Allocate+ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Arts Students
Allocate+ Access Issues
Who uses Allocate+?
| Group | Used by |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate Units | All Undergraduate units use Allocate+, with the exception of the units listed below:
|
| Honours or Postgraduate Units | Check your timetable to see if there is more than one repeated lecture / tute / seminar timetabled. If this is the case, you will need to use Allocate+ to select the activity you wish to attend. (NOTE: If the activities listed have P1, P2 etc, you neet to attend all activities - not just one of them.) |
| Research Students | Allocate+ is not used |
| Student studying Distance Education Units | Allocate+ is not used |
How do I access Allocate+
Allocate+ can be accessed through the Login to Allocate+ link on the left
To log on to Allocate+ you must first have an Authcate account and be enroled in units for the current semester. Details on how to register for an Authcate account can be viewed at the following website: Password Assistance
Why can't I access Allocate+?
To access Allocate+ you need to have a current Authcate account. For details on how to register for an Authcate account please view the Password Assistance web page.
If you have been using your Authcate username and password and are still unable to access the system you will need to lodge a request for assistance with your Faculty.
General Questions
What is Allocate+?
Allocate+ is an allocation system that enables you to enter preferences online for activities (e.g. lectures, tutorials, labs, workshops etc) based on your enroled units.
Allocate+ is a fair system as it enables all students to enter their preferred time allocation for activities concurrently rather than on a 'first-come-first-served' basis.
How does Allocate+ work?
Allocate+ enables you to view your current enrolment details and the activities available for selection for each enroled unit (i.e. lecture, tutorials, workshops, labs etc). The Allocate+ system typically operates in a three period cycle:
- Preference Entry Mode
- Allocation Adjustment Mode
- View Only Mode.
Preference Entry Mode
Preference Entry mode is the first period in the Allocate+ cycle. This is the period when you are asked to nominate your preferred activity time slots, in order of preference, for each unit in which you are enroled.
The system will not allocate you to a seat at this time. Instead, it will collect all your preferences and those of your fellow students and attempt to allocate you to your first or second preference wherever possible.
Once the Preference Entry Mode period has closed, the system will be unavailable for approximately 4 days whilst your preferences are ranked, and sorted. Allocate+ will not send emails to you advising that sorting is complete. The link to scheduling information is provided under Availability Dates below.
Allocation Adjustment Mode
Allocation Adjustment mode is the second period in the Allocate+ cycle. Upon the completion of sorting, the system will re-open in Allocation Adjustment Mode and you will be able to view your personal timetable and make changes where activities are not full.
When you select an activity group, your allocation is shown (if any) along with any vacant time slots. You may then change your allocation by simply clicking on the preferred activity. If you are successful in selecting a new time slot you will immediately be deleted from the original allocation.
View Only Mode
View Only mode is the final period in the cycle. When Allocate+ is in View Only mode you will not be able to make any changes to your allocations
Does Allocate+ work on a first come, first served basis?
No. Students enter their preferences for activity timeslots in Allocate+. These preferences are then collected, ranked, and allocated. This makes Allocate+ a fair class allocation system.
Why can't I just go to any activity I want?
To ensure equity among students, and to ensure that appropriately sized venues are allocated to each activity, all students' activity preferences are collected, ranked, and sorted.
Allocate+ will take into consideration your personal preferences, along with those of your fellow students. Therefore, you don't need to be first in line, you can access Allocate+ at any time during the Preference Entry period and have a good chance of being allocated to a high preference. Once activities have been allocated and semester is underway, you should attend the activities that you have been allocated into.
What are Activities?
An activity indicates when a particular lecture, seminar or tutorial is scheduled in the timetable. If an activity is offered at different times during the week, you will need to prioritise your preference for a particular day/time-slot by ranking your first preference 1, your second preference 2, and so on (up to 6 preferences must be keyed if there are sufficient activities). The Allocate+ system will run a sort in late February, and you will be allocated into a particular day and time-slot, and will be able to move yourself into another available day/time-slot if you wish to and one is available. The different types of activities are described below:
Single-Part Activities
You attend one activity a week from the available activities.
