their preferences. Note that for summer orientation, requestors will need the same room on all dates of the reservation if possible.
Double check all confirmations against requests; swap with a coworker and double-check again.
Final check of past and future semester folders to make sure all emails have been accounted for.
Grant Level III users scheduling access in the Room Scheduling System. Email Level III users to let them know that they now have access (x).
Authorization documentation for steps 17 and 18 can be found here:
Notify Level IV users the semester is open for reservations ().
Publish in memo in Canvas.
Header logo can be found here:
\\austin.utexas.edu\disk\reg\Registrar\Room Scheduling\Documentation\Canvas\Images etc for Canvas
Use past memos as an example. Make sure memo is saved as a PDF in appropriate \\austin.utexas.edu\disk\reg\Registrar\Room Scheduling\Documentation\Memos
Make an announcement in Room Viewer Canvas directing users to memo.
Send text from memo as an email to Room Schedulers listserv by emailing: room-schedulers@utlists.utexas.edu
Send confirmations to requestors through the Room Scheduling System.
Start by sending emails to any requestors whose room reservation differs from their request and follow up with confirmation email. This includes reservations with weekends and no-class days.
Then go through stack of papers in order, sending out reservation confirmations. If the person listed as the contact person is different than the person requesting, make sure an email is sent to both parties.