Writing Program Class Scheduling Policies

Timetable for Listing Fall and Spring Courses

For fall courses, full-time lecturers, graduate writing fellows, and teaching fellows teaching in the fall semester will need to submit their availability in early December. Part-time lecturers should also submit preferences at that time if they would like to be considered for teaching in the fall, but part-time lecturers may not be notified of assignments until later in the spring/summer, after fall staffing needs are determined. Instructors will receive an email request for preferences with submission instructions.

Most non-ELL instructors will be assigned to teach WR 120 in the fall. Most ELL instructors will be assigned to teach WR 111, WR 112, and/or WR 120 in the fall. Graduate Writing Fellows and Teaching Fellows will be assigned WR 120 only. Full-time lecturers should be prepared to teach off-cycle courses (WR 15x in the fall) and to have two preps in a given semester, in order to accommodate our staffing needs.

For spring courses, the scheduling forms are due in early June. Part-time lecturers, Graduate Writing Fellows, and Teaching Fellows also are asked to propose spring courses at that time, even though staffing decisions may not be made until later. When deciding on course assignments for part-time lecturers, directors will consider diversification of instructors and topics; an individual instructor’s flexibility in scheduling; an individual instructor’s teaching record and professionalism; and concentration of courses across the program.

Most non-ELL instructors will be assigned to teach WR 151, WR 152, or WR 153 in the spring. Most ELL instructors will be assigned to teach WR 112 or WR 120 in the spring. Graduate Writing Fellows and Teaching Fellows will be assigned only WR 15x. Again, full-time lecturers should be prepared to teach off-cycle courses (in this case, WR 120 in the spring) and to have two preps in a given semester, in order to accommodate our staffing needs.

Spring course assignments for part-time lecturers and graduate writing fellows are contingent upon satisfactory work in the fall and the availability of courses. Please note that the program offers fewer courses in the spring semester. As a result, there are fewer sections available for part-time lecturers in the spring. WR 120 topics may be continued in WR 151, WR 152, or WR 153 versions.

Teachers of WR 111 and WR 112 should consult with Christina Michaud regarding course assignments.

New seminar proposals are subject to approval by the directors.

Class Scheduling Policies 

    1. ONE TR SCHEDULE PER YEAR: There is a chronic surplus of requests for TR schedules. All instructors should expect to teach a MWF schedule at least once per academic year. The Writing Program will try to offer instructors who request a TR schedule one semester of TR sections per academic year. Instructors who prefer to teach MWF both semesters may do so. Currently, the demand for MWF schedules does not exceed the supply. As of Fall 2024, if you have special circumstances (aside from an accommodation that is documented with the Equal Opportunity Office) that make it impossible for you to teach on a MWF schedule in a single semester, please contact wpadmin@bu.edu to make a petition. Beginning in Fall 2024, the Writing Program is discontinuing the use of swap arrangements.
    2. MINIMUM AVAILABILITY: FT lecturers and GWF/TFs are required to submit five different times they are available to teach on each day schedule (10 available times total). PT lecturers may submit any amount of available times and do not have a minimum requirement. Please note that if a lecturer’s availability is limited (e.g.,the instructor is only able to teach at 1-3 class times), the chances of being offered a section generally will be lower, especially if the only times the instructor can work are the most popular midday times. We may have no openings for PT lecturers at some class times after staffing FT lecturers and GWFs.
    3. OFF-CYCLE COURSES: Off-cycle courses (WR 15x in the fall and WR 120 in the spring) will be offered to FT lecturers first. If there are off-cycle sections remaining after staffing the FT lecturers, the program will staff the remaining sections with PT lecturers according to time availability and preferences. If there is a shortage of volunteers to teach off-cycle courses, FT lecturers may be assigned to them even if they did not request those levels. GWFs and TFs will not be assigned to off-cycle courses.
        1. ACCOMMODATIONS: If you have a condition that requires you to stay on a particular day schedule all of the time or to have other scheduling accommodations (ex. must teach or not teach in specific buildings), please submit an Accommodation Request Form to the Equal Opportunity Office to officially document the accommodations necessary. You do not need to share anything about the reason for your accommodation with the Writing Program, but you will need to note on your scheduling form every semester that you have an accommodation in place and your approved scheduling requirements (for example, “I need all classrooms in the same building” or “I can only be scheduled for TR”).

