Questions and answers for Directors of Studies and College contacts:
- What is the practical allocation system and why does the NST have it?
- What is the status of the new IA Allocator and how will this affect Colleges?
- Who enters information on students into the practical allocation system?
- How do I log on to enter students' details / what do I do if I have problems logging on?
- How do you enter student choices and how long should it take?
- What information is needed about each student?
- What if I make a mistake about the data I enter or need to change a student's options following the provisional entry?
- What if I don't know the students' CRSid?
- Why is there a provisional choice deadline in mid-September?
- Why is the final deadline for student registration 10.30am on the Tuesday?
- What if I miss the deadline?
- What if a student is undecided about their choices?
- What if a student wants to "try" an additional subject in the short term, or has an irregular choice of subjects?
- What if a student has particular needs and wants to register on a particular day?
- What if a student wants to change a subject or a practical slot once the allocations have been made?
- When and how will students hear about their individual timetable?
- What other information will students be told about?
What is the practical allocation system and why does the NST have it?
With around 550-600 IA students across nine IA subjects capacity in laboratories can be very tight. We therefore allocate students to lab slots based on their subject choices, which are provided by College Staff.
Once students are informed of their practical slots on the first Wednesday of term, they match this with the lecture timetable of their chosen subjects and make arrangements for their supervisions. Colleges will also be able to view these allocations to support their students.
The allocation system attempts to consider varying needs (where possible), and currently focuses on lab capacities and equal distribution of students across practical sessions for departments and allocating students to practicals in alternate weeks where fortnightly sessions are required.
Each year we have a preliminary deadline for colleges to enter their students’ provisional choices. This allows the system to determine areas that are highly subscribed and allow administrators to implement any required contingency plans before the allocation is run.
What is the status of the new IA Allocator and how will this affect Colleges?
Starting in September/October 2024, the old 'legacy' allocator will be retired. Instead, the new IA Allocator, developed by UIS, will be exclusively used for the first time, following its trial run in 2023.
In 2024, we are in a 'minimal viable product' phase where the new allocator replicates the output of the 'legacy' allocator with a few enhancements. These include vastly reduced allocation processing times and the ability to produce multiple simultaneous instances of the allocation, allowing for the selection of the most ideal outcome. What previously took many hours now takes just minutes.
For Colleges, the main impact will be changes to the user interface, though the functionality will remain largely the same as the 'legacy' allocator. Users will still be able to view the details of each submitted student, including the full list of students, although this will remain restricted by College.
For students, the main impact will be a significantly clearer practical timetable webpage, with outdated and irrelevant data removed.
The allocator project will continue to develop in the coming years with additional functionality explored and added.
As this project continues, we welcome feedback, please send any comments to the NST Coordinator.
Who enters information on my students into the practical allocation system?
The allocation system, run by UIS, is accessible only through CRSid authentication. Colleges will be asked to identify the staff who will input the data: these authorised persons will have been notified separately and be referred to as 'College contacts'. These ‘College contacts’ are usually IA DoS and/or Tutorial Office staff, and each College can have multiple College contacts.
If you would like to know who is responsible for entering data for your College, please contact the NST Coordinator.
How do I log on to enter students' details / what do I do if I have problems logging on?
You can acces the data input webpage HERE - LINK TBC
You will need you Univerisiry authentication to log on. More information is availble from these UIS pages:
For new staff
Forgotten password
If you still have problems logging on, please contact the NST Coordinator.
How do you enter student choices and how long should it take?
Providing you have all the relevant information noted below, data entry via the web pages will take less than thirty seconds per student. The web pages will also display all of the students already entered for your College so you can see at a glance who has already been entered.
What information is needed about each student?
The allocation system needs to record, for each student:
- their CRSID and name;
- their Tripos;
- their subject choices within the Natural Sciences Tripos (including their Maths subject)
We ask that provisional choices for each student are entered by the provisional deadline, it is up to Colleges to determine whether you will ask students for this choice or if you will enter a best guess at their subjects based on their application.
For the final deadline of yhr Tuesday morning, it is well-recognised that not all students are certain of their future pathway through the NST by this very early point in their career. It is important, however, that a complete set of subject choices (however provisional) is entered for each student to allow the Departments to manage the numbers of students they will have to provide laboratory space for, and to allocate students as efficiently as possible.
If, as Director of Studies, you are yourself responsible for entering this information, please consult with your Tutorial Office to make sure you know of any individual circumstances (e.g. disability, religious requirements) that may require a student to attend practical classes on a particular day, (see below for additional information).
How to I change a students' provisional choice and what if I make a mistake with data entry?
At any time, you can overwrite any information you have already entered, simply by making another entry. Please note the system will not currently warn you that you are overwriting data.
If you have entered information for a student who should not be included (i.e. you want to delete the student), you will need to contact NST Coordinator.
What if I don't know the students' CRSid?
