AU's new planning system is up and running – two faculties will be the first to use it

The new joint planning system has now been fully implemented for course administration, and will be supplemented with exam administration in autumn 2020. This means that the technology to support all future planning of teaching and exams at Aarhus University is now ready.

University Director Arnold Boon calls this an important milestone.

"We now have a planning system that can be used by all the faculties. Finding one joint solution for the entire university was not a simple task, but strong collaboration between academic environments and administrative centres has made it possible to reach this milestone," says Arnold Boon.

Bachelors of Engineering are first in line

The Nat-Tech Studies Administration and Arts are the first to use the system – Nat and Tech to a slightly lesser extent than first planned due to Covid-19.

In practice, this means that all Bachelor of Engineering programmes and admission courses at Tech will start planning the 2020 autumn semester in the new planning system. Vice-dean for Education Finn Borchsenius, who is heading the local steering committee for the project at Nat and Tech, is pleased with the development.

"Due to the coronavirus, we’ve had to limit the number of degree programmes included in the first phase of the rollout. On the other hand, now we’ll be able to get to know the system a little better, and hopefully gain experience that will benefit us when we roll out planning in the new system for all degree programmes in the autumn," says Finn Borchsenius.

One-year planning at Arts

The Faculty of Arts will start planning in the new system, but because Arts has started planning one year ahead, planning in the new system will not be implemented until the 2021 spring semester. Niels Overgaard Lehman, vice-dean for education at Arts, where they are introducing planning with a longer-term perspective, is looking forward to getting the system up an running.

"We’re getting to know the new system. This is not necessarily a simple task, and planners, teaching staff and students must be prepared to practice together. However, hopefully we can look forward to receiving personal timetables well in advance, allowing teaching staff and students to better plan their time around teaching," says Niels Overgaard Lehman.

Both Health and Aarhus BSS will follow suit and start planning in the new system in autumn 2020.

In practice, teaching staff and students on the university's Bachelor of Engineering programmes will be the first and only people to see their timetable in the new system this summer. All other teaching staff and students will be able to see their timetables in connection with the start of the semester in 2021.

• Read more about how planners experience the change to a new system (in Danish) 
• See project website for PLAN (in Danish)