OVERVIEW

A National Effort to Make Course Scheduling Work for Students

The Student-Centered Course Scheduling initiative supports 20 AASCU member institutions in transforming how courses are offered, sequenced, and staffed—so students can get the courses they need, when they need them, to stay on track to graduation.

AASCU, with technical assistance from trusted partners, supports participating institutions through four key strategies to improve degree velocity and student success:

1. Elevate course scheduling as a student success strategy. Engage key stakeholders, including executive leaders, in a structured change management process that positions course scheduling as a cornerstone of student success.
2. Implement sustainable policies and procedures. Conduct policy inventories and audits to ensure schedule-building practices and related policies align with institutional goals and priorities.
3. Design student-centered, data-informed schedules. Use real-time data and degree velocity metrics to identify actionable improvements such as adding sections for high-demand or overloaded courses, resolving conflicts between required courses, or reducing high-DFW course combinations in the same term.
4. Embed continuous improvement. Build long-term capacity by integrating ongoing reflection, measurement, and refinement into the scheduling process from the start.

The Value

• Investing in high-quality teacher preparation builds an educator workforce ready to lead with confidence in evolving school environments.
• Preparing educators from all walks of life ensures students see themselves reflected in the classroom.
• High-quality teacher preparation equips educators to build trust with students and families, creating classrooms rooted in connection and belonging.

The Practice

• Expand access to student teaching experiences early. Provide future teachers with meaningful, supervised classroom exposure from the start of their programs.
• Strengthen culturally responsive training. Ensure coursework and mentorship prepare educators to affirm and engage students from all backgrounds.
• Build strong PK–12 and university partnerships. Collaborate with local schools to align educator preparation with the realities of today’s classrooms.
• Support future educators from all backgrounds. Provide financial, academic, and advising resources to help more aspiring teachers enter and thrive in the profession.
• Integrate real-world challenges into coursework. Prepare educators to navigate classroom realities—like trauma, multilingualism, and digital learning—with confidence.
• Develop clear, supported licensure pathways. Streamline certification processes and provide guidance to help candidates complete requirements without delay.

The Value

• Course scheduling based on real student need empowers students to balance life and school, reducing time to degree and boosting economic mobility.
• Streamlined course pathways minimize barriers, helping students graduate on time and access career opportunities sooner.
• Student-centered course design reduces confusion and stress, helping students make goal-aligned choices and stay confidently on the path to graduation.

The Practice

• Design schedules around real student lives. Use survey data and enrollment patterns to offer courses when students are most likely to attend—day, evening, weekend, or online.
• Ensure course availability matches demand. Use predictive tools and degree maps to guarantee students can access required courses without delays.
• Create clear, coherent degree pathways. Map courses in a logical sequence with limited bottlenecks to help students progress confidently toward graduation.
• Offer flexible learning formats. Incorporate online, hybrid, and accelerated options to support students with work, caregiving, or commuting responsibilities.
• Align course planning across departments. Coordinate offerings to reduce scheduling conflicts and support interdisciplinary pathways.
• Use student data to guide improvements. Track enrollment trends, credit momentum, and completion data to refine course design and scheduling each term.

The Value

• Using data to inform strategy ensures students from all backgrounds have clear, supported pathways to opportunity, achievement, and mobility.
• Using real-time data helps colleges support the learners who face the highest hurdles—so more students stay on track, graduate, and thrive.
• A culture of evidence enables continuous improvement, aligning institutional practices with student needs for better outcomes.

The Practice

• Build cross-functional data teams. Include faculty, advisers, and leadership to identify student needs and guide timely, collaborative action.
• Look closely at who is—and isn’t—succeeding. Break down student outcomes to uncover patterns and tailor solutions that meet varied needs.
• Help students stay on track with timely support. Recognize early signs that students may benefit from extra support, and connect them with the appropriate resources.
• Equip advisers with real-time data. Integrate student progress dashboards so advisers can offer timely, personalized guidance.
• Align KPIs with institutional strategy. Tie measures like retention and course completion to strategic planning and resource decisions.
• Engage students in data-informed change. Include student voices in interpreting trends and co-creating solutions grounded in lived experience.