The short answer
Build a workable university timetable by connecting course requirements, student batches, teacher availability, teaching capacity and room suitability. Check conflicts before approval, then keep changes visible to the people affected. An empty slot alone is not enough to confirm that a class belongs there.
1. Start with information everyone can use
Before placing classes, agree on the academic structure: departments, programs, courses, batches and the term being planned. Use one current set of records so coordinators do not resolve the same question differently.
- Confirm which courses each batch needs and the required session duration.
- Keep teacher assignments and room information current.
- Define working days, teaching hours and holidays before drafting the week.
This gives departments a shared starting point. It also makes a later scheduling conflict easier to trace to the information behind it.
2. An available slot is not the same as available capacity
Teacher availability asks whether a session can happen at a particular time. Teaching workload asks how many hours have already been assigned against a teacher's capacity. Review both before adding a class.
A teacher with an open Tuesday afternoon may still have a full teaching week. Another may have remaining weekly capacity but be unavailable at that specific time. Neither situation can be solved by looking at the timetable cell alone.
“A good timetable connects the class to the people and space that make it possible.”
— Griddly Editorial, planning principle
Discuss other commitments such as assessment, invigilation or department duties separately if they are not recorded in your workload process. Do not assume that teaching hours represent the whole working week.
3. Choose a suitable space, not just an empty room
A room must support the session. Check batch size, room capacity, laboratory requirements, equipment and availability alongside teacher and batch conflicts.
| Planning question | Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Can the teacher attend? | Time availability and overlaps | A free room does not make a teacher available. |
| Can the teacher take more? | Weekly teaching capacity | An empty cell can hide a full workload. |
| Can the batch attend? | Batch conflicts and calendar | Students cannot attend two classes at once. |
| Will the room work? | Capacity, type and equipment | The teaching format determines the space needed. |
See your people, spaces and schedules together.
Bring your institution's planning questions to a focused Griddly demonstration.
Book a guided demo4. Make timetable changes reviewable
Moving a class affects more than one cell. Preserve its required duration, recheck teacher, room and batch conflicts, and review the destination against availability and holidays.
Use a clear approval process. Keep draft changes separate from the approved schedule and explain the reason for a move. The people reviewing the change need enough context to understand what it solves and who it affects.
5. Finish with a weekly planning check
Before the week is approved, ask these five questions:
- Are required sessions included for the right courses and batches?
- Are teacher, room and batch overlaps resolved?
- Do teacher assignments respect availability and teaching capacity?
- Do room choices meet the session's capacity and equipment needs?
- Have calendar exceptions and changes been reviewed by the right people?
Griddly connects academic structures, faculty planning, timetables, rooms, laboratories, batches, holidays and reporting. Use the demonstration to discuss how that connected view fits your institution's own planning and approval process.
Explore the Griddly platform →Frequently asked questions
What information is needed to create a university timetable?
Start with course and session requirements, student batches, assigned teachers, teacher availability, teaching capacity, room details and the academic calendar. Keep the records consistent across departments.
How is teacher workload different from availability?
Availability describes when a teacher can teach. Teaching workload describes assigned hours against their capacity. Both checks are needed before placing another class.
Should holidays be removed from the timetable automatically?
Follow the institution's calendar policy. A holiday should be visible during planning, but marking a holiday does not necessarily mean sessions are automatically removed or rescheduled. Confirm the intended behavior in your workflow.
Can Griddly replace our institution's planning process?
Griddly can support connected academic planning. Your institution still defines its working hours, roles, teaching rules and approval responsibilities. A guided demo helps assess the fit.
Ready for a clearer academic week?
Let's explore your planning needs together.