Texas A&M University–San Antonio is reimagining the way students plan and progress through their academic journeys, launching an initiative designed to remove barriers to graduation and better support students juggling school, work, and family obligations. The University has joined a Student-Centered Course Scheduling cohort to build more efficient, equitable, and transparent systems that enable Jaguars to stay on track and graduate on time.
A&M–San Antonio is one of 20 institutions selected to participate in the national cohort led by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and funded by a $2.4 million grant from Ascendium Education Group. AASCU, based in Washington, D.C., supports colleges and universities committed to delivering high-quality, affordable education for historically underrepresented students.
With its predominantly Hispanic and first-generation student body, A&M-San Antonio was an ideal fit for the cohort, and another way the University can help Jaguars achieve their academic goals.
Duane Williams, associate vice provost of student success and retention, serves as the University’s lead on the project. He emphasizes that the effort is a collaborative undertaking of faculty and staff working together to reshape traditional course scheduling models.
“The idea is to make course scheduling a core part of our student success strategy,” Williams said. “When you have a transparent, flexible, and clearly defined set of pathways in place, students can better plan for the future.”
Through the cohort, A&M–San Antonio administrators will receive course-planning analytics, data coaching, guided management support, and technical assistance. With these tools, the University will be able to identify bottlenecks, reduce scheduling conflicts, and align course offerings with student demand.
The University’s strategic scheduling team meets regularly to improve upon factors that can influence scheduling, including balancing adjunct and full-time faculty schedules, evaluating online versus in-person courses, adjusting academic term lengths, and strengthening supports that help students stay on track.
The most significant shift will come from transitioning away from a traditional faculty-centered scheduling model to one that prioritizes student needs, according to Williams.
“In a lot of higher-ed spaces, class scheduling is based on what faculty want and when they’re available,” he said. “But if you look back 40 or 50 years ago, students’ lives looked very different. Most went to school full time and didn’t balance the same layers of work and family responsibilities that many of our students do today.”
He noted that faculty support has been strong, with shared recognition that thoughtful scheduling can have a transformational impact. “Old habits die hard, but I think the majority of faculty want to be student-centered. It’s just a matter of having the resources to facilitate that. As a growing university, we have a responsibility to ensure the process is as effective and efficient as possible.”
This initiative builds on AASCU’s earlier pilot project, which supported 11 institutions—including A&M–San Antonio—in redesigning how courses are offered, sequenced, and staffed. The expanded effort runs through December 2027 and is expected to help thousands of students across the country complete foundational courses and persist to graduation.
“The second phase of this project recognizes that there is more work to be done, and we’re ready for it,” Williams said. “We’re already putting internal changes into motion.”
For example, this fall, the University published its class schedule at the end of September—weeks earlier than previous years and well ahead of the opening of registration. Williams said the change enables better planning and reduces stress for students determining work schedules, childcare, and degree timelines.
“Even incremental changes can have a huge impact,” he said.