Professional
Track: Healthcare
Accommodating Social Distancing in Classes Through Day-of-attendence Assignment During Covid-19 at Clemson University
Monday, April 12, 4:30-5:10pm EDT
In Fall 2020, Clemson University found itself faced with the need to reduce the number of students in each classroom while honoring existing course scheduling and registrations. While some students opted to attend online, some faculty opted to teach online, and some courses were forced to be online because there was insufficient space, over 18,000 student placements had to be managed. A linear integer program, solved to optimality, provided a method by which students were assigned to attend courses on specific days to minimize the number of students on campus each day. The solution was implemented for Fall 2020 and in Spring 2021. In Spring 2021, however, students knew the mode (in-person, hybrid, or online) in which their courses would be offered, which induced some practical challenges for students.
Mary Beth Kurz
Mary Beth Kurz
Associate Chair and Associate Professor at Clemson University
Mary E. Kurz, PhD, is Associate Chair and Associate Professor at Clemson University. Her research interests lie in tactical decision making in assembly systems. She also is very involved in faculty governance at Clemson University, being a former Faculty Senate President and Chair of her college’s curriculum committee. These experiences gave her access to the decision-making process surrounding class schedule changes due to COVID-19 at Clemson University. These experiences also allowed her to connect with expertise across campus to provide a viable solution to Clemson University.
