SGB introduces new scheduling app for planning semesters

SGB introduced a new scheduling application at Tuesday night’s meeting that would simplify the way students register for classes and plan their semesters.

Vice President and Chief of Cabinet Rohit Anand said the new tool will be available in February and will allow students to plan out an ideal schedule before registering them in the Student Center system.

“This streamlines the whole process and lets students see what their schedule would actually look like,” Anand said.

The new application will be a tab on the Student Center page. Within the system, students can enter what classes they want to take, and the program will automatically generate a schedule. Students can set filters within the program to pick specific professors or block off certain times of the day. This means students no longer need to manually write out and plan schedules as they register.

The schedule, however, can only account for classes that are still open, limiting the time frame in which students can actually use the application.  Once a student is satisfied with the schedule, they can import those exact classes to their shopping cart and register through the existing process, a feature board member Sam Jankowitz wishes she had the chance to use.

“I’m so upset I’m graduating and can’t use this,” Jankowitz said. “This system would have saved me hours. It will be so beneficial for students.”

Students who are planning to register for classes during the summer term, starting Feb. 10, will be the first ones to use this program. The registrar’s office plans on releasing an interactive video in time for summer class registration to guide students on how to use the new application. It also plans on advertising to make students are aware of the program before registration for fall classes on March 24.

“Students can look through [the application] and create a much more comprehensive schedule,” Anand said. “It will be much easier for students than making a spreadsheet or writing it all out.”

After talking with a friend from Ohio State University about their scheduling software, Anand wanted to introduce something similar at Pitt. He worked with the registrar, researching vendors and keeping them updated on student feedback.  

“We wanted something that allowed students to pick selectively and have a functional schedule,” Anand said.

The new system will enable students to choose classes based on factors that are important to them, Vice President and Chief of Finance Max Kneis said.

“The new application is extremely intuitive,” Kneis said. “It has such an easy interface, which the current application does not.”

Allocations:

Pitt Human Powered Vehicle Club: The club requested $1,733 for the annual east coast competition, the first time Pitt has entered. The Board approved $993 and denied $800.

American Chemistry Society: The American Chemistry Society requested $1,629.60 for airfare to attend an annual conference. The Board approved the request in full.