November 14, 2025

The task force reconvened to deepen its shared understanding of time-blocked scheduling and to explore how sample models from peer institutions might translate into a De Anza context. Members reflected on constituent conversations since the first meeting and grounded the discussion in the initiative’s guiding intent: aligning scheduling patterns to reduce conflicts, improve clarity for students, and strengthen compliance with minimum-hour requirements, while balancing the realities of diverse instructional formats and specialized programs. 
 
The group reaffirmed that time-blocked scheduling is a framework of rules and conditions designed to enable students to take the courses they need without overlapping meeting times, while also improving campus-wide room utilization and predictability. 
 
Deep Dive into Sample Models 
The central portion of the meeting focused on evaluating external models, particularly Foothill, Gavilan, and College of the Canyons, with attention to how they might support or challenge De Anza’s instructional landscape.  

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Foothill Model 

• Built around a 5-unit anchor block with color-coding to identify how 4-unit and 5-unit classes align.
• Offers multiple lab pairing options, including afternoon and evening labs, and evening block structures that could support De Anza’s adult and working learners.
• Members noted its thoughtful structure but highlighted challenges related to final exam scheduling, especially when two courses occupy the same block or when online asynchronous courses require in-person exam windows.

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Gavilan and College of the Canyons 

• Gavilan’s model offers flexibility but includes unusual start times, designed to align with local bus schedules, that could be confusing for students and create operational inconsistencies.
• College of the Canyons uses an extensive rules-based system that is highly structured, but may be too rigid for De Anza’s size and range of disciplines. 

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Science and Lab-Intensive Scheduling 

A significant portion of the discussion focused on chemistry and other lab sciences, given their 3-hour blocks and specific sequencing constraints. 

• Three-hour labs end at non-standard times that complicate stacking around other classes.
• Labs currently run morning, afternoon, and evening, and adopting fixed blocks would require intentional planning for morning lab availability.
• The group explored whether identifying a workable pattern for Chemistry could serve as a foundational anchor for other large STEM sequences. 

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CTE Time Blocks 

Feedback from Automotive, DMT, and other CTE areas indicated that many already function within informal block structures with morning, afternoon, and evening cohorts. Students in these programs often work independently within predictable longer blocks, which suggests strong alignment with a formalized model. 

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Outliers and Special Scheduling Considerations 
Members identified areas that require flexibility or may need to operate outside standardized blocks. The group emphasized that these elements should not drive the overall design and should be addressed once a macro-structure is established. 
Potential outliers include: 

• Lab-heavy or 6-unit science courses
• Athletics, particularly afternoon practice schedules
• Small-department GE sciences, such as Astronomy, Geology, and Meteorology, that rely on staggered times to avoid intra-department competition
• Adaptive PE, due to facility limitations and individualized scheduling needs
• Clinical practicums at external sites
• CCAP and other dual-enrollment sections
• Off-site programs at Hope Services and similar partners
• Courses with required evening meetings tied to weekend field trips 

Members also noted that passing periods are a core student-centered concern, especially transitions from PE or Athletics, cross-campus movement, or short meetings with peers or instructors. 

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Pros and Cons for Students, Faculty, and Classified Professionals 
Potential Benefits 

• Students: Greater clarity, fewer conflicts, improved access to core requirements, and the ability to build predictable multi-term academic plans. This aligns strongly with Strategic Plan Goal 1 and supports increased new-student headcount.
• Faculty: More predictable teaching schedules, reduced student complaints related to conflicts, and clearer long-term planning for course rotations.
• Classified Professionals: Streamlined scheduling workflows once the transition stabilizes and improved room-utilization patterns. 

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Potential Challenges

• Reduced flexibility for faculty who prefer custom meeting patterns.
• A short-term increase in scheduling workload during the first rollover cycle.
• The possibility that students may overschedule by stacking too many courses, potentially requiring guardrails.
• Changes in room-availability patterns that may limit preferred locations or times.
• The need to consider public transit timing, particularly early-morning service.

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Guiding Principles for a De Anza Time-Block Model 
In considering values that should shape a De Anza-specific framework, members emphasized: 

• Student-Centered Flexibility: Prioritizing predictable access to high-demand, degree-applicable, and transfer-critical classes.
• Equity and Inclusion: Designing schedules that support adult learners, working students, caregivers, and students who rely on public transit.
• Operational Coherence: Ensuring compliance with contact-hour rules, minimizing overlap, and improving classroom utilization.
• Transparency and Predictability: Supporting planning across multiple terms for both students and faculty.
• Adaptability: Building a macro-system with room for exceptions where pedagogically or operationally necessary. 

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Next Steps and Assignments 

• Members will continue reviewing sample block models and gather feedback from their constituent groups.
• The task force will begin incorporating conversations with peer colleges, alongside constituency-group updates, at the start of each Friday meeting.
• Scheduling staff will run data on current meeting patterns to identify high-demand time periods, areas of conflict, and opportunities for alignment.
• At the next meeting, the group will revisit notes and begin sketching early features of a possible De Anza-specific block structure, using guiding principles to frame tradeoffs and potential exceptions.

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