Author Type

Faculty

Presentation Date

10-31-2024

Document Type

Proceeding (Published)

Abstract

This paper investigates strategies to enhance operational efficiency in course scheduling at higher education institutions. Efficient course scheduling is crucial for maximizing utilization of facilities, faculty expertise, and student enrollment, ultimately enhancing educational outcomes and institutional effectiveness. The literature is clear in that common challenges such as underutilization of resources, scheduling conflicts, and high rates of course cancellations not only disrupt student academic plans but also strain institutional resources and diminish student confidence. Data driven decision making empowers administrators to identify potential enrollment trends and make timely adjustments to course schedules. In order to continuously improve operational efficiency, administration in conjunction with other areas across the institution need to analyze its historical enrollment data. This analysis aims to understand enrollment patterns more deeply. In recent research, we have identified and removed courses from academic schedules (while adding others) early on in the process that were deemed to be in excess or unnecessary based on this historical data. This proactive approach helped optimize course offerings to better align with current student enrollment trends and needs. As a consequence, there were fewer instances of course cancellations as compared to the preceding semesters. This led to an increase in student satisfaction because of their being able to proactively plan ahead with the creation of their schedules while balancing their personal and professional obligations. Implementing said strategies can aid reputable institutions to reduce operational costs associated with course cancellations as well as increase student satisfaction and retention rates. Our research contributes to practical insights for higher education administrators aiming to improve scheduling efficiency and mitigate the impact of excessive course cancellations on institutional effectiveness.

Conference Title

Northeast Business & Economics Association (NBEA) 2024

Sponsorship or Institution

Molloy University

Location

Danbury, Connecticut

Comments

PUBLISHED BY THE NORTHEAST BUSINESS & ECONOMICS ASSOCIATION © 2024 The Northeast Business & Economics Association reserves the right to publish the Proceedings in both print and electronic formats. The individual authors retain the copyright over their own articles.

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