Frequently Asked Questions

There is no university policy that provides relief to students who have three or more examinations scheduled the same day. Students may seek assistance from their course instructor(s), department chair and/or college dean.

Instructors may arrange a make-up time for students with conflicting final examinations but should notify their departmental chairperson. Academic Testing Services may be able to administer the examination on the instructor’s behalf at a convenient time for the student. Contact Academic Testing Services at 806-742-3671.

The student should contact the instructor immediately to discuss their options.

No extracurricular activities may be scheduled during individual study day or the final examination period without written permission from the PSVP.

Examinations, other than bona fide make-up examinations, are not to be given during the last week of classes. Courses in which laboratory examinations and design studio reviews are normally scheduled during the week before finals are excluded from this policy. For summer sessions, the two days before final examinations are set aside as days without examinations, except for bona fide make-up or laboratory examinations.

The “last week of classes” means the last five class days before individual study day and the first day of final examinations, or the last two days in a summer session.

Faculty members giving final examinations must follow the published examination time and room assignment unless permission to deviate is granted by the departmental chairperson, dean and senior vice provost. Faculty should wait for approval from the senior vice provost before announcing an alternative examination procedure to students.

Final examination schedules are published by the Office of Official Publications. Examination times and room assignments are set by the Office of the Registrar. Questions about these schedules may be directed to Amanda Lange (amanda.lange@ttu.edu). Review the final examination policy (OP 34.10) or the final examination schedule.

Definitions

• A traditional internship is one in which a student gains practical knowledge and experience from a third party and is physically located in the same place as that third party.
• A non-traditional internship is one in which a student gains practical knowledge and experience from a third party but is not physically located in the same place as that third party.
• Internships are coded according to physical location, not the mode of communication with the instructor.
• Accurate coding allows reporting on where and how students complete internships.

Internship sections must be coded correctly for student billing and state reporting. The instructional method indicates how instruction occurs. The campus code indicates where instruction is offered.

Incorrect campus coding can result in improper billing and incorrect state reporting.

Traditional Internship Coding

Student is physically located at the same place as the third party.

Non-Traditional Internship Coding

Student is not physically located at the same place as the third party.

Instructions depend on whether the Teaching Assistant is assigned to a credit-bearing section (LEC, LAB) or a non-credit-bearing section (XCL, RECT, DIS).

• Non-Credit-Bearing Sections: Teaching Assistants may supervise and convene non-credit sections. In Banner SSASECT, list the Teaching Assistant under the appropriate non-credit section and select the Primary Indicator checkbox. Teaching Assistants should only be listed as Instructor of Record for non-credit-bearing activity.
• Credit-Bearing Sections: Teaching Assistants providing instructional support to an Instructor of Record in a credit-bearing course may be paid from course fees. The tenured faculty member should have the Primary Indicator checkbox selected, although the Teaching Assistant may have more responsibilities.

Use SSASYLB in Banner to add an extended title alongside the approved course title. This is useful for seminars or special topics sections that vary from section to section. The extended title is visible to students online and appears on their transcripts.

Adding an Extended Title

1. Build the section in SSASECT.
2. Open SSASYLB (also available in the Options menu while viewing the section in SSASECT).
3. Enter the term and CRN.
4. Select Next Block.
5. Select Copy from Course. At the end of the copied course title, add a colon followed by the extended title.
6. Save.

If a section has already been built in Banner but will not be offered that semester, you can cancel it so students cannot register for or see it online. The section will still roll over to the following year and can be reopened.

1. In Banner, remove instructors assigned to the section using Record > Remove, then save.
2. If a meeting assignment exists, remove it using Record > Remove, then save.
3. On the main SSASECT screen, change the section status to X (Canceled).
4. Save.

Section numbers must correspond to the correct activity type for reporting purposes.

1. Go to SIAASGQ.
2. Enter the term and instructor ID (R#).
3. Select Next Block.

1. Log in to Ad Astra.
2. Go to the Resources tab and open the Rooms file.
3. Use the filter on the left to enter search criteria. The main campus is listed under TLB. Select Search. Capacity and room type appear in the results grid.
4. Hover over the paper icon next to a room number for a quick view of room details.
5. Select a room to view its full record.
6. Review the room information at the top of the record.
7. Review the Features section for feature names, quantities and descriptions. A blank quantity means the information is not applicable or unknown.
8. Additional information, including usage controls, custom fields, partitions and notes, appears further down the record.