      Scheduling Constraints and Considerations

      You are welcome to submit any preferences you desire, and we will attempt to schedule you according to those preferences if they are available and fit with the program’s scheduling needs. With that said, please be aware of the following constraints so that you have reasonable expectations.

      1. If you are teaching a Tuesday/Thursday schedule in the current semester or taught it the last time you taught for the Writing Program, please assume that you will be assigned a MWF the next semester and plan your other commitments accordingly. If you want to change your alternation schedule for the year (for example, you have been teaching TR in the fall and MWF in the spring and want to change to MWF in the fall and TR in the spring), please request that on the scheduling form. 

      The demand for TR always far exceeds the supply of TR sections. The Registrar’s Office does not permit us to offer more than 50% of our sections as TR sections. The alternation policy allows most instructors to teach TR once a year if they request it. For more detailed information, see Scheduling Policies above.

      1. Although we accommodate scheduling requests whenever possible, you are not guaranteed to receive your top preferences or even any of the preferences you indicate on the form. Over 100 instructors teach in the Writing Program. Most instructors request midday class times (MWF 10:10-3:20 and TR 11-2), and we are only allowed to offer a limited amount of sections at those times. Many people will not receive their top choice time. In a small number of cases, instructors may not receive any of their preferred times. This is especially true if the requested times are on TR schedules, all midday times (the most popular times with the fewest sections available), or if you are teaching only one course (instructors with multiple classes are assigned first). If it is not possible to assign you to one of your time preferences, we will try to schedule you according to your day and time of day preferences.
      1. Off-cycle courses (WR 15x in the fall and WR 120 in the spring) must be staffed according to the needs of the program, and those needs may override instructor preferences. If there is a large demand to teach off-cycle courses in a semester and you requested several off-cycle courses, you likely will be assigned fewer sections of that level than you requested. This allows us to provide a wider variety of topics for off-cycle students and to allow more instructors to teach off-cycle levels if they wish. If there are not enough volunteers to teach off-cycle courses in a semester (the more usual situation), FT lecturers teaching three courses may be assigned an off-cycle section even if they did not request one. 

      Classroom Assignments and Change Requests

      Requests for features inside classrooms like specific technology that is not included in standard classrooms can be made by completing the Classroom Needs Form by the deadline to submit forms. You have the best chance of getting the features you want if you submit your request at that time because classroom assignments have not been made yet.

      The Registrar’s Office assigns your classrooms. If you need to change your room after it is assigned, please submit the Classroom Change Request Form available in the Forms section as far in advance of the start of the semester as possible and before the deadline to request room changes. You can find out the media capabilities of a classroom and view photos of the room by searching for it on the classrooms website. The earlier you submit your room change request, the better the chance we have of finding another room for you. At the busiest class times, there may be no available rooms to switch you into. Please do not approach other instructors directly about room changes, unless specifically directed.

      Because of limited classroom availability and the shape of the campus (a long line), many instructors are assigned rooms that are not close to 100 Bay State Road. A lot of WR sections get assigned to the smaller and/or basement rooms. Although most people understandably do not prefer to teach in smaller and/or basement rooms, most of those assigned there will have to stay in those rooms. There often are no other room options at the popular times.

      Room changes are time consuming, and resolving them may result in inconveniencing students and other instructors. Please reserve room change requests for extenuating circumstances (e.g., you have a medical reason, your class requires technology the room doesn’t have, there is a facilities problem, you can’t get to your next class in 15 minutes for back to back classes). Personal preferences are not considered extenuating (e.g., you would like to teach closer to where you park or where your office is, a small basement room isn’t your ideal teaching environment).