March 29, 2024

Message from the Scheduling System Task Force

To:       Members of the UMW Community

From:   Jeffrey W. McClurken and Martin A. Wilder, Jr.

Co-Chairs, Scheduling System Task Force

President Hurley announced in June the creation of the Scheduling System Task Force to determine “the best and most comprehensive approach to solving the scheduling needs of University units. The Task Force will focus on meeting the academic and non-academic needs of students and advancing the quality and stature of Mary Washington.”

We write today with an update on the Scheduling System Task Force’s work and an overview of our plans going forward.

The need for a more robust system for scheduling rooms for classes, for events, and for student activities is clear, and it is a need that will only grow as we add new multi-function buildings, such as the Convergence Center and the new Student Center.

The goal of the task force is to make recommendations to President Hurley in three areas:

1) The selection of a software system

2) The implementation of new system (including who will manage it on an ongoing basis)

3) The determination of policies for how the system will be used going forward

In order to make recommendations in these areas by December, we will be doing the following:

— Reaching out broadly in the next few weeks to the UMW community for input on what the key needs and wants are for an enterprise-level scheduling system.  Please join in when we ask for your input.  Based on that input the task force will create a prioritized list of needs and wants that will drive our search for a system.

— Identifying the major products in this field, building on the work already done over the last year by people on the Enrollment Management Committee and in the Office of University Events. This process will include consulting with our colleagues at other institutions in the state and in COPLAC to find out about their experiences with these products.

— Bringing vendors to campus to demonstrate their products in sessions that will be open to the University community.

— Making a recommendation to the President about which system will best meets the needs of the broadest array of the UMW community.

The task force will meet every two weeks through December, and meeting minutes and other updates will be available at http://president.umw.edu/presidential-committees/scheduling-system-task-force/

If you have any questions or comments about the task force’s plans, about the choice of scheduling system, about the implementation of that new system, or about the policies related to running such a system, please contribute when the task force reaches out to you, or contact Marty Wilder or Jeff McClurken, co-chairs, or any of the other members of the Scheduling System Task Force.

■      Hall B. Cheshire, Acting Chief Information Officer

■      Rita F. Dunston, Registrar

■      Megan L. Higginbotham, Assistant Director of Student Activities and Engagement

■      Susan E. Knick, Director of Scheduling and Conferencing

■      Louis A. Martinette, Associate Professor, COE

■      Jeffrey W. McClurken, Professor and Co-Chair

■      George R. Meadows, Professor, COB

■      Keith E. Mellinger, Associate Professor, CAS and Interim Director of Academic and Career Services

■      John T. Morello, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs

■      Christine M. Porter, Director of Residence Life and Commuter Students

■      Debra J. Schleef, Chair/Professor, CAS and UFC Chair

■      Douglas N. Searcy, Vice President for Student Affairs

■      Gerald Slezak, Director of IT Support Services

■      M. Gregg Stull, Chair/Professor, CAS

■      Linda R. Thornton, Associate Director of Business System Analysis

■      Martin A. Wilder, Chief of Staff and Co-Chair

■      Matthew C. Wilkerson, Director of Institutional Research

■      Susan B. Worrell, Special Assistant to the President for University Events