- What is an iCalendar subscription
- How do I create a calendar subscription to the Timetable
- Which online calendars can I use
- Will events appear in my personal calendar
- What data will I see once I have subscribed
- How frequently will my calendar be updated
- How do I unsubscribe from my calendar
- Where can I get help with the iCalendar subscriptions
What is an iCalendar subscription
The UCL Timetable now allows you to "subscribe" to your personal timetable. This provides a dynamic link from your online calendar (e.g. live@UCL) to the timetable. As events (e.g. lectures and tutorials) are booked or rescheduled your online calendar will be updated automatically.
How do I create a calendar subscription to the Timetable
Go to your personal timetable from the homepage or via the drop down menu at the top right of the page. If you are not logged in you will be prompted to do so. From there, click the Subscribe link, next to the Print link also at the top right of the page. You will be given a URL which you can then use to subscribe. In most browsers, clicking the link will launch the default mail application on that computer. Doing this will attempt to create a subscription on that computer, so please ensure you are using a trusted machine.
Clicking the link in the subscription pop-up box will only work for desktop applications. To subscribe using a web-based calendar, you will need to right click the link and select Copy location/Copy shortcut. This will then need to be entered into your calendar's subscribe option. Instructions for subscribing via live@UCL Outlook Web Access are below; once you have copied the unique URL generated from your personal timetable, continue as follows...
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From Outlook Web Access, go to your calendar by selecting the Calendar option. -
Right click on "My Calendars" on the left of the screen, towards the bottom. You should see an option to "open calendar". -
Selecting that will give the above dialogue box. Add the unique calendar URL generated by the Timetable into the "internet calendar" field. Press OK. -
The calendar will now be populated with the events in your personal timetable (this may take a moment). You can also give a more descriptive name to the calendar. To do this, right click it in the list of calendars on the left and select Rename.
For instructions on how to subscribe within other calendaring systems, see the relevant help pages for those systems. For example, here is the information for Google Calendar
Which online calendars can I use
You will be able to subscribe to your timetable through the live@UCL email and calendar service. The subscription can be made from both the online web access version of Microsoft Outlook as well as the desktop client version of Microsoft Outlook (for example, as accessed through Myriad or WTS 2010). The iCalendar subscription feed is a web standard format which is compatible with most calendar software, both stand-alone applications and online services. Please note, however, that support is only provided for live@UCL.
Will events appear in my personal calendar
Given the way subscription via iCalendar works in systems such as live@UCL, the timetable will appear as a separate calendar that you can open and view through the application. This means that the events won't show up in your main person calendar and it is not possible to copy events across into that calendar and keep them synchronised. The exact range of options (such as mobile phone integration) will depend on the type of calendar you use. For more information on how to use you Outlook Web Access calendar, see the live@UCL calendar guide.
Mobile phone integration is not covered by the live@UCL support, however it is possible (especially with iOS and Windows Phone) to have your subscribed calendar appear on your device. To do this simply drag the newly created calendar up into the section called My Calendars, if you did not create there originally. This has been tested on iOS and Windows Phone but has not been tested to work on Android. Other solutions, such as subscribing via Google Calendar, are available but are also not supported by UCL.
What data will I see once I have subscribed
The information that you see in your calendar will be for your own personal timetable and will show data for the current academic year only. Please note that unlike the Timetable itself, the subscription will not show information for unfitted groups (e.g. if you have not been assigned to attend a scheduled tutorial).
How frequently will my calendar be updated
Unlike the Timetable, which displays real-time information, calendar subscriptions services generally have a lag. For example, live@UCL via Outlook Web Access refreshes every three or four hours, while Google Calendar refreshes closer to three times a day. Please be aware of this when referring to your subscribed timetable.
How do I unsubscribe from my calendar
You can unsubscribe from a calendar via your calendaring service. For example, in live@UCL Outlook Web Access, from the calendar section of the OWA, find the calendar on the left hand side, right click and select remove.
If you are worried that someone else has access to your calendar subscription using the unique key generated via your personal timetable, you can invalidate that calendar link. This will mean anyone else subscribed via that link will get a blank calendar the next time it refreshes. It won't affect your own live timetable and you can subscribe again simply by going back to your personal timetable and following the original subscription steps.
If you come back to this page when you are logged in, you will be able to invalidate any existing timetable links from here. Meanwhile visit the ISD Computer Security Team's website for more information on keeping your details safe.
Where can I get help with the iCalendar subscriptions
All questions, comments and suggestions relating to the Timetable and calendar subscriptions to it should be directed to timetable-help@ucl.ac.uk.