Abstract
Many post-secondary academic institutions in the United States have a First-Year Seminar Program. These seminars are designed to support the success of new incoming first-year students by combining writing, research and active discussion among small groups of students. At Dickinson College, students are required to select six seminars they find interesting from a list of approximately 42 seminars. The college then attempts to assign each student to a seminar on their list, while maintaining course capacities. Using standard commercial optimization software, we develop an approach that not only solves this basic assignment problem, but also seeks to balance both the gender and number of international students in the seminars. In addition, we utilize Monte Carlo simulation to study how the number of seminars each student is required to select affects the likelihood that a feasible assignment exists.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Richard Forrester
Richard Forrester is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Dickinson College, United States. He received his Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences in 2002 from Clemson University. His scholarship is at the interface of OR and Computer Science, and has typically centered around techniques for solving nonlinear 0–1 programs.
Kevin Hutson
Kevin Hutson is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Furman University, United States. Kevin received his Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences in 2002 from Clemson University. His research interests include network optimization, sports analytics, and ranking algorithms.
Thanh To
Thanh To is currently pursuing graduate studies in Mathematics Sciences with a concentration in operations research at Clemson University. She graduated from Dickinson College with a double major in mathematics and economics. She is originally from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.