Support Page Content
Astra Schedule
Astra Schedule is the University's comprehensive event and facilities scheduling software tool managed by Space Management to locate and schedule facilities for classes, final exams, and events. Astra Schedule is available 24/7 to campus users on campus or off campus with a VPN connection. Single Sign-On Authentication is required.
Astra Schedule 8 Upgrade
Astra Schedule Upgraded to Version 8 on May 24-26, 2023
Here’s what you need to know about the Astra Schedule 8 upgrade which improves system stability and supports future technology needs.
The Astra Schedule 8 release focuses on an enhanced user interface and valuable new functionality, including Single Sign-On Authentication. Campus users will need to sign into Astra Schedule at https://astra.csus.edu using the Duo Single Sign-On authentication service.
Users will experience improved, consistent navigation with updated menus, filter panels, and streamlined usability. There are platform stability improvements with a considerable focus on quality improvement.
While the upgrade introduced some minor navigation changes, the functionality is the same. In other words, the web pages where you do your work did not change, just how you get there.
Highlighted Astra Schedule 8 Changes
1. Enhanced User Experience
- The application has been modernized with an updated user interface for a seamless user experience. The new design is focused on making your experience better and your business functions easier to accomplish.
- Filter panels within Astra Schedule 8 have been upgraded to include searching with the enter key, clearing all filters, collapsed filter panels by default, etc.
- The menu navigation has been redesigned to remove the “landing pages” from version 7. The information architecture has been slightly rearranged, meaning some items will have new locations. The Home tab now includes easy access to the 10 most recent items.
2. New Functionality
- The homepage has been positioned to be more interactive, allowing users to start or complete tasks directly from the homepage. All of the non-essential items have been removed to focus on tasks that are crucial to the Astra Schedule user experience.
- The Scheduler now displays only available rooms by default, making room selection much easier. The option can be unchecked to view rooms with conflicts.
3. Platform Stability
- Ad Astra’s technical team has improved database queries to optimize system monitoring and performance. Astra Schedule also now supports single sign-on (SSO) using Shibboleth, a highly requested feature!
Astra Schedule & CMS-SA Interface
Astra Schedule has an interface with the Common Management Systems Student Administration system (CMS-SA) that synchronizes facility assignments for classes between the two systems. Event information in Astra Schedule is not maintained in CMS-SA.
The Astra Schedule interface with CMS-SA is designed to facilitate the coordination of data between the two systems. It has several "modes" and runs them simultaneously.
- (CMS-SA to Astra) A batch import runs every weekday morning before 7:00 a.m. that re-imports active and tentative semester class section data from CMS-SA to Astra Schedule. This import allows academic department schedulers to work in Astra Schedule with the most current CMS-SA data at start of each work day.
- (CMS-SA to Astra) A transactional import is scheduled to run every twenty minutes every weekday to capture changes made in CMS-SA during standard hours of operation.
- (Astra to CMS-SA) A real-time export runs whenever a facility assignment has been made or a facility is removed from a class section in Astra Schedule. The facility assignment or removal is sent to CMS-SA as soon as the change is saved in Astra Schedule.
- (Astra to CMS-SA) A batch export runs on select evenings after 5:00 p.m. to capture any outstanding facility assignments made to class sections in Astra Schedule and sends them to CMS-SA.
Astra Schedule Room Reports
State owned instructional facilities and outdoor spaces for class and event scheduling are maintained in Astra Schedule. For convenience, reports that list instructional facilities, seat capacity, and features are listed below. Visit IRT Classroom Technology for more information on classroom technologies that support diverse pedagogies.
Astra Schedule Room Reports
Astra Schedule User Guide, Security & Training
Astra Schedule User Guide
The Astra Schedule User Guide is designed to introduce campus users to the look and feel of Astra Schedule version 8.9.4. It covers common Astra Schedule features, basic user navigation, and procedures to maintain facility assignments for the Class Schedule and is not intended to be a comprehensive reference manual. Some of the content in the user guide is only intended for campus users that have specific security access in the Common Management Systems Student Administration system (CMS-SA) and Astra Schedule to build the class schedule.
Astra Schedule User Security
Astra Schedule user security is administered by the Office of Space Management. Before granting security access to campus users in academic departments that need to perform facilities assignments for class sections, Space Management must confirm users have relevant access in CMS-SA. Please contact Space Management with Astra Schedule user security requests or concerns.
Astra Schedule Training
New Astra Schedule department scheduler users are required to complete hands-on or virtual training provided by Space Management. Additional training on Astra Schedule is provided upon request. Please contact Space Management with Astra Schedule training requests.
Astra Schedule Course Analysis & Lecture Room Utilization Reports
Key Strategies for Improving Classroom Utilization
Space Management has highlighted 4 strategies that will help the University maximize facility utilization, minimize scheduling conflicts and bottlenecks, and facilitate an optimal class schedule for student success. Key Astra Schedule reports listed below support each of these strategies and are designed to help colleges and departments be proactive with changes to current and upcoming class schedules.
- Strategy 1 - Spread class offerings out over the entire scheduling week
- Strategy 2 - Reduce unused seats by scheduling classes into appropriately sized rooms
- Strategy 3 - Minimize class offerings that use non-standard meeting patterns
- Strategy 4 - Reduce the offering of unnecessary sections
For assistance using the reports below, download the Guide to Use Astra Schedule Reports to Support Capacity Management and Efficient Scheduling.
Note: Fall term reports will be posted annually following census.
| Fall 2023 PDF Report | Relevant Strategy |
|---|---|
| Summary of Sections by Enrollment Size | Summary Data |
| Percent of Rooms in Use by Day and Time | Strategy 1 |
| Percent of Rooms in Use by Room Size | Strategy 1 |
| Space Utilization by Room Type and Size with Primetime | Strategy 1 |
| Primetime Usage Ratio | Strategy 1 |
| Scheduled Hours by Room and Time of Day | Strategy 1 |
| Space Utilization by Room Type and Size with Seat Fill | Strategy 2 |
| Low Seat Fill Sections by Subject | Strategy 2 |
| Space Utilization by Building and Room with Primetime | Strategy 1 & 2 |
| Space Utilization by Building and Room with Seatfill | Strategy 1 & 2 |
| Meeting Patterns in Use | Strategy 3 |
| Meeting Patterns in Use with Subjects | Strategy 3 |
| Low Enrollment Sections by Subject | Strategy 4 |
| Low Enrollment Course Analysis | Strategy 4 |