Multi-Part Activities
The 01 and 02 work the same as for Single Part activities, in that you attend either 01 or 02, with the addition that the activity is split into parts -- Part 1, Part 2 etc. You attend all activities within the group that you are allocate to, either all activities in 1 or all activities in 2.
What are Activity Groups?
Activity groups are the classes you need to attend, consisting of lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars, labs and so on.
Why does every Unit Code have an extra 2 characters added at the end?
The last 2 characters show the campus the unit is running at:
| BE | = | Berwick |
| CA | = | Caulfield |
| CI | = | City |
| CL | = | Clayton |
| GI | = | Gippsland |
| PE | = | Peninsula |
What does "Activity is full" mean?
When you see a message in Allocate + saying that the "Activity is full" it means that there are no more places available for this specific activity. You will need to seek advice from your School/teaching department about whether additional times will be scheduled.
What does "Subject is (turned) off" mean?
This message means that the activity is not available for you to access - check with your School/department to see if it should be turned on.
I have enroled in a unit which I can see in Allocate+, but there are no lectures, seminars or tutorials available for it.
Activities (e.g. lectures, tutorials etc) for this unit may not be available yet. To confirm details you may need to check with the school/teaching department responsible for the unit, to determine when activities will be available.
I am a Part-time or Double Degree Student. I need to have my first/second preferences. Does Allocate+ ensure that?
Students enroled in double degrees and part-time study traditionally experience more difficulty in creating a workable timetable. Allocate+ will take this into consideration when it sorts your preferences.
You should still enter a preferred ranking for all activities even those which may be difficult for you to attend due to work or other commitments. The system will attempt to ensure that you receive your first or second preference.
Preference Entry Mode Questions
What does it mean when Allocate + is in Preference Entry mode?
Preference Entry mode is the first period in the Allocate+ cycle. This is the period when you are asked to nominate your preferred activity timeslots, in order of preference, for each unit in which you are enroled.
The system will not allocate you to a seat at this time. Instead, it will collect all your preferences and those of your fellow students and attempt to allocate you to your first or second preferences wherever possible.
For information about the scheduling times for Allocate+ please refer to the following website: Arts Allocate+ home page
When is Allocate+ available to enter my preferences and when does preference entry close?
Details of the Allocate+ schedule which notes the opening and closing dates for Preference Entry and Allocation Adjustment modes, can be found by viewing the ArtsAllocate+ Home Page
You are only required to allocate for the next available semester.
How often do I need to check my preferences?
Some lectures and tutorial times may change during the preference entry period. It is possible that classes you have selected could be canceled, which will leave you without allocations for that subject. You should check the system once a week until the "PREFERENCE ENTRY MODULE" Closes (6.00pm, 24 February) and key your preferences in again if necessary.
My lectures / seminars / tutorials clash - what can I do to fix the problem?
Look up the unit coordinator / leader for the units concerned in the Monash University Handbook. Contact them to find out if any of the following are possible:
- The lecture/seminar is recorded and it's possible to listen to the lecture after it has been given. See Monash Lectures Online for further information.
- The unit may be offered at a different day/time on a different campus thus enabling you to avoid the clash if you can get to that class.
- Talk to your lecturer or tutor, and see if they can assist you in getting into a time-slot that you can attend.
- A new lecture / tutorial / seminar is going to be timetabled.
- The clashing activity is planned to be re-scheduled to a different day / time.
If none of these options are available, you may need to discontinue one of the clashing units, and enrol in another unit that doesn't have a clash.
How can I change my tutorial times when Allocate+ is in Preference Entry Mode?
You can change your preferences for your units, and the new preference order will be used during the Sort process
How often do I need to check my preferences in Allocate+?
Activity availability may change during the allocation process - notification to students of this change is dependent on when the change occurs.
You will not be advised if any activities are cancelled or amended whilst Allocate+ is in Preference Entry mode.
It is recommended that you check the Allocate+ system once a week until the Preference Entry period closes. Refer Arts Allocate+ home page for details of dates.
Should there be changes to activity availability it will be necessary for you to select a replacement.
