Spreadsheet Class Scheduling For The College Of Engineering, University Of Qatar

Abstract

The process of preparing class schedules is a lengthy and painstaking experience, especially when the requirements on the system approach saturation capacity. Instructors have to be assigned to places, with different capacities, for lectures, tutorials and laboratories, within the available time slots per day and working days per week, to satisfy the courses offered in a given semester. This paper analyzes the problem, discusses two approaches to solve it using manual trial and error and mathematical programming, and suggests a spreadsheet program to maintain the obtained solution. The author demonstrates that spreadsheets are a very efficient computational environment for maintaining up to date class schedules, producing useful reports, solving class conflicts, and planning for future extension of the college.