Student Success

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Integrated Course Scheduling for Departments (Ad Astra Implementation)

Program Status: Implementation

The Ad Astra Course Scheduling software uses data to optimize and streamline scheduling, offering real-time insights and creating efficiencies by eliminating manual and time-consuming processes. This software will provide staff and academic units with dynamic data and improved digital tools to support class scheduling. The system offers real-time class registration monitoring for academic programs, identifying courses that need additional sections or courses to consider for cancellation, making it easier for departments to meet student needs and demands.

Accomplished

  • Vendor confirmed successful data ingest
  • SSO login configured
  • Solidified sequencing of implementation.
  • The project team identified 3 departments to pilot the Fall 26 term draft processing in January 2026.

In Progress

  • Working with the vendor to address data issues in order to support accurate and timely course scheduling.
  • Preparing to test Ad Astra to Banner publish functionality. 
  • The project team is outlining major milestones, dependencies, and a feasible timeline to communicate and train campus schedulers on registration monitoring for the Fall 2026 schedule
  • The project Team is participating in Training with Ad Astra
  • Preparing materials for application configuration.

Project Health

  • Clarity on the long-term maintenance of the technology solution(s), including adequate resources to support the software.
  • Long-term gains in efficiency will be realized with a well-trained scheduling staff at the academic department or school/college level. The organization of this work within schools and colleges is still unknown.
  • Inadequate staffing, personnel turnover, or inconsistent staffing practices can impact the full articulation of this product. The University will need to ensure that academic departments, schools, and colleges have staff members who are fully trained, understand the product, and have the capacity to analyze, synthesize,  and act on the data.
  • Potential for miscommunication of the capabilities of this tool and overreach in its impact on the University. The tool provides data, but analysis and action rest with academic departments.

Project Team

Executive Sponsors: Ryan Bass, Shelly Chabon
Leads: Nicolle DuPont, Karenna Wait
Project Managers: Pamela Bock (OSS), Francesca Leaf (OIT)
Team: Adam Lutzow, Tuyet Nguyen, Michael Mitchell, Katherine Barich, Andrea Garrity (Ad Hoc), Francesca Leaf, Matayla Lewis
Collaborators:  Academic Scheduling Specialists