COURSE PLANNING IN AN OPEN ENROLLMENT ENVIRONMENT Data-driven scheduling and resource allocation Michael Lewis, Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs Arukhiya Rakhat, Manager

Problem – Course Scheduling! The University uses “open registration” which means that the students choose courses and the advisors review schedules to ensure that the choices are suitable The challenge is to provide enough places for students Not too few, but also not too many! And minimize the cross-registration scheduling conflicts

Advantage 1 … We know the requirements of every program Compulsory courses & Elective courses And when they should be taken (semester 1, 2, …, 8) So, an average of five courses per semester, for eight semesters For a total of 240+ ECTS credits

Sample 4 Year Curriculum Fall ECTS Spring MATH 161 Calculus I 8 MATH 162 Calculus II PHYS 161 Physics for Scientists and Engineers I with Laboratory PHYS 162 Physics for Scientists and Engineers II with Laboratory CSCI 151 Programming for Scientists and Engineers CSCI 152 Performance and Data Structures HST 100 History of Kazakhstan 6 SHSS 150 Rhetoric and Composition Total semester ECTS credits 30 Year 2 Fall ECTS Spring ROBT 201 Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics 6 ROBT 202 System Dynamics and Modeling ROBT 203 Electrical and Electronic Circuits I with Laboratory 8 ROBT 204 Electrical and Electronic Circuits II with Laboratory ROBT 205 Signals and Systems with Laboratory ROBT 206 Microcontrollers with Laboratory MATH 273 Linear Algebra with Applications MATH 274 Introduction to Differential Equations   COMM 102 Communication Total semester ECTS credits 30 34 Year 3 Fall ECTS Spring ROBT 301 Mechanical Design I with CAD Laboratory 8 ROBT 302 Mechanical Design II with Machining Laboratory ROBT 303 Linear Control Theory with Laboratory ROBT 304 Electromechanical Systems with Laboratory Major Elective 6 Natural Science Elective MATH 321 Probability Kazakh Language I Kazakh Language II Total semester ECTS credits 34 Year 4 Fall ECTS Spring ROBT 401 Robot Dynamics and Control 6 ROBT 402 Robotic/Mechatronic System Design Major Elective ROBT 491 Graduation Project Ethics Natural Science Elective Business Fundamentals and Entrepreneurship SHSS Elective (SOC, PLS, ANT, or ECON)   Total semester ECTS credits 30 24 Total ECTS credits 246

Advantage 2 … The first-year requirements of each program are the same! Well, one track for Biology / Chemistry And one track for Math, Computer Science, Physics, and Robotics ( we do this to ensure that all students get the compulsory courses covered in the first year of study) ( and, to minimize the impact if a student decides to change majors)

First-year Program Tracks Biological Sciences and Chemistry Year 1 Fall ECTS Spring BIOL 101 Modern Biology I with Laboratory 8 BIOL 102 Modern Biology II with Laboratory CHEM 101 General Chemistry I 6 CHEM 102 General Chemistry II CHEM 101L General Chemistry I Laboratory 2 CHEM 102L General Chemistry II Laboratory CSCI 151 Programming for Scientists and Engineers MATH 161 Calculus I HST 100 History of Kazakhstan SHSS 150 Rhetoric and Composition Total semester ECTS credits 30 Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Robotics and Mechatronics Year 1 Fall ECTS Spring MATH 161 Calculus I 8 MATH 162 Calculus II PHYS 161 Physics for Scientists and Engineers I with Laboratory PHYS 162 Physics for Scientists and Engineers II with Laboratory CSCI 151 Programming for Scientists and Engineers CSCI 152 Performance and Data Structures HST 100 History of Kazakhstan 6 SHSS 150 Rhetoric and Composition Total semester ECTS credits 30

Advantage 3 … We already have the information from last year’s schedule Enrollment for every course, every lab, every recitation! And, any feedback on prior conflicts or complications

