Spotlight with Stacie Schaefer

Stacie Schaefer stands at the center of the intricate organizational structure that schedules hundreds of courses each semester within the Department of English at Iowa State University. Behind this system lies a massive planning process that is constantly evolving and demands meticulous attention. She has been managing this work for approximately 12.5 years in her role as an administrative assistant. Before entering academia, she worked in the private sector. Today, she handles a broad range of responsibilities, from coordinating course schedules and faculty assignments to supporting annual evaluation processes and organizing undergraduate awards.

Stacie’s work entails a complex process that is constantly being reshaped, even if it may appear, on the surface, to be a technical task. Contrary to what most people might assume, the course schedule for an academic term begins to be planned not in the final weeks leading up to it, but approximately a year in advance. For instance, preparations for a fall semester start in the fall of the preceding year. During this process, program leaders make fundamental decisions regarding which courses will be offered, and how many sections there will be. These decisions are shaped not simply by internal departmental preferences but also by university-wide needs.

As Stacie continues this planning process, the picture becomes increasingly complex. In this system, where approximately 170 faculty members and over 350 courses converge, each individual’s schedule, assigned courses, availability, and other responsibilities must be taken into account one by one. At this point, as Stacie puts it, “the process transforms into a giant jigsaw puzzle.” Even a minor alteration can impact the schedules of many individuals; consequently, plans are rarely finalized in a single pass, but are instead continuously reviewed and revised.

Stacie considers course assignments one of the most critical pieces of this puzzle. Particularly for teaching assistants, the specific courses assigned are not determined entirely at random; rather, she shapes these assignments based on the training and experience they have acquired. While newly appointed assistants typically begin by engaging with foundational courses, they eventually gain the opportunity to teach more advanced subjects. Furthermore, careful attention is paid to ensuring that instructors’ course schedules do not conflict with one another and that their teaching loads are distributed evenly throughout the week.

One of the most frequently discussed topics Stacie encounters among students and teaching assistants is early-morning classes. Although teaching classes scheduled at 8:00 AM is often considered challenging, this situation stems less from individual preferences than from the requirements of the system. The standard scheduling blocks established by the university, combined with classroom capacity on campus, make it imperative to distribute classes evenly throughout the day. Consequently, it is not always possible for everyone to teach during their preferred time slots, and early hours thus become an inevitable part of the system. For this reason, the point Stacie particularly emphasizes is communication. The preference forms sent to faculty members each term play a significant role in shaping the program schedule. When instructors clearly indicate which hours they prefer or which hours they wish to avoid, this information is taken into account to the greatest extent possible. However, in a system involving hundreds of individuals, it is not always possible for Stacie to keep everyone’s past schedules and teaching experiences in mind. Therefore, each time Stacie sends out the annual course scheduling forms, instructors should clearly articulate their preferences to help ensure a more even distribution of courses.

A surprising aspect of this complex structure is that it is largely managed manually. Many might assume that such a system is entirely automated; however, in reality, the process unfolds through a detailed spreadsheet system that Stacie has developed over the years. Thanks to this system, every course, instructor, and time slot is individually scheduled and tracked. This makes it all the more apparent just how much care and effort this work entails, and how essential effective scheduling is in enabling both instructors and students to do their best work.

While this work plays an important role in supporting both instructors and students, it is only one part of Stacie’s life. Having grown up in Britt, Iowa, she has maintained a strong connection to nature. She completed her education at Iowa State, earning an MBA in addition to her bachelor’s degree. Despite her demanding schedule, she values time with her family, and watching her nephews’ sporting events holds a special place in her life. In all these respects, Stacie is not only an administrator with strong organizational skills but also an ISU alumna who has established deep ties with the university.

This unseen yet vital process, managed by Stacie, directly shapes the daily academic experience of every student and faculty member in the Department of English. And when the first day of classes begins, when classrooms fill, conversations start, and everything falls into place, it becomes clear that this massive puzzle has come together just as it should.