  University timetabling (UTT) is a complex problem due to its combinatorial
nature but also the type of constraints involved. The holy grail of
(constraint) programming: "the user states the problem the program solves it"
remains a challenge since solution quality is tightly coupled with deriving
"effective models", best handled by technology experts. In this paper, focusing
on the field of university timetabling, we introduce a visual graphic
communication tool that lets the user specify her problem in an abstract
manner, using a visual entity-relationship model. The entities are nodes of
mainly two types: resource nodes (lecturers, assistants, student groups) and
events nodes (lectures, lab sessions, tutorials). The links between the nodes
signify a desired relationship between them. The visual modeling abstraction
focuses on the nature of the entities and their relationships and abstracts
from an actual constraint model.
