May 31, 2022

Fellows:
Keith Brown, Lorain County Community College
Amy Crow, Edison State Community College
Jona Hall, Washington State Community College
Toni Johnson, North Central State College

Project Advisor:
Eric Heiser, Central Ohio Technical College

Executive Summary:
Students have the desire to create class schedules based upon their needs (i.e. balancing family, work & personal responsibilities). However, college schedules do not always offer courses needed to match the desired parameters of students. In order to solve this issue, colleges must create efficient multi-semester, student-focused schedules which yield positive returns for the institution. Multi-semester scheduling would allow for students to navigate life circumstances while also completing courses toward a certificate or degree. Students would have the ability to plan life events and work schedules around courses well in advance. Institutions would be able to plan ahead and work toward an efficient schedule that is balanced, reducing overloaded courses and underutilized resources. An effective course schedule that is planned in advance for multiple semesters and multiple semester registration could lead to retention and course completion with an increase in graduation and certificate attainment.

A multi-semester schedule allows the institution to plan and prepare staffing and classroom space scheduling. By assuring that the schedule is balanced and sections are not underutilized, the college will be able to earn revenue and build more resources. Both the students and the institution would benefit from multi-semester planning and scheduling. An effective multi-semester schedule could improve retention, time to completion, and graduation rates.