Is it the latest Netflix sci-fi series? Well, not quite. It’s actually the new, university-wide scheduling software, but for the hard-working scheduling team from SSRM it has felt a little like venturing into a mysterious, new world.
The process of transitioning to Scientia has been a cross-campus effort with the team including Enrolment Services at UBC-O, IT Services, and our SSRM scheduling team. They have all worked tirelessly to overcome the many challenges that implementing any new software system presents. From assisting with development and testing, to writing the training manual, this team has been BUSY!
Scientia will replace Ad Astra which was used for over 8 years across both campuses for timetabling, exam scheduling and booking ad hoc events. After several attempts to upgrade Ad Astra failed, it was concluded that it could not keep up with the scheduling needs of the university. The search for a replacement began a few years ago, and the final choice was Scientia, which is a web based tool that offers enhanced functionality that will accommodate UBC’s needs moving forward.
One beneficial feature of Scientia that the team is particularly excited about, is that it offers an online calendar that can be viewed by users so they can check room availability. Previously, room availability inquiries had to be directed to the SSRM scheduling team.
The final step in the lengthy implementation process has been to train the staff across both campuses that will be using Scientia to create timetables. The entire Scientia team is currently involved in training sessions for more than 100 Timetable Reps who create the course schedules for their departments. They will be running 18 training sessions in total over 3 weeks to prepare for the official launch of the new system.
Scientia goes live on October 20th with Ad Astra’s last day of use being October 10th. The cross-campus Scientia Implementation Team has done an amazing job and we are all proud of them. Congratulations on your accomplishment!