Scheduling 75-Minute Undergraduate Lecture Sections

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Policy Number:
UW-1085
Responsible Office:
Office of the Registrar

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

Seventy-five-minute undergraduate lecture sections that overlap with the peak-use 50-minute periods—especially on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday—add to scheduling conflicts for students and faculty and make it more difficult for academic units to make effective use of limited classroom space. However, 75-minute mid-day lectures are also an attractive teaching option. The procedures described below are intended to address concerns about the burden of scheduling conflicts and the demand for greater scheduling flexibility.

Policy:
  1. According to Classroom Scheduling Policies, 75-minute undergraduate lecture sections may be scheduled using a Tuesday/Thursday (TR), Tuesday (T), or Thursday (R) day pattern at the following hours: 
    • 8–9:15am
    • 9:30–10:45am
    • 11am–12:15pm
    • 1–2:15pm
    • 2:30–3:45pm
    • 4–5:15pm
    • Evening  
  2. Seventy-five-minute undergraduate lecture sections may be scheduled using a Monday/Wednesday (MW), Monday/Friday (MF), Wednesday/Friday (WF), Monday (M), Wednesday (W), or Friday (F) day pattern at the following hours:
    • 8–9:15am
    • 2:30–3:45pm
    • 4–5:15pm
    • Evening
  3. Scheduling 75-minute undergraduate lecture sections on Monday, Wednesday, and/or Friday during the peak-use, midday time periods is permitted only with Dean’s recommendation and Provost’s approval. Such sections should be scheduled only at the following start times:
    • 9:30am
    • 11am
    • 1pm

    If approved, these sections are considered non-standard and will receive a lower priority in the room assignment process.

  4. To obtain approval for exceptions to the scheduling policy for 75-minute sections:
    1. Departments should send a request for approval to the school/college dean (paper or email memo). The request should include the following information:
      1. department and course number,
      2. time and day pattern requested,
      3. estimated enrollment,
      4. information about the lecture sections of the course that are offered at standard times,
      5. terms for which the exception is requested (Note: departments may request an exception for all terms if the circumstances requiring the exception are ones that will continue),
      6. reasons for requesting the exception, including reasons for requesting an all-terms exception, if applicable,
      7. name and contact information for department contact person.
    2. The dean will review the requests for the exception. Deans will deny the request or recommend approval. When deans recommend approval, they forward the request with their recommendation to the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning. The dean’s recommendation should specify if the approval is to be for the specified term or for all terms.
    3. The vice provost, on behalf of the Provost, will review the proposal and return a decision to the dean, the department contact person, and Curricular Services. Units that seek approvals for blanket exceptions should work with their dean’s office and the Provost’s Office to establish such policies.
Related UW-Madison Policies:

Curricular Policies and Guidelines (Office of the Registrar)

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
University Registrar
Policy Manager:
University Registrar
Contact:
University Registrar -- Scott Owczarek, scott.owczarek@wisc.edu, (608) 262-3811
Effective Date:
06-01-2008
Date Issued:
06-01-2008
Retrieved:
08-12-2022 18:24:42