The preferred way to select a student for data input is by typing in their CRSid. Their details (including full name and College) should appear for you to be sure you have selected the right one. You should also be able to search for a CRSid if you have the name of the student, using the Lookup Service.
The NST Coordinator will also have a full list of students we are expecting entries for, please contact them if needed.
Why is there a provisional choice deadline in mid September?
The pressure on the allocation system has been increasing over the past years; the number of places available in laboratories are close to capacity in some instances, and due to the restricted timetable for allocations there is a danger that a satisfactory allocation solution will not be available for the start of teaching. The NST Management Committee have therefore decided to continue the preliminary deadline so that the allocation system can determine areas of potential over subscription, resolve individual timetable needs, identify problematic subject choice combinations and find solutions for these issues.
Why is the final deadline for student registration 10.30 a.m. on the Tuesday?
The deadline has been chosen to meet numerous conflicting needs of the Departments and the Colleges. Obviously, Colleges need time to discuss with their students their final choice of subjects they wish to study but equally Departments need time to prepare for practical classes which may start on the Thursday. The allocation process takes time to run and those running the process need to have time to consult with Departments where there is pressure on capacity.
The live system allows you to correct inputted information, so it is possible to enter provisional information in advance providing this is corrected by the final deadline.
What if I miss the deadline?
The allocation process will run as soon as the deadline has passed.
The allocator only works effectively if all of the student details have been entered, which is why it is so important for all the information to be entered by the deadline. If student details are not included by the time the allocation process is run, they will not be allocated practical classes for any of their subjects. Students and Directors of Studies will then be responsible for arranging registration with the individual Departments and/or course organisers. If you discover that information has been omitted, please contact NST Coordinator as soon as possible.
The allocation system does not get updated after the final allocation is run, and no data (beyond summary statistics) will be retained as a permanent record.
What if a student is undecided about their choices?
For the first provisional deadline we ask that you enter your best guess at the student's choices but we are aware that this might change following discussions with Directors of Studies and fellow students.
It is important that (at least) a provisional set of subject choices for each student is entered by the College by 10.30 a.m. on the Tuesday. A number of students do change their minds in the first weeks of the Michaelmas Term and they will continue to have to negotiate these changes via their Directors of Studies (see below for additional information).
The practical allocation system is a one-off event on the Tuesday before lectures and any changes to subject choices do not need to be registered by the system, but the NST Coordinator should be informed so departments are kept updated.
If a student changes their mind before the Tuesday deadline, you can simply overwrite the existing subject choices by entering their CRSid again.
What if a student wants to "try" an additional subject in the short term, or has an irregular choice of subjects?
The allocation system will not allow students to register for more than the formal number of subjects to be studied. The number of places on practical classes has become too tight to allow students to undertake this freely. If students wish to try an additional subject, they may be able to do so by contacting the individual Department or Course Organiser after the allocation has been completed, but only if there are places available.
The system will only allow you to enter permitted combinations of subjects for that Tripos. If an irregular combination (or number) of subjects needs to be entered, you will need to contact the NST Coordinator.
What if a student has particular needs and wants to register on a particular day?
Special requests for practical classes on particular days (or avoiding particular days) will only be allowed in extenuating circumstances and for good educational or pastoral reasons. Examples of this would include students with limited mobility or other related issues, students with particular religious observances, etc.
These students will have their practical classes manually allocated outside of the allocation system.
If you have a case that requires consideration, please contact the NST Coordinator as soon as you can preferably by the provisional choice deadline (late September), it is vital that we have this information at least 24 hours ahead of the deadline with precise details of the required timetable.
You may find it helpful to refer to the online timetable at https://www.timetable.cam.ac.uk/
What if a student wants to change a subject or a practical slot once the allocations have been made?
Students are asked to consult with their Directors of Studies before any changes are negotiated. They should then contact the relevant Course Organisers as listed on the NST website here.
It is important that the NST Coordinator is kept informed of subjects changes so departments can be informed. Practical Coordinators try to be as accommodating as possible but it is possible that some practical slots will have reached capacity.
You may find it helpful to look at the online timetable at: https://www.timetable.cam.ac.uk/
When and how will students hear about their individual timetable?
All NST students will be informed by email of their individualised timetable by 9am on the Wednesday before lectures start at the latest. This should allow them time to arrange supervisions and collect any material required prior to lectures starting.
Other Triposes
Students on all other Triposes taking NST IA papers are allocated manually, and their details should not be registred via the online system. The NST Coordinator will liaise with other Tripos administrators and Colleges to gather this information.
All such students will recieve an email with information on the NST components of their subject (such as their practical group allocations for NST IA Mathematical Biology/ Physics/ Evolution and Behaviour etc. as applicable).
What other information will students be told about?
Students will receive an a week before term startsabout induction sessions and practicalities such information on purchasing lab coats, calculators etc. The timetable email will include subject specific information where relevant.
The IA induction information is here.