A multiobjective faculty-course-time slot assignment problem with preferences

A faculty-course-time slot assignment problem is studied. The multiobjective 0-1 linear programming model considering both the administration's and instructors' preferences is developed and a demonstrative example is included. Both modeling and solving such problems are difficult tasks due to the size, the varied nature, and conflicting objectives of the problems. The difficulty increases because the individuals involved in the problem may have different preferences related to the instructors, courses, and time slots. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) are used to weigh different and conflicting objectives. These weights are used in different scalarization approaches. The scalarized problems are solved using a standard optimization package, and solutions corresponding to the AHP and ANP weights are compared. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.