General Meeting Information

Date: January 14, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: ADMIN 109

Zoom Link (Guest Only): https://fhda-edu.zoom.us/j/85664838108?pwd=C9byWW5M573dGEupSEBuv1minG6Zql.1&from=addon

  • Agenda

    Time Topic Purpose Discussion Leader
    2:00-2:05 Welcome, Introductions, and Recap I/D All
    2:05-2:30
    Refine the Draft Block Model
    		 I/D All
    2:30-2:55
    Feedback Planning
    		 I/D All
    2:55-3:00
    Next Steps
    		 I/D All

    A = Action
    D = Discussion
    I = Information

  • Minutes

    Welcome, Introductions, and Recap
     
    The meeting opened with a brief welcome, introductions, and a recap of the task force’s progress to date. The group also welcomed new participants from the Counseling Department and student representatives connected to DASG and athletics. Members revisited the importance of consistent scheduling rules that create predictable passing periods, reduce conflicts, and support a clearer student experience across the day.
    Refine the Draft Block Model
     
    The group continued shaping early draft time-block scenarios, grounded in student-centered goals including flexibility, predictable access to high-demand courses, and equity for working students, caregivers, and transit-dependent students. Members also highlighted the need to balance the student experience across the day, rather than concentrating course options in only a narrow set of time windows.
     
    The task force discussed the increasing constraints on classroom availability due to prior space conversions and upcoming multi-year construction projects. Members noted that even minor overlaps can have outsized impacts on room assignments.
     
    The group reviewed draft scenarios using Foothill’s 5-unit block model as a reference point, with particular attention to lab-heavy STEM disciplines. The discussion included examples such as chemistry, biology, and physics, including specific attention to how a 6-unit physics lab block could fit into the draft structure. Members noted that biology lectures may increasingly be asynchronous online while in-person demand remains concentrated in labs. The group also discussed how predictable scheduling patterns may support STEM pathway stacking. While stacking may not always be ideal, members noted that there are situations where it becomes necessary, including cases where student athletes need to transfer early due to recruiting timelines. The group also emphasized that synchronous online courses should align with block patterns whenever possible to reduce student conflicts.
    Feedback Planning
     
    The task force identified key questions and feedback needs, including clarifying required passing periods between blocks, addressing how hybrid course deviations can complicate final exam scheduling, and defining remaining design elements such as nested lecture times and final exam alignment.
     
    Members also reviewed early student feedback shared during the meeting. Students emphasized that work and childcare responsibilities create significant scheduling barriers, and that limited lab seat availability is a major challenge. Students also noted that overall section availability may be a larger concern than course time overlaps alone. The task force affirmed that while time-block scheduling can improve predictability and planning, it does not by itself resolve broader section shortages tied to resource and funding limitations.
    Next Steps
     
    The task force confirmed next steps and assigned follow-up actions, including gathering feedback from lab-based disciplines and continuing to frame draft block models as exploratory and not finalized. The next meeting will focus on refining nested lecture times within lab blocks and defining the elements needed to move from draft concepts toward a complete model.

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