The Astra Schedule snapshot feature provides a mechanism by which the system can grab a copy of a batch of imported sections to create a point-in-time perspective.  Snapshot data can be used to report on and monitor changes over time across versions of the same term, or progress from one term to another.  Examples include tracking registration velocity, or tracking “pre-orientation” snapshots from one term to the last "like" term.  Additionally, snapshots can be linked to Platinum Analysis runs to report on changes against recommendations made in Analytics.

 

Currently, snapshot data is utilized primarily by Ad Astra consultants to help track changes and report on longitudinal progress for customers.  Over time, snapshot data may be utilized by the dashboards for any of the following examples:

 

•Calculate standard metrics (e.g. avg. enrollment, avg. seats offered, enrollment ratio, balanced course %, overloaded course %) for “like terms” used in an analysis run

 

•Track schedule change activity from snapshot to snapshot (e.g. number & details of sections added or removed, sections with seats added or removed, sections moved into or out of bottleneck rooms)

 

•Track schedule change activity against established reduction, elimination, and addition candidate targets or policy goals (e.g. elimination candidates cannot be more than 2% of any department's schedule)

 

•Monitor enrollment activity against available seats and generate warnings when a course is reaching capacity early in the registration cycle so that additional sections can be added

 

•Calculate overall enrollment velocity through the registration cycle

 

•Track schedule change activity against a starting analysis run and its recommendations at a course-by-course level (e.g. calculate “advised adds”, “unadvised adds”, “advised cuts”, “unadvised cuts” by course and then roll up to department, college, division, etc)

 

The snapshot data captured by the system has less depth than the data captured for production section data.  Snapshot section records are linked to production sections, but only include subject, course, campus, department info, meeting type, days met, start & end times, room and building, instructor, enrollment, max enrollment, and exam and cross-list info.

Creating Snapshots

In general, snapshots are created by Ad Astra consulting staff when working with customers on special projects.  Over time, additional reporting and dashboard views will be created to utilize snapshot data more thoroughly.

 

Snapshot files can be created in two different ways:  automatically as part of a section import, and manually from the snapshot list page.  Automatic snapshot imports involve making customizations to your SIS import spoke files and should only be done with the assistance of Ad Astra staff.  Manual snapshots can be created from within the application, on the snapshot list page.  The snapshot list page displays all snapshots, regardless of how they were created.

 

A snapshot record consists of a name, term, type, and its corresponding sections.

 

NOTE:  Snapshot "types" are used to identify the key milestones within a scheduling cycle when a particular snapshot is taken.  Associating these milestones with snapshots aids in the analysis of scheduling changes between particular milestones.  For example, a snapshot taken at the very beginning of “Active Registration” could be compared to the “Initial” snapshot for a given term to determine what schedule changes were made through the entire planning stages of the schedule development process.  In addition, snapshots taken at the same milestone for different terms could be compared to each other.  For example, the “Pre-Orientation” snapshot from Fall 2013 and Fall 2014 could be compared to measure what number and percentage of seats were available for incoming freshmen/transfer students for each of those terms and to answer questions like “Were freshmen better able to get a full schedule in Fall 2014 vs Fall 2013?”

 

To view the snapshot list page, click the Snapshot List option on the Analytics tab in the application.  This list page allows you to view and delete existing snapshots, as well as manually create new snapshots.

 

To create a new snapshot, perform the following:

 

1.Click on the snapshot list page.

 

2.In the snapshot form, enter a name for the snapshot.
 

 

3.Select a snapshot type from the drop down list.
 

 

4.Select a term from the drop down list.
 

5.Click OK to create the new snapshot.
 
Once created, the snapshot record is displayed along with the date it was created.  Snapshot records can be deleted from the list, but there is otherwise no interaction that can be performed.  Creating a snapshot simply generates data for reporting purposes.