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A methodology to optimize foundation seminar assignments

Author

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  • K A Willoughby

    (Health Quality Council)

  • C J Zappe

    (College of Arts and Sciences, Bucknell University)

Abstract

First-year students entering the College of Arts & Sciences at Bucknell University (USA) are required to enroll in a first-year experience course called a foundation seminar during their first semester. A few months before arriving at Bucknell, students submit a prioritized list of foundation seminars of interest to them, given course descriptions of all available foundation seminar sections. Then, based on capacity and scheduling constraints, each student is assigned to a particular seminar. Currently, this assignment of students to specific seminars is carried out using both manual and heuristic methods. We propose to apply an optimization methodology to this interesting real-world problem in an attempt to determine assignments that better satisfy the highest preferences of entering first-year students.

Suggested Citation

  • K A Willoughby & C J Zappe, 2006. "A methodology to optimize foundation seminar assignments," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 57(8), pages 950-956, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jorsoc:v:57:y:2006:i:8:d:10.1057_palgrave.jors.2602070
    DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602070
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    References listed on IDEAS

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