{"id":964,"date":"2017-01-11T17:41:10","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T17:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/questromworld.bu.edu\/faculty\/?p=964"},"modified":"2022-10-24T15:20:15","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T15:20:15","slug":"block-scheduling-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/questromworld.bu.edu\/faculty\/2017\/01\/11\/block-scheduling-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"Block Scheduling Changes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University has introduced for the Spring 2017 semester a new block scheduling system for all Schools and Colleges within BU.\u00a0 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.<\/span>) and school week (Monday<\/span> through Friday<\/span>).<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 They are outlined below.<\/p>\n

Evening Courses<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because the daytime schedule now extends to 6:15<\/span>, evening courses will begin at 6:30 p.m.<\/span> and end at 9:30 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fifteen-Minute Passing Time<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the previous schedule, there was an implied ten-minute passing time.\u00a0 That is, if a course is listed as meeting from Tuesday<\/span>\/Thursday<\/span> 9:30-11:00<\/span>, faculty were expected to know to dismiss their students at 10:50<\/span> so that they would have time to make it to their next class.<\/p>\n

In the new schedule launching this semester, the actual meeting time of each class is what is stated on the schedule.\u00a0 With occasional exceptions, this provides for fifteen-minute passing times between classes.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

Schedules for the MBA \u201cMod\u201d Courses<\/strong><\/p>\n

The schedules for the required MBA \u201cMod\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Standard Schedule for Daytime Electives on Monday<\/span>\/Wednesday<\/span> or Tuesday<\/span>\/Thursday<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As mentioned above, electives in Questrom will, in most cases, continue to run on a twice-weekly Monday<\/span>\/Wednesday<\/span> or Tuesday<\/span>\/Thursday<\/span> schedule.\u00a0 These classes run for 75 minutes.\u00a0 Please note that, in order to make efficient use of our Hariri Building, we have worked with the University Registrar\u2019s and Provost\u2019s Offices to modify what would have been the standard schedule on Monday<\/span>\/Wednesday<\/span> mornings so as to be able to fit in an extra meeting time.\u00a0 You will see that this trims the passing time between the first two Monday<\/span>\/Wednesday<\/span> blocks to 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

You will also notice, due to the quirks of the new schedule, there are two gaps on Monday<\/span>\/Wednesday<\/span>: 12:10 \u2013 12:50 pm<\/span> and 3:45 \u2013 4:30 pm<\/span>.\u00a0 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<\/span>(though remember not to bring food into the classrooms!).\u00a0 We will follow up with procedures on how to reserve rooms.\u00a0 I look forward to hearing the creative and productive uses you make of these scheduling gaps.<\/p>\n

Also, given that evening classes will now begin at 6:30<\/span>, it is expected that many student organization meetings and activities will shift from the previous 4:00-6:00<\/span> period into the 5:30-6:15 p.m.<\/span> time block.<\/p>\n

The standard Questrom Monday<\/span>\/Wednesday<\/span> schedule is as follows:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n