1. In SSASECT, open the third tab, Meeting Times and Instructor.
2. Select Next Block to reach the instructor box.
3. Under ID, select the dropdown arrow.
4. Select Next Block.
5. Enter the faculty member’s last name and, if known, first name. The search is case-sensitive.
6. Execute the query using F8.
7. Double-click the name to copy the R-number into the instructor box.
8. If assigning the faculty member to the section, save.

Submit a room request through the Schedule Dashboard.

A departmental or common exam covers multiple sections of the same course taught by different instructors to establish a uniform scale of achievement. Section Inventory schedules common exams according to the following guidelines:

1. Courses with two or more sections in a semester may schedule a common final with approval from the department head, dean and senior vice provost.
2. Multiple sections taught by the same instructor are not eligible for common examinations unless they are part of a course taught by more than one instructor.
3. All sections of a course scheduled for a common final must administer the same examination.
4. Room accommodations are based on total course enrollment for the term rather than individual section enrollment.

Each semester, Section Inventory assigns rooms for common exams and distributes the information to the designated point of contact.

Conflicts are resolved based on university needs and Coordinating Board regulations. Section Inventory looks for at least 65% fill and a minimum of 38 hours per week of classroom utilization.

Requests that cannot be scheduled due to a conflict are dropped and the affected department is notified by email. Sections may be relocated closer to the term based on actual enrollment compared with room capacity.

Academic schedulers should email Amanda Lange (amanda.lange@ttu.edu) to request access.

1. In SSASECT, enter the desired term.
2. Use the CRN Search dropdown to open SSASECQ, or press F9 while the cursor is in the CRN field.
3. The term automatically populates in SSASECQ. Enter the subject, course or other search criteria.
4. Press F8 or select the query icon to search.
5. Double-click the desired CRN, or use Shift+F3. You will return to SSASECT with the CRN populated.
6. Select Next Block or use Ctrl+Page Down to enter the section record.

The P785 report replaces the older IMR054 report and provides streamlined information for academic schedulers, including a more focused Excel export.

1. Log in to Cognos.
2. Select My Home.
3. Open the Student folder.
4. Open the TTU folder.
5. Open the Course/Section Scheduling folder.
6. Select the P785 report.
7. Select the term or terms.
8. Optionally filter by college, department or subject. Leaving these blank returns universitywide data.
9. Select Finish to run the report.
10. To export, use the upper-right menu and select View in Excel 2007 Format.

Using Preset Filters

• Open the Calendars tab and select Scheduling Grids.
• Use Choose Calendar to select a campus calendar and activate its preset filters.
• Select the desired preset from the Filter dropdown.
• Choose a day or week view and adjust the date as needed.

Creating Your Own Filter

1. Open Calendars > Scheduling Grids.
2. Select the magnifying glass icon on the left to open custom filter settings.
3. Enter search criteria such as campus, building or room.
4. To include all activities, select both Include Events and Include Academics.
5. Select Search.
6. Review the results.
7. Select the Save icon to save the filter.
8. In the dialog, enter or select a filter name and click OK. You may also choose to make the filter your default calendar view.
9. The new filter is saved for future use.

Off-time-cycle courses have final exams at the same time as the on-time-cycle course immediately preceding their class time. For example, an MWF 3:30 p.m. class tests at the same time as MWF 3 p.m. classes. For standard university time cycles, see OP 61.23.

Full-Term Class Times (Fall and Spring)

Summer Class Times (4 Weeks)

Full Summer Class Times

Sections meet Monday through Friday for one hour each day during the first summer session, break between regularly scheduled summer terms and reconvene Monday through Friday for one hour each day through the second summer session. This results in 44 total meetings. Sections must begin on the hour and meet for 50 minutes.

Astra Schedule is Texas Tech University’s online building and room scheduling system for academic and event scheduling. It helps departments coordinate instructional space and other campus room reservations.