Smart Scheduling and Planning Strategies

What are the pillars of Smart Scheduling?

Data Knowledge

Real-time data is essential to produce smarter schedules. Track historical and predictive trends to measure effectiveness and ensure the course schedule is not a barrier to timely completion.

Collaborative Culture

Consider the values and practices important to all course scheduling stakeholders to manage change effectively and build institution-wide collaboration.

Efficient Process and Policy

Well-documented processes are essential to navigating puzzles in the course schedule. Assess institutional practices for faculty, space, and scheduling conflicts and operationalize for outcomes.

Sustainable Technology

Align technology investments
with your goals by implementing smart systems that reduce data complexity, enhance efficiency, and serve student outcomes.

Apply Smart Scheduling practices to change complexity into student-centered outcomes.

In today's enrollment climate, building schedules that meet student needs is more important than ever for timely progress and institutional sustainability.

Smart Scheduling combines data insights, culture, process, and technology to create student-centered and financially sustainable schedules that accelerate student progress.

Join the webinar series to learn how

Session 1 - Smart Scheduling Foundations - July 11, 2024

Session 2 - Shortened Term Strategies - August 28, 2024

Session 3 - Transfer Pathways - September 19, 2024

Session 4 - Faculty Capacity Planning - October 29, 2024

The Smart Scheduling Guidebook

A guide to tackling the four essential pillars required to create efficient, financially sustainable schedules that promote equitable student retention and completion. This guide provides step-by-step, practical advice to help level up your scheduling strategies to accelerate progress.

Read the Guidebook

2024 Student Benchmark Report

This comprehensive analysis of more than 1.3 million students explores the impact of progress bands, flexible schedules, and financial sustainability on retention and completion. Discover key insights, including the pivotal role of "taking one more course" on timely degree completion.

Read the Report

Defining Smart Scheduling: A Collaborative Evolution

Authored by Sarah Collins | President, Ad Astra

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Operational Efficiency in Academic Operations

Authored by Dr. Wendy Kilgore | Senior Director of Research, AACRAO

Read REPORT

Integrating Degree Maps, Advising, and Smart Scheduling

Presented by Ad Astra and Complete College America

Watch Webinar

Optimizing Pathways for Smart Scheduling and Student Success 

Authored by Dr. Susan English | Education Consultant, Ad Astra

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Essential Scheduling

Collaborative academic scheduling software that improves operational efficiency.

Data-Informed Scheduling

Smart scheduling systems to facilitate targeted schedule optimizations.

Student-centered Scheduling

Intelligent insights that maximize student outcomes and minimize disruption.

Integrated Planning

Annual planning software that aligns stakeholders and optimizes student and financial outcomes.

Operationalizing Data to Create an Annual Schedule at Mohawk Valley CC

Jim Lynch, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Mohawk Valley Community College, shares how Ad Astra's data-driven tools significantly improved student outcomes.

Watch Video

West Virginia Northern Community College, Wheeling, WV

Course fill rate jumped from 49.5% in Fall 2018 to 62.6% in Fall 2021.

Learn how West Virginia Northern Community College improved institutional financial sustainability through the power of data.

29% growth in completion among the three largest minority groups

By disaggregating scheduling effectiveness data for minority and Pell-eligble students, Montgomery College is accelerating student completion rates.

Navigating Shange Management with Essential Scheduling

Terri Vogel, Registrar, shares how Northwest Missouri State University integrated demand analytics and departmental collaboration into the scheduling process with Ad Astra.

14% year-over-year contact hour increase

Learn how Northeast Lakeview College achieved sustained growth through efficient scheduling.

Introducing Smart Scheduling

Power progress with smarter scheduling and planning.