Classroom Scheduling manages and assigns University Classroom spaces, primarily for credit-bearing courses, which receive priority. Formalized scheduling protocols are in place to enhance campus efficiency and equity.

University Classroom space may be requested by departments for non-credit activities on a first-come, first-served basis, after the semester's course schedule is set. These reservations are subject to the right to recall. The availability of space for non-credit activities depends on the number of classrooms available.

The total number of university classrooms can vary due to space reassignment, renovations, and construction, affecting overall availability each semester. Therefore, departments should not assume that University Classroom space will be available for non-credit activities. Departments are encouraged to use conferencing technology like Zoom, Skype for Business, and Microsoft Teams when large gathering spaces are limited.

Effective January 2022, the Office of the Registrar – Classroom Scheduling will no longer enter into shared space agreements with academic or administrative departments for remodels or new building programming, nor guarantee existing shared space agreements.

This course offerings scheduling policy applies to all regular (on- and off-cycle) sections assigned to University Classrooms (UCRs) and all undergraduate courses numbered 0000–4999 (0000-5999 for College of Engineering courses), whether or not they are scheduled in UCR spaces. Changes to the location, start and end times, or start and end dates can be made on MAUI until Jan. 1 for spring offerings and Aug. 1 for fall offerings. After these deadlines, course scheduling changes will only be approved with sufficient justification provided in the workflow request. Changes to course location, start and end times, and dates will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances, such as an instructor’s emergency, physical or medical accommodation, or the need for a larger room. Departments are responsible for notifying students of any changes.

Please Note: Workflow approval actions do not generate notifications to students. The academic department must notify registered or waitlisted students of any changes to class times, days, locations, credit hours, or other section-related details. If any conflicts arise, the department should work directly with the affected students to resolve them. A Class List Reporting Tool that provides class lists and emails is available on MAUI.

Occasionally, courses may need to be relocated due to classroom upgrades or maintenance issues. Classroom Scheduling will make every effort to find a suitable campus space for relocation.

Before early registration begins, departments may arrange a room swap with another department, with approval from Classroom Scheduling. To do so, the department must contact the other department's scheduler directly. Once both parties agree to the swap, Classroom Scheduling must be notified with the full details of the arrangement.

Policies related to course and meeting patterns can be found on the Contact Hours and Meeting Patterns page. 

The Office of the Registrar has the authority from the Office of the Provost to enforce policies for the equitable distribution of university classroom facilities. If a department wishes to appeal, they must submit a written justification, approved by the department chair, to the Office of the Provost for further review.

All classes must follow the standard time-block model. If a department needs to appeal these meeting times, the department chair, executive officer (DEO), or academic department administrator (ADA) should complete the Non-Standard Class Time Exception Request form for review. Any deviation from the specified start and end times must be approved by the departmental DEO and the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education (APUE), who will make the final decision. Courses scheduled outside the standard time-block model will be adjusted administratively by Classroom Scheduling. Due to the impact on student registration opportunities and classroom resources, few exceptions will be granted.

Exclusions to the Standard Time-Block Model (Fall and Spring Semesters)

• Undergraduate-level courses numbered below 5000 (or below 6000 for College of Engineering courses) can meet for over two hours in a university classroom if the class starts at:
  • 5:30 p.m. on MWF
  • 5 p.m. on TR
  • 6:30 p.m. or later on the half hour.
• Graduate-level courses numbered 5000 and above (or 6000 and above for College of Engineering courses) can meet for over two hours in a university classroom if the start time conforms to the standard class start time schedule.

Scheduling Exceptions and Replication - New for Fall 2025

Two new fields have been added within the Offerings Planner to help Classroom Scheduling maintain approved scheduling exceptions: scheduling exception start and scheduling exception end. After a non-standard class time exception request is approved, Classroom Scheduling will use these fields to indicate when the exception begins and if there is an end session for that exception. Many approved exceptions are only for one session.

Please note: If the scheduling exception end field shows an end session, this section WILL NOT automatically replicate for the next like session (fall to fall/spring to spring). Consequently, each section will need to be manually created with an approved standard class time, or you will need to reapply for a non-standard class time exception using the Non-Standard Class Time Exception Request form. If no end session is shown in the scheduling exception end field, the section will replicate in the future as approved by Classroom Scheduling.

Standard class times must be strictly followed for courses open to undergraduate students (numbered below 5000). For courses numbered 5000 and above, the following policies guide requests for non-standard class meeting times. Prime time is defined as 9:30 a.m.–4:20 p.m, Monday–Thursday, and 9:30 a.m.–1:20 p.m. on Friday.

Graduate and professional programs serve specialized student populations who may have obligations or circumstances requiring off-cycle class meeting times. Many of these courses are not scheduled in University Classrooms (UCRs) and are not subject to the standard class time schedule or the provisions outlined below.

• Courses meeting during prime time in UCRs must adhere to the standard class start time schedules, with exceptions granted only in exceptional circumstances. 
• Graduate classes meeting in the evenings should have standard start times unless there are compelling reasons otherwise.
• The following classes have lower priority during prime time in UCR spaces and will only be scheduled during prime time if space is available after other scheduling is completed. There is no guarantee these classes will be scheduled in specific classrooms or buildings:
  • Classes scheduled to meet for more than 75 minutes in a single period (e.g., a 3 s.h. class meeting for 150 minutes on one day).
  • Seminars and workshops exceeding the hours associated with the credit offered, including 0 s.h. classes and 1 s.h. classes meeting for more than 50 minutes per week. These courses must start at the standard start time.

University Classrooms (UCRs) may be reserved by UI departments for help sessions: optional, secondary meeting times that are not listed on MyUI and provide students with additional assistance or guidance in coursework. Only departmental representatives may schedule help sessions in UCRs; individual students cannot secure these spaces.

