A linear programming approach for placement of applicants to academic programs.

Area of Science:

• Operations Research
• Educational Management

Background:

• Traditional applicant placement systems often rely on manual processes.
• Manual systems can be time-consuming and may limit the consideration of multiple placement criteria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a linear programming approach for optimizing applicant placement.
• To enhance the efficiency and quality of placement decisions at the College of Business & Economics.
• To provide a flexible system capable of incorporating diverse placement criteria.

Main Methods:

• A linear programming model was developed and implemented for student placement.
• The model's performance was evaluated using actual data from the 2012/13 academic year.
• Placement decisions generated by the model were compared against those from the previous manual system.

Main Results:

• The linear programming approach demonstrated significant improvements in process efficiency and decision quality.
• Approximately 93% of placements generated by the model aligned with manual decisions.
• The model identified inconsistencies in the manual system's decision-making process.

Conclusions:

• The linear programming approach offers a substantial improvement over manual placement systems.
• The model enhances efficiency by reducing man-hours and accelerating decision announcement.
• The system improves placement decision quality and allows for the integration of additional criteria.