Faculty of Humanities

What is collaborative timetabling?

Collaborative timetabling has been introduced through the University's Timetable Project to align various timetabling process across the three Faculties to produce a consistent, fair, clash free timetable for both students and staff. A dedicated Faculty scheduling team now works closely with Humanities Schools to determine how taught activities are to be delivered, along with staffing availability and expected course combinations. Once this information is combined, the Faculty scheduling team will be able to determine when and where a taught activity can be scheduled, taking into account other factors such as the University estate. The aims of the project include:

• Ensuring a clash-free timetable for staff and students by increasing the transparency of students' options choices and programme structures and working more closely across each Faculty.
• Delivering a finalised and settled timetable earlier in the year. This saves staff time in not having to re-write a timetable in late summer.
• Reducing the number of unnecessary mid-term changes to timetables, reducing the disruption of planned activities for students.
• Giving all students and staff complete, accurate and up-to-date personal timetables.
• Ensuring fair access to all of our available Estate for all areas.
• Creating a repository of timetable data to be used each year with only specific required changes made to each new submission (for example, changes to a programme structure). This reduces the amount of time required to be spent on data input by Teaching and Learning staff.

How is the timetable built?

The timetable is built on requirements and is not rolled over. There are four key areas that are fed into the timetable build:

• Activity data: This states how a course unit is to run includingthe numberof lectures, seminars, duration, room requirements, staffing, weeks and any pedagogical considerations. 

• Course Compatibility data: This data stipulates how our courses need to interact with each other i.e. remain clash free. This data is usually extracted from programme structures.

• Staffing data: This information stipulates when a teaching staff member is not available to teach. More information on how to record staffing restrictions can be found in the "How to record staff availability for 2024-25" section.

• Estate data: This data confirmed what CTS and School owned rooms are available to use

Once the above data is confirmed it is uploaded into Syllabus Plus (S+) which will indicate optimum times to schedule teaching activity. There is no automation involved and the Faculty Scheduling team will decide on where an activity is scheduled whilst considering Faculty priorities.

A detailed 2025/26 HUMS timetabling timeline can be found here:

2025-26 timetabling timeline (HUMS)

Key dates for 2025/26:

January

•  TAA applications open and can be applied for here: 2025/26 Teaching Availability Arrangement (TAA) Application Form

February

• Schools start collecting 25/26 timetabling data 

March

• TAA deadline: 14 March

April 

• 4 April: Schools submit 25/26 timetabling data to the Faculty Scheduling Team
• The TAA panel convenes to review all TAA applications in HUMS

May

• The Faculty Scheduling Team start to schedule the 25/26 timetable
• Outcomes of TAA applications communicated to staff

June

• Timetable review meetings (optional) at subject/dept level to discuss timetabling before the general draft is released.

July

• HUMS draft timetable released to departments in early July
• Draft timetable review period begins whereby necessary updates can be made
• Personal timetables go live for staff and students (expected 11 July)

August

• 1 August: University timetabling deadline to confirm timetables
• Course unit selection for returning students
• Timetable changes can be submitted by teaching staff (subject to approval)

September

• Students allocated to seminar/tutorial groups
• Various reporting occurs on student numbers/room sizes
• Semester 1 starts

The Faculty of Humanities timetabling priorities include:

• Ensuring every member of staff has at least one day clear of teaching (excluding Wednesday)
• Minimise 9am starts and 6pm finishes where possible
• Minimise runs of teaching to no more than 3hrs in a row

 For further reading on wider timetabling priorities please visit The outcome of our final survey | Collaborative Timetabling | StaffNet | The University of Manchester

Timetables can be viewed in the following ways:

To view your personal timetable (recommended): visit Publish. (If you cannot see your expected activities here, please contact your School Programmes and Curriculum or PGR team who will be able to ensure you are attached to the correct activities). Please note, if you are not attached to the correct activity in your personal timetable you will not be able to record student attendance for it.

You can embed your personal timetable within personal calendars on Apple, Google, Outlook, Yahoo & Office 365 - please click on the "subscribe" link (top right of page) when viewing your personal timetable.

To access the old "MyManchester" personal timetables: Timetable | MyManchester Nb. this can also be used to search for a student timetable.

To check the timetable of any course unit for 2024/25: Programme of Study Timetable (2024/25)

There are three key areas of staff availability that feed into the timetable build:

1. Teaching Availability Arrangements (TAA).

A TAA is a "soft constraint" which will be considered as part of the timetable build. Approved TAAs will be coded in at the start of timetable modelling, but will not be guaranteed i.e. they may be overridden to ensue the delivery of a programme. TAAs are not rolled over and will need to be re-applied and approved annually.  

To submit a TAA application for the 25/26 academic year, please visit: 2025 – 26 Teaching Availability Arrangement (TAA) Application Form

Deadline to apply for a TAA for the 25/26 academic year: 14 March 2025

2. Flexible Working Arrangements (FWA).

An FWA is a "hard constraint" which will be considered as part of the timetable build. An approved FWA will be coded in at the start of timetable modelling and will be guaranteed to be there at the end of the process. FWAs are treated as a higher priority than a TAA. The Faculty Scheduling team will only factor in FWAs that are recorded with P&OD. To apply for an FWA please visit: Flexible working

Deadline to apply for an FWA: No deadline- An FWA can be applied for at any point in the year.

