The title of Building Scheduler is totally misleading

I am a new stake website administrator. Now that we are using the ward/stake website, the title of "building scheduler" is totally misleading. It is difficult to break leaders and other ward members of the habit of going to the building scheduler to schedule their events and locations. Unfortunately my stake gave building schedulers all the editing rights of website administrators. This has caused major chaos. Is there any chance the Church will consider eliminating the title of "building scheduler?" It sure would be helpful if they did.

perryk wrote:This has caused major chaos.

How so? Are people trying to schedule it directly as well as going to the Building Scheduler?

Whatever the problem, I'm sure it can be fixed by having the stake push the issue. But first the stake leaders have to get the vision of how it works.

perryk wrote:Is there any chance the Church will consider eliminating the title of "building scheduler?"

I wouldn't say "never". The forum doesn't have the best of connections to do that. But I think the first step would be to come up with a more descriptive name.

Some roles that are still needed in the new system:

• Someone to act as referee to resolve disputes and problems.
• Someone to input "Ward Nights" and other unit-level restrictions.
• Someone to schedule private events, such as family reunions, weddings, etc.

The first two are part of the new role of Building Scheduler. The third one is a easy add-on when given rights to a calendar, but could also be delegated to the ward level.

But what should this position be called? Preferably a name that isn't just a new title, but suggests a different role from tradition.

russellhltn wrote:But what should this position be called?

We call ours "The person with the notebook who does not own a computer," but I do not recommend that name for consideration.

Building Calendar Resolution Specialist
Scheduling Peacemaker
Building Use Coordinator

Since its not that big of a job why not just have one of the ward clerks do the job. Maybe the agent bishops ward clerk. Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr make all the ward clerks in the building a scheduler for their ward.

Gary_Miller wrote:Since its not that big of a job why not just have one of the ward clerks do the job. Maybe the agent bishops ward clerk.

You're right in that the role is no longer as time consuming as it once was. But it still requires some type of title so people know who's doing the job.

Gary_Miller wrote:Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr make all the ward clerks in the building a scheduler for their ward.

That would work for the role of "ward calendar specialist" (the clerks handing all scheduling the old-fashioned way for the ward).

However, one of the roles is to resolve conflicts - including conflicts between wards. A person who is set as a building scheduler is able to ignore all restrictions and can modify any event by any ward taking place in their building. I think it would be better if the referee was viewed as being a little more neutral. (As well as fewer referees.)

russellhltn wrote:But it still requires some type of title so people know who's doing the job.

Building monitor
Calendar coordinator

You could also just make it part of the Building PFR responsibilities.

Gary_Miller wrote:That would work for the role of "ward calendar specialist" (the clerks handing all scheduling the old-fashioned way for the ward).

Not handling all the scheduling, that would be going backwards and I see no need for that. Just taking care of the restrictions for their ward.

Gary_Miller wrote:However, one of the roles is to resolve conflicts - including conflicts between wards.

I have never understood this role of resolving conflicts. There should never be any conflicts, either the time, building, or room is available when you desire to use it or its not. If it is not then you select another time, building or room.

Gary_Miller wrote:A person who is set as a building scheduler is able to ignore all restrictions and can modify any event by any ward taking place in their building. I think it would be better if the referee was viewed as being a little more neutral. (As well as fewer referees.)

I see no need for a referee. If there is a big problem talk to the person who scheduled the event and work it out among yourselves. This is whats going to happen anyway, I don't see a building scheduler just looking at Ward A who already has an event scheduled and saying sorry Ward B wants their at that time so you (Ward A) can't have the building. If three or four wards in a building can't work together then something is seriously wrong. The clerks could also take care of these problems if they arise by working together.

Gary_Miller wrote:

russellhltn wrote:A person who is set as a building scheduler is able to ignore all restrictions and can modify any event by any ward taking place in their building. I think it would be better if the referee was viewed as being a little more neutral. (As well as fewer referees.)

I see no need for a referee. If there is a big problem talk to the person who scheduled the event and work it out among yourselves. This is whats going to happen anyway, I don't see a building scheduler just looking at Ward A who already has an event scheduled and saying sorry Ward B wants their at that time so you (Ward A) can't have the building. If three or four wards in a building can't work together then something is seriously wrong. The clerks could also take care of these problems if they arise by working together.

I agree that wards need to work out conflicts and adjustments. But at least the way the calendar works now, there are certain things that only a building scheduler can do. One specific example is if there is a restriction in place that allows only Ward A to schedule the cultural hall for Thursday nights, but Ward A has decided to yield one particular Thursday to Ward B for an event. Ward B can't put that event on their calendar because of the restriction. The building scheduler must either remove the restriction for that one night, or move or edit Ward B's event to be on that night, overriding the restriction.

The clerks have no ability to take care of such issues using only their administrative permissions; only a building scheduler can do it. And although the building scheduler role could be given to multiple people, I think it works best to have it limited to just one or two people. In our stake, we rotate that responsibility in multi-unit buildings, with the agent bishop designating who will fill that role.

If the position of "Building Scheduler" has to exist at all (my preference would be to have the position dissolved), I would suggest changing the title to "Building Coordinator" or something similar. Eliminate the word "scheduler." The word "scheduler" implies that everyone has to schedule use of a room or building through them instead of having the editors/leaders schedule the locations directly on the website themselves. It is hard to break people of doing things the old way. It just would be one less thing that confuses everyone if we eliminate the Building Scheduler position or rename it.

I am finding in my stake that the building schedulers are not computer people. They really struggle using the computer. I would suggest that we emphasize more the calling of "Ward Website Administrators" with the understanding that computer people be called to that position. The Ward Website Administrators then could handle what the building schedulers have been doing. It just makes sense to have one person do this and it needs to be a computer person.

In our stake, the Building Scheduler is the Stake Executive Secretary.

russellhltn wrote:In our stake, the Building Scheduler is the Stake Executive Secretary.

For all buildings in the stake or just for the Stake Center?

For the Stake Center. There is only one other building that has multiple wards in it. Currently no one holds the title of "Building Scheduler" in the calendar system for that building. I think the Exec Sec may still handle the private events for it though.

I vote for changing the title of Building Scheduler in the calendaring system to Stake Building Use Administrator. Maybe Stake Building Use Coordinator.
Please do not grant calendar default administrator rights to this calling.

Maybe the current MLS calling of Building Specialist - that is currently a default administrator, should be removed from the default administrator list in the calendaring system and the MLS program should change the Building Specialist default calling to Building Use Administrator.

Last change that would be nice would be that the Calendar system would recognize the calling of Stake Building Use Administrator and just assign the function of overseeing event conflicts as needed and setting up schedule restrictions by location.

perryk wrote:I am a new stake website administrator. Now that we are using the ward/stake website, the title of "building scheduler" is totally misleading. It is difficult to break leaders and other ward members of the habit of going to the building scheduler to schedule their events and locations. Unfortunately my stake gave building schedulers all the editing rights of website administrators. This has caused major chaos. Is there any chance the Church will consider eliminating the title of "building scheduler?" It sure would be helpful if they did.

Its true that many of the ward members can schedule things for themselves Indeed many of them just need to go to the organizational leader they are using the building for. But they dont know that and you do. Hopefully your working with people to educate and train them on how to use calendar. Before you do this make sure you understand the best ways to use it yourself. Also there has to be someone who helps resolve conflicts between parties that is you.