To request a classroom for a help session, please refer to the Department Event page and follow the scheduling instructions, keeping in mind key dates.

Please note: University Classroom space is limited, particularly during prime time hours (Monday–Friday). Greater flexibility is typically available during evening hours for supplemental usage.

Help Session Assignment Guidelines

Single Date Help Session Assignments

During Prime Time (8:30 a.m.–5:20 p.m. MWF or 8:30 a.m.–4:50 p.m. TR)

• Help session scheduling must follow standardized class time meeting patterns (50 minutes on MWF and 75 minutes on TR) with the right to recall during prime time hours.

During Non-Peak Times (after 5:30 p.m. MWF; after 5 p.m. TR; or weekends)

• There is no time limit during non-peak times within standard building hours

Semester-Long Help Session Assignments

During Prime Time (8:30 a.m.–5:20 p.m. MWF or 8:30 a.m.–4:50 p.m. TR)

• One 50-minute period using a UCR can be scheduled with the right to recall during prime time hours.
• The help session must be scheduled for the same day and time throughout the semester.
• Help session scheduling must follow standardized class time meeting patterns.
• Additional help session classroom assignments must be made during non-peak times (see below).

During Non-Peak Times (after 5:30 p.m. MWF; after 5 p.m. TR; or weekends)

• One recurring time slot per week during non-peak times, with a maximum seating capacity of 96.
• The help session must be scheduled for the same day and time throughout the semester.
• Help session scheduling must follow standardized class time meeting patterns.
• The help session must take place during operational building hours unless prior approval is granted by Classroom Scheduling.

Departments are encouraged to use online technology applications such as BBCollaborate (formerly known as E-luminate) for help sessions if coordinating common meeting times when student schedules become difficult. For more details, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 319-384-4357.

Standard class times must be strictly followed for courses open to undergraduate enrollment in university classrooms (graduate sections are exempt). However, if there is a need to schedule a single day of the week that extends beyond 120 minutes, the department chair, executive office (DEO), or academic department administrator (ADA) should complete the online Non-Standard Class Time Exception Request form for review. Any deviation from the specified start and end times must be approved by the DEO and the associate provost for undergraduate education (APUE), who will make the final decision. Courses scheduled outside the standard time-block model will be adjusted administratively by Classroom Scheduling. Due to the impact on student registration opportunities and classroom resources, few exceptions will be granted.

Additionally, these courses must be scheduled on the MWF standardized meeting pattern and paired with an alternate course(s) to fulfill the three-day meeting pattern, thereby eliminating classroom inefficiency during prime time. One-day-a-week classes scheduled at 5:30 p.m. or later on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, or at 5 p.m. or later on Tuesday or Thursday, do not require pairing. Currently, film screening section types are exempt from this rule and require no prior approval; however, course pairing is still encouraged to eliminate inefficiencies that film screenings may create.

Classroom Scheduling processes course and event scheduling with a minimum of 10-minute intervals between periods. This short intermission of time is intended to be shared between the instructors occupying the same classroom space for students’ questions or audio visual setups while allowing students to arrive to the next class in a timely fashion.

University Classroom (UCR) space is limited, especially during prime time hours (9:30 a.m.–4:20 p.m., Monday–Thursday, and 9:30 a.m.–1:20 p.m., Fridays). To use UCR space efficiently, all pending classes scheduled in UCRs will be canceled on Aug. 1 and Jan. 1. If you anticipate needing a pending course due to enrollment projections for students registering between the deadline and the start of classes, please send a request to registrar-room-res@uiowa.edu. Include pending courses in the subject line, along with the full course number (including section), course title, and the reason for your request.

Courses that remain in pending status at the close of business on the first day of classes in either fall or spring will be canceled by Classroom Scheduling.

Classroom utilization on Fridays is currently below the campus standard. Therefore, departments are encouraged to schedule one-day-a-week discussion sessions or required courses on Fridays to increase usage and refocus student attention on the classroom.

Any special event reservation made before the third week of the fall or spring semester will be scheduled with the right to recall. However, unforeseen classroom emergencies may override this policy, allowing Classroom Scheduling to reassign classroom spaces as needed. This stipulation is placed on all events to ensure that university classroom space remains available for scheduled courses, which have priority.

If an event needs to be relocated, the user will be notified as soon as possible. If no university classroom space is available, Classroom Scheduling will assist in locating other campus facilities for the relocated event.

The priorities for classroom assignments emerge from the fact that the core of the university is academic and we are committed to educating students.

1. Classes listed in the schedule of classes at primary meeting times.
2. Examinations for classes in the schedule of classes.
3. Class-related supplemental activities (e.g., review sessions, makeup testing).
4. Student recruitment activities (e.g., Hawkeye Visit Days).
5. Other academic activities (e.g., colloquia).
6. Non-academic university activities (e.g., student organization meetings).
7. Outside users.

Departments whose maximum enrollment does not meet 60% or more of the available seats within a university classroom capacity may find reassignment to smaller teaching space initiated by Classroom Scheduling. We will take into consideration projected enrollments, actual enrollments, historical enrollments and semester timing.

Seat fill in certain situations might need to be lowered in the instances where classroom assignment is based on classroom need for particular seating, equipment or materials found in a home building location.

Typically, university classrooms are considered efficient when used a minimum of 32 hours per week [teaching week is based on 50 hour week, ten periods a day, five days per week] or at the targeted 35 hours per week or 70% utilization rate. 

Due to the limited quantity of specialized resources, all classroom assignments in TILE classrooms must adhere to the Standardized Time-Block Model. Consideration of exception given only in the instances of non-prime class times on a session-by-session basis.

Please visit the Student Organization Events page on the University Classrooms website for policies and process requirements.