Allocation Adjustment Mode Questions
What does it mean when Allocate + is in Allocation Adjustment mode?
Allocation Adjustment mode is the second period in the Allocate+ cycle. This is the period following the ranking, randomising and sorting of all student activity preferences. It is during this period that you may alter your allocation for each activity instantly on a first-come first-served basis (provided there are vacant timeslots).
When you select an activity group, your current allocation is shown (if any) along with any vacant timeslots. You may then change your allocation by simply clicking on the preferred activity.
For information about the scheduling times for Allocate+ please refer to the Arts Allocate+ home page
How often do I need to check my Allocations in Allocate+?
Some activities may change whilst Allocate+ is in Allocation Adjustment mode. It is possible that activities you have selected could be cancelled, which will leave you without allocations for that unit. If an activity is cancelled or amended you will receive an automated email advising you to re-allocate in the system.
It is possible to generate a hard copy of your preferences by selecting the "Show all Preferences" button.
How can I change my tutorial times when Allocate+ is in Allocation Adjustment Mode?
Once you have logged into Allocate+, select the activity (lecture/seminar/tutorial) you want to set to a different time. Available time slots will have a "Pick Me" button next to them, and you can press this button to move into that tutorial. Once you have done this, you are in that new class. Time slots that do not have a "Pick Me" button are full, so you will not be able to select them - try logging into Allocate+ and see if a time you want has become available.
My lectures/seminars/tutorials clash - what can I do to fix the problem?
Look up the unit coordinator / leader for the units concerned in the Monash University Handbook. Contact them to find out if any of the following are possible:
- The lecture/seminar is recorded and it's possible to listen to the lecture after it has been given. See Monash Lectures Online for further information.
- The unit may be offered at a different day/time on a different campus thus enabling you to avoid the clash if you can get to that class.
- Talk to your lecturer or tutor, and see if they can assist you in getting into a time-slot that you can attend.
- A new lecture / tutorial / seminar is going to be timetabled.
- The clashing activity is planned to be re-scheduled to a different day / time.
If none of these options are available, you may need to discontinue one of the clashing units, and enrol in another unit that doesn't have a clash.
What can I do if I am unable to attend an activity in the time-slot I have been allocated, and there are no other available options?
Please talk to your unit-leader, or lecturer, and see if they can assist you in getting into a time-slot that you can attend, or if the lecture material is available via Monash Lectures Online for view after the lecture
Can I remove an activity allocation (lecture/tutorial/seminar) if I don't need it?
No, normally you will need to attend at least one of the advertised activities. If in doubt, you should contact the School or Teaching Department responsible for teaching the unit in question.
Unit Enrolment, Discontinuation, or Display Questions
Allocate+ shows a unit I am not enroled in, or I am enroled in a higher year level of the unit.
If an incorrect unit is showing in Allocate+, please verify that your enrolment is correctly recorded in WES . If WES shows your enrolment correctly, please complete the Allocate+ Problems or Queries form with the details of the unit, and we will let you know when the problem is fixed.
Why doesn't a unit I have enroled in appear in Allocate+?
If an incorrect unit is showing in Allocate+, please verify that your enrolment is correctly recorded in WES . If WES shows your enrolment correctly, please complete the Allocate+ Problems or Queries form with the details of the unit, and we will let you know when the problem is fixed.
What do I need to do in Allocate+ if I add or drop a unit?
The addition or discontinuation of a unit via WES (Web Enrolment System) should be reflected in Allocate+ immediately.
You will need to log into Allocate+ and ensure that you have selected preferences for any unit you have added and change any other preferences affected by this amendment to enrolment.
It is important to note that if you discontinue from a unit your Allocations will be removed immediately.
Why is the unit I enroled in not showing in Allocate+?
If you have enroled in a unit via WES (Web Enrolment System) the change should be reflected in Allocate + immediately.
If you don't see your unit in Allocate+ within an hour after you changed your unit you should check WES (Web Enrolment System) to ensure the change has been processed. For assistance with Allocate+ you will need to contact your Faculty as outlined in the question below