An efficient heuristic based university timetabling/scheduling

Abstract

The University Timetabling problem for a multicampus university is a challenging proposition especially where the faculty is a shared resource amongst campuses. To cater to this problem, a hierarchical heuristic solution is proposed. The heuristic solution is based on the concept of a timeslot that uses the principle of ‘correctness by design’. The constraints are handled by administrative processes at various levels of the hierarchy. A web based Java application facilitates concurrent use by multiple users across campuses and generates the timetable in constant time. Ways to handle the constraints and related sub-constraints, with ease, are discussed.