The University has introduced for the Spring 2017 semester a new block scheduling system for all Schools and Colleges within BU. Among the goals of this system is to state, rather than imply, passing times between classes, and to ensure the spread of class meetings across the school day (8:00 a.m. through 6:15 p.m.) and school week (Monday through Friday).
In order to comply with this new scheduling policy, we have seen a few changes in our class schedule here in Questrom starting in Spring 2017. They are outlined below.
Evening Courses
Because the daytime schedule now extends to 6:15, evening courses will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m.
Fifteen-Minute Passing Time
In the previous schedule, there was an implied ten-minute passing time. That is, if a course is listed as meeting from Tuesday/Thursday 9:30-11:00, faculty were expected to know to dismiss their students at 10:50 so that they would have time to make it to their next class.
In the new schedule launching this semester, the actual meeting time of each class is what is stated on the schedule. With occasional exceptions, this provides for fifteen-minute passing times between classes. While this will be less of an issue for most graduate students, it should provide relief for many undergraduates who often find themselves sprinting down Comm. Ave. to try to make it to their next class a number of blocks away.
Schedules for the MBA “Mod” Courses
The schedules for the required MBA “Mod” courses: the required Mods 1 and 2 in the fall, the required Mod 3 in the spring, along with the spring Mod 4 electives, will continue to meet in three-hour blocks, with a fifteen-minute passing time incorporated into the end of the class schedule.
Standard Schedule for Daytime Electives on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday
As mentioned above, electives in Questrom will, in most cases, continue to run on a twice-weekly Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday schedule. These classes run for 75 minutes. Please note that, in order to make efficient use of our Hariri Building, we have worked with the University Registrar’s and Provost’s Offices to modify what would have been the standard schedule on Monday/Wednesday mornings so as to be able to fit in an extra meeting time. You will see that this trims the passing time between the first two Monday/Wednesday blocks to 10 minutes.
You will also notice, due to the quirks of the new schedule, there are two gaps on Monday/Wednesday: 12:10 – 12:50 pm and 3:45 – 4:30 pm. We trust that productive uses will emerge from this time: TA meetings, review sessions, faculty/student consultations, brief team meetings, Questrom tea time at 4:00(though remember not to bring food into the classrooms!). We will follow up with procedures on how to reserve rooms. I look forward to hearing the creative and productive uses you make of these scheduling gaps.
Also, given that evening classes will now begin at 6:30, it is expected that many student organization meetings and activities will shift from the previous 4:00-6:00 period into the 5:30-6:15 p.m. time block.
The standard Questrom Monday/Wednesday schedule is as follows:
- 8:00 – 9:15 am
- 9:25 – 10:40 am
- 10:55 am – 12:10 pm
- 12:50 – 2:05 pm
- 2:30 – 3:45 pm
- 4:30 – 5:45 pm
The standard Tuesday/Thursday schedule is as follows:
- 8:00 – 9:15 am
- 9:30 – 10:45 am
- 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
- 12:30 – 1:45 pm
- 2:00 – 3:15 pm
- 3:30 – 4:45 pm
- 5:00 – 6:15 pm
Schedule for SM323: The Cross-Functional Core
Those teaching or taking SM323: The Cross-Functional Core will notice a few changes to the schedule in the afternoon section. The morning section will continue to meet from Monday–Friday, 8:00-noon. The afternoon section will meet Monday/Wednesday/Friday 12:20-4:20 and Tuesday/Thursday 12:30-4:30.
Monday/Wednesday/Friday 200-Level Courses
While upper-level electives will continue to meet on Monday/Wednesdays or Tuesday/Thursdays, our 200-level courses have shifted to a Monday/Wednesday/Friday (50 minutes) or Tuesday/Thursday (75 minutes) schedule. These specific courses are AC221, AC222, ES275, IS223, LA245, and QM222. QM221 is in theory on this schedule, though its lectures fall on Monday/Wednesday and discussions and discussions on Tuesday/Thursday. OB221 still maintains an offering pattern with a Wednesday lecture and weekly three-hour discussions on Thursday or Friday, though their timings have adjusted to adhere to the new scheduling blocks.
The standard Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule is as follows:
- 8:00 – 8:50 am
- 9:05 – 9:55 am
- 10:10 – 11:00 am
- 11:15 am – 12:05 pm
- 12:20 – 1:10 pm
- 1:25 – 2:15 pm
- 2:30 – 3:20 pm
- 3:35 – 4:25 pm
- 4:40 – 5:30 pm
Schedules for the Gateway Courses: FE101 and SM131
FE101 will, as it always has, meet weekly on Mondays or Wednesdays. Its listed time will be 75 minutes to conform to the new scheduling policy, and it will be scheduled to conform to the new scheduling blocks.
SM131 will continue to hold its lecture(s) on Monday/Wednesday. Its discussion sections meet on Tuesday/Thursday for students who aren’t Questrom freshmen in both fall and spring; this will continue to be the case. The discussion sections for Questrom freshmen meet on Monday/Wednesday in the fall. All discussion sections meet for 75 minutes. The “Friday labs” will continue to meet on Fridays and will meet for 50 minutes. All components of the course – lectures, discussions, and labs – will be scheduled to conform to the new scheduling blocks.