The First-Year Seminar Assignment Problem: A Multi-Objective Optimization Approach

Introduction

Introduction Many colleges and universities have a first-year seminar program, serving as a crucial bridge for new students entering higher education. These seminars introduce the rigors of college-level work through writing assignments, research projects, and classroom discussions. As noted by Jaijairam [2016] and Kudrna et al. [2024], first-year seminars enhance students’ academic skills, critical thinking, and intellectual curiosity, while also fostering a sense of community and belonging. These programs often combine the roles of course instructor and academic advisor, providing students with a more personalized and supportive experience.

Seminar topics typically vary annually, encompassing a wide range of disciplines across the institution. Incoming first-year students receive a list of available seminars, along with detailed course descriptions, and are asked to select and prioritize those that best align with their interests and preferences. Institutions then assign students to seminars, balancing student preferences with course capacities.

While students prefer being placed in one of their higher-ranked seminars, faculty aim to ensure that seminar demographics are roughly representative of the entire student body, creating a microcosm of the college.