Prior semester with final enrollment

Wait – what about that zero enrollment course? You might have noticed a course section with zero (0) enrollment This is a so-called “trailing section” course, designed for students who do not attain a “progressing grade” of ‘C’ or better And, for that Biology course, the students did not yet know if they needed to repeat the course or not! For Year One courses, we offer the #1 courses in the Fall and Spring, and the #2 courses in Spring and Summer In this way, students are more likely to remain on the correct “progression” with higher chances of 4-year completion

Departmental Breakdown Advantage 4 … And we know how many students we have, by major! But, this is not good enough! Departmental Breakdown Department Students (Undergraduate) Biological Sciences 332 Chemistry 87 Computer Science 429 Mathematics 237 Physics 57 Robotics and Mechatronics 112 Undeclared 4 TOTAL 1258

Advantage 4, (continued ) Actually, it is better … we know by major, and by year! Department Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Biological Sciences 85 101 77 67 Chemistry 25 27 15 19 Computer Science 202 95 76 56 Mathematics 47 59 65 66 Physics 17 14 16 10 Robotics and Mechatronics 23 31 29 Undeclared 4 Total 403 327 278 247

Advantage 5 … Thus we know approximately how many places there should be, for every course And we know which classrooms are available So we map the high-enrollment courses into high-capacity classrooms, first … And repeat the process

Advantage 6 … Because we know the programs, we can readily avoid direct conflict in course offerings This requires “conscious” scheduling, that is, knowing for each program which courses are taken together, and then scheduling in a way to maximize student choice and minimize structural conflict ( if we offer General Chemistry and Modern Biology at the same time, well, big problems … same with Calculus and Physics!)

Tuesday and Thursday schedule for Modern Biology II and General Chemistry II Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 12:00 - 12:30 CHEM 102 General Chemistry II Section 1 12:30 - 13:00 13:00 - 13:30 13:30 - 14:00 Section 2 14:00 - 14:30 14:30 - 15:00 15:00 - 15:30 BIOL 120 Modern Biology II with Lab 15:30 - 16:00 16:00 - 16:30 16:30 - 17:00 17:00 - 17:30 17:30 - 18:00

Advantage 6, continued ! And for advanced classes, in order to avoid conflicts, schedule them into the same room! Room 7E.221   Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 9:00-9:50 MATH 412 Nonlinear Optimization 10:00-10:50 MATH 417 Cryptography 11:00-11:50 MATH 407 Graph Theory 12:00-12:50 MATH 460 Topology MATH 461 Real Analysis II 13:00-13:50 MATH 490 Special Topics in Mathematics MATH 351 Numerical Methods with Applications 14:00-14:50 MATH 361 Real Analysis I 15:00-15:50 MATH 480 Complex Analysis MATH 482 Fourier Analysis 16:00-16:50 MATH 477 Applied Finite Element Methods

Advantage 7 … The Registrar’s system provides “live” data on course enrollment Including a “waiting list” for every course So we can monitor which courses have high demand And then increase capacity by Changing classrooms (if available) to increase enrollment caps Adding sections (if possible), with departmental consultation

Spring 2018 Course Enrollment Data Subject Title Section Class Capacity Waiting List Capacity Number of students in Waiting List MATH Applied Statistical Methods 1 48 10 9 Probability 11 Mathematical Statistics 8 Graph Theory 24 3 Actuarial Mathematics 54 Real Analysis I PHYS Physics I for Scientists and Engineers with Laboratory 2 ROBT Image Processing 32 5

Advantage 7, continued … And with the “live” enrollment data, we can see which sections have low enrollment And, in consultation with the department Cancel sections with low enrollment Or Merge sections, to combine two low-enrollment into one larger section And the department can then re-assign the instructor as needed, to a new section, new elective, or possibly a summer course

With this practice … for Fall 2018 We managed approximately 275 course sections / labs / recitations With more than 10,000 student enrollments And more than 78,000 ECTS credits Maintaining 13:1 student to faculty ratio And, the lowest cost-per-credit in the university