Instructors should avoid scheduling assignments being due between 1AM-2AM

Some parts of the US, such as Arizona and Hawaii, and countries such as India do NOT observe Daylight Savings Time (DST), which occurs yearly and moves the time clock one hour forward in the spring and one hour back in the fall. Previously, when instructors copied classes or Master Templates for a new semester, the time shifting in the copied classes or Master Templates was incorrect in regions that do NOT participate in DST. Since ALEKS automatically shifts assignments in copied classes or Master Templates, this caused the start/due dates and start/due times for all assignments, Modules, External Assignments, Scheduled Knowledge Checks, etc. to be incorrect in the copied classes or Master Templates. For example, during DST, an assignment with a due time of 5:00 PM in the original class would incorrectly shift backward one hour to 4:00 PM in the copied class. During Standard Time (ST or non-DST), an assignment with a due time of 5:00 PM in the original class would incorrectly shift forward one hour to 6:00 PM in the copied class.

As of March 5, 2025, ALEKS does not make any time change in copied classes or Master Templates for regions that do NOT participate in DST. For example, an assignment with a due time of 5:00 PM in the original class remains correctly as 5:00 PM in the copied class regardless of time zone changes. This fix to the ALEKS Copy Class and Master Template workflows recognizes the time zones that institutions and regions participate or do NOT participate in and automatically applies (non-DST as well as DST) shifts correctly. This fix applies only to new classes or Master Templates created after March 5, 2025, and also only to Master Templates within the same institution.

Based on how ALEKS handles time zone conversions, specifically when converting school time to California time during periods when California hasn’t undergone a time shift, there are limitations to how ALEKS stores and manages dates during time shifts. It is recommended that instructors avoid scheduling assignment due dates between 1:00 AM – 2:00 AM.