Site creates schedules for students

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Schedulizer.com collects class information publicly displayed by Drexel and produces different schedule options according to the classes students choose. The Web site Schedulizer.com, which allows students to create and save different schedule options, was recently made available to Drexel University students. Using a database of Drexel's available classes, students can pick what they need, and the Web site produces all the possible schedules. These can then be filtered according to different categories, such as schedules that start late or finish early, or include time for lunch. CEO Jay Searson said the site looks to serve large universities that have the potential to attract many different students to the site. Schools nearby those already served by the site are also appealing because they could draw more students to the Web site, Searson said.

"Another factor we consider is the way in which the class information is displayed," Searson said. "Drexel's system is publicly accessible and organized, with classes in neat tables displaying necessary information. Some schools have mindboggling setups."

Searson added that the site received requests to add Drexel's information, which made him hopeful that more students would visit and use the site.

However, University Registrar Joseph Salomone said Drexel could not confirm the information found on Schedulizer.com, and that the data was not always in "real time."

"If someone saves a schedule, there is no guarantee that it is all the same information when they go to register later," Salomone said.

Searson said the Web site updates on a nightly basis according to the content provided on the college's list of classes Web site, but sometimes many changes during the day can cause the site to drop behind by a day.

"Sometimes there is an occasional kink to work out after a new school is added," Searson said. "Also, the crawler that updates the site had a problem a few days ago, which could have caused some information to appear late."

Mary Quigley, the director of information and systems at Drexel, said the University did not sponsor or endorse Schedulizer. However, she said the school is working to incorporate a "new functionality" in the current system.

"This new functionality in the existing SunGuard/Bannerweb system would allow the flexibility to search for and save schedules," Quigley said. "It's another application that came about in response to student demand."

Lauren Kondrad, a sophomore biology major, said a site that offered different scheduling options would better help students view the various choices available to them.

"It can get frustrating trying to put together a couple of different schedules with all the different labs we have to take, and then having one class get locked and not having a backup schedule ready," Kondrad said.

However, sophomore film major Angel Lugo said the Web site is not as helpful for his major, which does not offer many different time options for classes.

"Technology like that is not really helpful for a film major. Our classes aren't offered at that many different times so it's easy for us to make a schedule our own," Lugo said. "There's really only a few options when you want to take certain courses anyways."

Salomone also mentioned DegreeWorks, which is the current system in place for students that provides an audit of classes taken and in progress, as well as a graduation plan. Salomone said he also hopes to have different University departments provide a list of courses required for an academic year to better help students plan long-term.

"We would like to have a site with a list of courses and when they are offered, so that students can plan ahead," Salomone said. "The schedule changes are what deter students from plans and graduation."

Quigley said the University is in the process of a "thorough analysis" of existing vendors and partners to find a program that would best complement the current system without interfering or confusing students.

Salomone said changing the scheduling system is "all about baby steps" and building around student needs.

"We also have to change the paradigm about how students, faculty and the University see scheduling," Salomone said.

Searson said Schedulizer.com has had one major problem with a university in the past, where the school switched to a different scheduling format and prohibited Schedulizer.com from updating the content. The site stopped serving students, which caused protesting and backlash for the university until the school re-instated the use of Schedulizer.com.

According to Searson, Schedulizer.com added information from approximately 50 schools to its list of existing schedules in the past month.