We recently heard from Bre Taylor, MPH Program Support Specialist with the Department of Physical Therapy at Arcadia University. Bre uses Teamup to schedule a Doctor of Physical Therapy program that supports over 250 students. With both on-campus and hybrid entry-level programs and a PhD program, the academic scheduling gets complicated. There are often conflicts with spacing and instructor availability, Bre explained. And those conflicts have to be solved with both student and faculty needs in mind.
The challenge of multiple program pathways
They previously used Excel block scheduling to manage the program. But in 2020, when they introduced a new hybrid option for students, they needed a better scheduling tool.
“In 2020, we added a new program pathway that allows students to earn their DPT degree in a hybrid format – with the addition of this program, we knew our scheduling technology would have to change as we moved into the space of digital learning.”
So the IT team researched several options, which they shared with the scheduling team.
“After several meetings and creating test calendars, Teamup was the clear winner for us. It has some similar functions as a Google calendar, so it was very easy for us to use the system.”
Teamup: Customizable scheduling solution
Custom fields for a sortable teaching schedule
The team got started, setting up and customizing their Teamup calendar. They created sub-calendars, added custom fields, and set up customized access for staff and students. The custom fields with built-in filters are especially helpful.
“We have done a lot of work to customize the calendar with special fields and tags as it relates to filtering and creating various reports we submit throughout the department. For example, we have to identify faculty teaching loads each semester, and Teamup allows us to quickly pull this data. We also have faculty that teach in both the hybrid (online) and residential (on-campus) programs on the same day, so it really makes a world of difference to see your teaching schedule sorted by cohort, course, and location (zoom or in-person classroom).”
Export and import for quick data duplication
Another helpful feature: the import/export functionality. They’re able to archive previous calendars with a CSV export. When needed, they can adjust the date and import to plan ahead for next year’s schedules or events.
“I also really appreciate how we can export and import CSV files of the individual calendars. This makes storing/archiving previous calendars simple and allows us to plan for the next semester with a quick date change and file import. Planning ahead is so much easier now that we can quickly duplicate the schedule for a new year. We recently met to configure the spring schedule for 2025, since there is a large PT conference happening that will bring about some conflicts for faculty, so it was very helpful for us to replicate the calendar this far in advance.”
Mobile app for student schedule visibility
It’s a complicated scheduling job, but Teamup is making it easier. And for students, Teamup’s mobile app is a winner.
“We also LOVE the app – students do as well. The Teamup app gets many positive reviews when we survey students on technology applications used in the program.”
Since integrating Teamup in 2020, Bre and the team at Arcadia University can schedule efficiently and keep staff, faculty, and students updated. No more wrestling with Excel blocks! We’re glad to be part of the solution for this dynamic program.