Clemson University’s Rotational Attendance Plan During COVID-19

Amy B. Gore (), Mary E. Kurz (), Matthew J. Saltzman (), Blake Splitter (), William C. Bridges () and Neil J. Calkin ()
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Amy B. Gore: School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634
Mary E. Kurz: Department of Industrial Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634
Matthew J. Saltzman: School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634
Blake Splitter: School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634
William C. Bridges: School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634
Neil J. Calkin: School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634

Interfaces, 2022, vol. 52, issue 6, 553-567

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic forced universities to upend their class scheduling. At Clemson University, the administration implemented hybrid schedules for fall 2020, in which students attend classes partly online and partly in person. To limit exposures of COVID-19 in the classroom, we propose two rotational attendance models (the three-cohort model and the once-a-week model) that aim to allow in-person classroom time and minimize exposure between students. In a baseline strategy, students would interact with an average of 84 students per week and attend class in person 2.6 days a week. By contrast, the three-cohort model and once-a-week model achieve about 57 and 83 student interactions per week and 1.6 and 1.9 in-person student attendance days a week, respectively. Although these figures of merit may imply that the three-cohort model is preferable, it achieves its results by forcing about 1,600 of the 21,000 students who want to attend courses in person to participate online instead and forcing courses that meet twice a week to be attended twice in a three-week rotation. Considering the tradeoffs between the figures of merit related to student interaction and anticipated implementation challenges, Clemson University implemented the once-a-week model for fall 2020 and spring 2021.

Keywords: COVID-19; rotational attendance; integer programming; incidence graph; network problem (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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