Annual Course Scheduling at Front Range Community College

Location: Westminster, Longmont,
and Fort Collins, CO

Enrollment: Over 21,000 learners

Type: Public, Two Year

Accreditation: HLC

Outcomes: Student Success, Operational Efficiency, Financial Sustainability

Products in Use: Academic Scheduling, Room Scheduling, Student Demand Forecasting

The Challenge

Remove cumbersome scheduling practices and structural barriers to create better cross-campus scheduling processes

At Front Range Community College, student success is defined as retention and completion. This includes helping students move through their schooling in a timely manner so they can graduate on time. Over the past year, the institution has worked closely with Ad Astra to refine its scheduling processes to achieve the considerable goal of aligning its three campuses in Westminster, Longmont, and Fort Collins on the same scheduling grid.

Reducing scheduling inefficiencies, course conflicts, and time-to-degree delays at the Northern Colorado-based institution is part of a larger mission to reimagine what it means to be a community college in the 21st century. Inspired by an institutional motto of moving forward together, Front Range Community Collegeis teaming with Ad Astra to define and refine cross-campus scheduling to facilitate
student success today and in the future.

The Solution

Build a data-informed case for improved scheduling processes with the goal of achieving annual scheduling campus-wide

The momentum of success has the institution looking for more ways to remove scheduling barriers to improve efficiency and the retention of its students. Further refinement has also allowed the institution to streamline its scheduling process to 27 super users — all with an eye trained toward the acceleration of further improvement. The institution-wide embrace of improved scheduling practices also includes reviewing business processes as the institution moves closer to its goal of annual scheduling.

“We’ve begun to lay the groundwork for the successful implementation of a college-wide annual schedule, and Ad Astra can help provide us the roadmap of where we need to go next with the annual schedule build,” Jamison said.

Implementation of an annual schedule will allow students to plan their life around classes for the whole year and for faculty to be more invested in the annual classes they will be teaching. A more efficient schedule also enhances the institution financially by reducing the number of cancelled classes.

Less time spent on the process of schedule building comes at a critical time as the institution looks to explore the important conversation around artificial intelligence (AI). Knowing that the implementation of AI will impact everyone, Front Range Community College is discussing how to leverage AI to not only improve upon a student-centric schedule but to explore how to instruct students on the use of AI to improve success in their classrooms and future careers.

“In addition to creating a better schedule, these efficiencies provide our faculty and our institution with more time to be visionary around how we can best facilitate student success,” Jamison concluded.

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School Background

Front Range Community College in Colorado is the largest community college in the state. Established in 1968, the institution is now located on three campuses in Westminster, Longmont, and Fort Collins, Colorado. Front Range Community College is the top transfer institution for University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, Colorado Mesa University and Colorado State University Global. The institution offers 28 degrees and 18 certificate programs. Front Range Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

CASE STUDY | FRONT RANGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Streamlining scheduling to support on-time completion and student success

The Challenge

Remove cumbersome scheduling practices and structural barriers to create better cross-campus scheduling processes

The Solution

Build a data-informed case for improved scheduling processes with the goal of achieving annual scheduling campus-wide

School Background

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