3. DASS requirements

DASS requirements are treated as a high priority. The Faculty Scheduling Team will receive a DASS report for any staff that need specific requirements in their timetable e.g. travel time restrictions or required teaching patterns. If you need a DASS plan to be factored into timetabling, please ensure your requirements are recorded with the Disability Advisory Support Service

Outline of the 25/26 draft timetable review period (HUMS) 

The draft review period is intended as an opportunity to confirm the 25/26 timetable before the University deadline of 1 August 2025. It is an opportunity to make necessary amendments such as: 

• Data discrepancies e.g. incorrect weeks or contact hours booked for activities
• Staffing updates
• Programme issues such as missing courses or unexpected clashes
• Notable room issues e.g. the wrong type of room has been booked

Preferential changes to the times/days that activities have been scheduled for will not be explored unless it involves someone’s Flexible Working Arrangement or DASS plan.  Preferential changes to rooms will not be explored unless there is a fundamental problem with a location an activity is scheduled in e.g. the wrong type of room has been booked. 

How will the draft timetable review period work? 

A timetable report will be shared with each subject area/department and will act as the main resource during the timetable review. Colleagues will need to use this shared report to either “confirm” or “amend” their activities. If an activity is marked as “amend”, the amendment must be noted within the shared report along with details of what needs to change. The HUMS scheduling team will then respond to each amendment accordingly. Amendments received by email will not be actioned. If an activity is marked as “confirmed” then no further action is required. These shared reports will help departments keep track of which activities have been confirmed and which ones haven't.  

When is the Draft timetable review?

It is expected that the draft HUMS timetable will be released from the end of June into the beginning of July 2025 in a staggered manner. Early July will be the period for colleagues to review the draft timetable. 

How long will I have to review the 25/26 timetable? 

We expect colleagues will have 2-3 weeks to review their programmes/course units. Specific deadlines will be provided at the point of sharing the timetable with subject areas/departments.  

Who is expected to review the 25/26 timetable? 

All colleagues involved in teaching in 24/25 are expected to engage with this review to ensure students have the most up to date and accurate timetables before selecting their 25/26 courses. Head of Dept/Associate Heads of Teaching/Programme Directors will be contacted in the first instance and can disseminate the resources and actions to all applicable colleagues. 

What is the risk if the timetables aren't checked at this stage? 

If a course unit is not confirmed during this review but an amendment is required, students could select their 25/26 courses based on inaccurate timetables. If amendments are requested after the review period, they may not be possible to process or may be rejected. 

Can changes be made after the July draft timetable review period? 

Requests to change activities will be suspended once a departments deadline has been reached (deadlines are set at the point of sharing a draft timetable with a department). The Faculty Scheduling team require a window of time to assess and complete all previously recorded changes as part of the draft review period. Change request will resume after the University deadline of 1 August 2025 and will need to be sent your School Curriculum and Programmes/PGR team who will subsequently complete an official change request.

Reactive changes will always need to be made, e.g. fluctuations in student enrolments may mean seminars and tutorials need to be added or removed. Staff illness and staff updates are other examples of changes that can't necessarily be planned for in advance. Changes to a course unit structure (e.g. the weeks/times/days/duration it runs, or a change of room type e.g. flat space to a computer cluster) are the type of changes that can be identified and fixed easily during the draft review period. 

What other resources will I have to check the timetable? 

Along with the shared report, we recommend using the Programme of Study (PoS) timetables to help assist with this review. PoS allow colleagues to view the most up to date information about a programme or course unit. The information is also displayed in a grid format which may help colleague visualise their programmes/course units. More information and access to Programmes of Study will be available shortly.

Personal timetables for the 25/26 timetable are also expected to go live on 11 July 2025. Personal timetables can be viewed on University of Manchester Publish Timetables.

The following principles for scheduling Departmental Research Seminars was agreed at the Faculty Leadership Team meeting in November 2023:

• It will be the responsibility of the School Operations teams to schedule and manage staff research seminars.
• The Faculty Scheduling team will keep Wednesday PM clear of PGT teaching (it already is for UG) to allow for the scheduling of these seminars outside of teaching hours.
• Schools may decide to use other times in the week but staff may not be able to attend due to teaching commitments.

Timetable changes can be requested by contacting your School Programmes and Curriculum/PGR services team. (Please see "contact" menu for email addresses). Please note that some change requests may be sent to the Vice Dean for Teaching, Learning & Students for approval depending on the nature of the change being requested.

Change requests for the 25/26 academic year can be submitted from 4 August 2025 via the appropriate Curriculum and Programmes/PGR services team.

Class lists are available to view via the following: 

• To access your personal class lists (activities that are visible on your timetable): 2024/25 My Class Lists - Power BI

• To access any class list (even if you are not attached to the activity): 2024/25 All Class Lists - Power BI

Note: if you cannot see your personal class list you may need attaching to the activity. Please contact your Curriculum and Programmes/PGR services team.

Resource Booker can be used to make non-teaching related room bookings. 

NOTE: Resource booker should not be used to book rooms for taught activity. All bookings made via resource booker are moderated and confirmed by Central Teaching Spaces (CTS). 

PS Support Area 

Please visit the Timetabling Project FAQs

For general timetabling queries:

HUMS-timetabling@manchester.ac.uk

For timetable updates and to request a change to your timetable from mid-July 2024 (after the draft review period has finished):

HUMS Faculty Scheduling team members: