It is one of the biggest structural obstacles preventing students from progressing through their degree paths, particularly for students of color. The common practice of rolling over the schedule from semester to semester enables these barriers to recur unchecked and contributes to gaps in degree completion. Through AASCU's work with the Academic Planning for Equitable Student Success cohort, an initiative funded by The Ascendium Education Group, eleven institutions sought to improve the infrastructure and data capacity to optimize strategic course scheduling aimed at closing gaps in degree velocity (the pace at which students complete their degrees). The playbook is a guide for any institution interested in levering their course schedule as a strategy for improving student success. It introduces project phases designed to drive innovation and momentum, project management strategies, and relevant metrics, to support the teams empowered to do this work. This playbook emphasizes field insights and experiences to amplify key lessons, build institutional knowledge, offer actionable steps to support a student-centered course scheduling strategy, and encourage team and individual reflection. [This report was co-produced with Sova.]