More Advanced Topics
DARS Phases in Depth
The Phases of DARS
Course Matching and
Movement Among Requirements and Subrequirements
Three Basic Phases
• Match Phase – DARS matches and assigns the
student’s courses to
sub-requirements
• Adjust Phase – DARS moves courses from
requirements/sub-requirements with extra
courses to requirements that still need or want
courses
• Limit Phase – DARS enforces limits specified in Xlines and sub-requirements
Order of Phases
•
•
•
•
•
Match Phase (first)
Adjust Phase (first or only)
Limit Phase
Adjust Phase (second, if active)
Match Phase (second, if active)
Match Phase
• Each course is matched against each subrequirement
• Matching courses are assigned to the first
sub-requirement in each requirement group
(single requirement or set of requirements
with the same GRP1 or GRP2)
• May also be assigned to other subrequirements due to REUSE
Match Phase
• Sub-requirements may be skipped
– Inactive sub-requirements due to a system
condition code setting
– Second match phase sub-requirements, during the
first match phase
Courses Assigned To
• First matching sub-requirement in a
requirement with blank group codes
• First matching sub-requirement in the first
requirement with a specific group code
• Any matching sub-requirement with REUSE
AssignC and AssignCX
• Condition Codes are assigned to courses assigned
to that sub-requirement during the match phase
• Once assigned, a condition code is not removed
when a course is adjusted away from the assigning
sub-requirement
AssignC
AssignCX
RACTL, ACTL and ACTLX
• Condition Codes assignment that is
dependent on the completion status of a subrequirement or requirement is determined by
the status at the end of the Match Phase
RACTL
AssignC
ACTL
ACTLX
Sub-requirement
Requirement
Adjust Phase
• Requirements that are not satisfied pull courses from
sub-requirements that have extra courses
• Courses that are wanted adjust from the subrequirements where they were originally assigned to the
sub-requirements that need courses
• All adjustment is driven by which courses are needed
elsewhere, and by which sub-requirements need courses
Courses Will Adjust From
•
A satisfied requirement
– If the course can be removed without making
the requirement go from satisfied to
unsatisfied
•
An unsatisfied requirement, if removal of the
course will not hurt
1. If course is above sub-requirement’s MAXHRS
or MAXCT setting
2. If sub-requirement is complete and
requirement is looking only for subrequirement count
Courses Will Adjust From
•
An unsatisfied requirement, but removal of
the course will not hurt
3. Sub-requirement is not being used because of
a USECT value
4. If sub-requirement is not complete but the
only remaining courses needed are required
courses, while extra courses are assigned to
the sub-requirement
Courses Will Adjust
• From an unsatisfied member of an OR’d subrequirement set to another sub-requirement
in the set
– DARS tests each member of the set in order to
attempt to complete one member of the set
– Adjustment stops when a member of the set
becomes complete
– If no member is complete, each course will adjust
to the last sub-requirement in the set to which it
can be assigned
No Adjustment Into
• Residency Sub-requirements
• Optional Sub-requirements during the first
adjustment phase, if second adjustment phase
is used
Limit Phase
1. X-lines and Y-lines are processed in the order in
which they appear
► Any added or modified by exception come first
► Those from requirements follow, in the order they
occur in the degree program
2. Sub-requirement limits defined by MAXCT or
MAXHRSCK are processed in the order of the
sub-requirements
Two Match and Adjust Phases
• Match phase will occur twice if second match
phase sub-requirements exist
– First Match Phase happens before others
– Each sub-requirement is processed only during one of
the match phases
– Second Match Phase after adjust and limit
• No adjustment into or out of second match phase subrequirements
• No limits can be enforced on second match phase subrequirements
Two Match and Adjust Phases
• Two Adjust phases will occur when
COM.ADJUSTFLG = ‘2’
– When two adjust phases, optional sub-requirements
will not attempt to adjust courses during the first
adjustment phase
– First or only adjust phase occurs before limit phase
– Second adjust phase occurs after limit phase
Second Adjust Phase
• Optional sub-requirements wait to adjust
courses during the second adjust phase
• The hungry elective, as the last grouped
requirement and with an optional subrequirement, doesn’t adjust courses until the
end
Hungry Elective
• Grouped with all requirements checking for
specific degree components
• Processed during second adjust phase, after
limits and other adjustment has occurred
Second Match Phase
• Occurs only if second match phase
sub-requirements exist (SEQCHECK field set to ‘2’
on sub-requirements)
• Needed only if using ASSIGNC2 or ASSIGNM to
assign condition codes
Second Match Phase
• Just like the first match phase, except only
second match phase sub-requirements are
processed
• No adjustment or limit is possible on second
match phase sub-requirements