Vision

In recognition that students’ persistence and completion are slowed when students are unable to enroll in courses at the optimal location, time, modality, and in the right sequence, ACC aims to offer an intentional schedule of instructional programs, courses, and learning modalities across the district that supports students’ needs and helps students get the right class at the right time in the right sequence to complete their educational goals. 

To do this, ACC will employ an annual scheduling cycle process that includes both strategic and tactical planning. We will schedule programs, courses, and classes relying on thoughtful analysis and input, effective use of data (both quantitative and qualitative), efficient use of facilities, knowledge of campus and instructional resources, awareness of pedagogical needs, responsiveness to changing circumstances, and understanding of the course progression needs of students.

The Annual Scheduling Cycle Process is a collaborative effort designed to ensure that ACC offers courses that students need to take at the times, in the places, and with the instructional modalities that meet both students’ needs and the College’s instructional priorities and goals. The process outlined here emphasizes collaboration among faculty, instructional Department Chairs, instructional Deans, specialized Program Coordinators (e.g., Ascender, BRASS, Honors, PACE, Interdisciplinary Studies), Campus Managers, instructional Associate Vice Chancellors, the Vice Chancellor of Instruction, the Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor, Dual Credit staff, Early College High School staff, Distance Education staff, and other stakeholders involved in delivering or supporting instruction. It is important to ensure students have access to a course schedule that enables them to meet their educational and career goals as the College meets its instructional goals.

Principles

1. The College mission to support student success and community development will drive scheduling strategies, processes, and decisions, both at the program and the campus level.
2. ACC’s instructional programs will schedule with a focus on student intent and student need.
3. ACC’s instructional programs will schedule courses in collaboration with other disciplines to meet student needs.
4. ACC’s instructional programs will schedule courses and programs in appropriate sequence, modality, and location.
5. Scheduling decision-making at the instructional program level will align with goals established in the instructional program review and reflected in the unit-level goals and objectives.
6. ACC’s schedules across campuses will reflect district-wide priorities.
7. ACC’s schedule development process will support instructional programs in the regular and effective use of data to inform scheduling decisions.
8. ACC’s schedule development process will prioritize progression to and completion of awards.
9. The College will make scheduling decisions to ensure effective and efficient use of facilities and campus-based resources.

Definitions

Annual Schedule: Publishing course section options for all three terms for an academic year prior to registration for the first term.

Baseline: Sections that had an enrollment of 65% or higher on their respective census dates in the previous Spring 2024, Summer 2024, and Fall 2024 semesters. These sections are protected from cancellation due to low enrollment (see definition of low enrollment). Baseline sections are noted in the Online Course Schedule and in Self Service with a small black and white shield icon. 

Initial Annual Schedule: to be added 

Low enrollment sections: to be added

Office of Curriculum Management: Housed within TLED, the OCM “assists deans, department chairs, and coordinators with the development and maintenance of course schedules for Credit, Continuing Education (CE), and Adult Education (AE) programs, supports instructional programs with the development and maintenance of catalog course inventories, award plans and program maps, and collaborates with college stakeholders to develop and maintain the ACC Catalog & Student Handbook.” Central to this Annual Scheduling Cycle process, the Schedule Development (or Schedev) team is part of the OCM. 

Schedev or Schedule Development team: Responsible for generating the Initial Schedule, processing all schedule edits. 

Scheduling Cycle: The year-long continual, intentional process through three Phases of scheduling: establishing the initial schedule, addition of student-centered, data informed section options, and ongoing monitoring of registration trends leading to adjustment of section offerings as needed. 

Phases/General Timeline

Phase 1

Initial Schedule Review

September 27 – October 25, 2024

Phase 2

Strategic Section Additions

September 27 – December 20, 2024

Phase 3

 Tactical Edits

January 6, 2025 – end March 2025

View the Timeline page for more details.