Simplify Course Scheduling with Mazévo's Classroom Optimizer

WRITTEN BY:

Bryan Peck

Assigning academic classes to available rooms can be a labor-intensive, time-consuming task. However, you can use the Mazévo Classroom Optimizer in conjunction with your student information system (SIS) to streamline the process, saving significant time and effort. Read on to learn how.

TL;DR Key Takeaways:

The easy-to-use Classroom Optimizer can significantly streamline assigning classrooms to your courses.
The Optimizer accepts data from Ellucian Banner, Ellucian Colleague, PeopleSoft, Anthology, and similar student information systems.
Mazévo pulls courses from the SIS, and the Optimizer assigns classes to available rooms based on specific course attributes (size, duration, subject, etc.).
The Optimizer assigns classes to rooms automatically when possible and with manual input if needed. These room assignments are updated in your SIS automatically.

The Many Benefits of Using the Mazévo Classroom Optimizer

Why are Mazévo users glad they started using the Mazévo Classroom Optimizer (also known simply as the Optimizer)? There are several reasons.

Speed. Assigning courses to rooms is much faster with the Optimizer. It can handle thousands of course sections in just a few minutes. And there is no lengthy configuration process to get the Optimizer configured and ready to run.
Ease of use. Familiarizing yourself with the Optimizer and using it are simple. That’s important since assigning courses to rooms is something you do only a few times during the year. Unlike other academic scheduling tools on the market, you don’t need training or assistance with setting up the highly intuitive Optimizer.
Automation. The Optimizer does the complex work of finding the ideal rooms for courses, ensuring your space is used effectively.
Visibility and control. You can easily assign courses to specific rooms when appropriate, and the Optimizer helps you avoid scheduling conflicts by identifying available rooms that will hold the number of students enrolled or expected.
Seamless SIS integration. The optimizer is supported by a tight two-way integration with your SIS. That means you can import courses from your SIS with the click of a button. And after the Optimizer assigns courses to rooms in Mazévo, the pairings are automatically noted in the SIS. This ensures Mazévo and your SIS stay in sync throughout the term.

mazevo academic book

Mazévo Academic Book

Academic Scheduling Starts in Your SIS

When assigning academic classes to rooms, you begin by creating a term in your SIS. This may be Ellucian Banner, Ellucian, Ellucian Colleague, PeopleSoft, Jenzabar, Anthology or similar systems.

After defining all your courses, you pull the term into Mazévo. At that point, you’re ready for the Optimizer to start assigning classes to rooms based on predefined logic.

Intelligent Class Optimization

The Optimizer “thinks” like a registrar as it looks for the ideal location for each course. Its goal is to make the best use of your classroom space each semester and to do so with the least effort required on your part.

To do that, it considers several factors when assigning course sections to classrooms, including:

Course subject. The Optimizer uses this information to figure out which building is the best fit for the course.
Course type (lecture, lab, etc.). This characteristic is used to choose the right kind of classroom for each course.
Enrollment. The Optimizer uses the number of students enrolled in the course to determine the appropriate classroom size. If no students have been registered yet, it uses the maximum enrollment for the course.
Room size. When it finds several rooms that could accommodate a course, the Optimizer chooses the smallest available room that can accommodate the course's enrollment. You can also set a "seat fill percentage" for a course, which tells the system the maximum number of seats it can fill in a classroom. The default is 100% seat fill.
Maximum room utilization. By default, the Optimizer aims to make the best use of available rooms. If possible, it will assign a course to a space that's already in use if it doesn't create any conflicts.

Classroom Optimizer

Using this information, the Optimizer assigns courses to classrooms in the following order:

It gives priority to those where the instructor has classes scheduled back-to-back.
Courses with longer meeting times that meet most often are next.
Larger courses are assigned before smaller ones.

If courses have location requirements, like specialized labs, you can set these beforehand to ensure the right classroom is used. This is called "pre-assigning” a space, and it locks in the appropriate room for those courses.

You can also override the room selected by the Optimizer by selecting another available classroom. The result is a best-of-both-worlds process: automation where possible and the flexibility to make manual assignments easily.

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