International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

line decor
  
line decor

 Volume 11, Issue 9 (September 2024), Pages: 88-99

----------------------------------------------

 Technical Note

Optimizing faculty resource allocation in higher education: A mathematical model for strategic planning

 Author(s): 

 Lulah Alnaji 1, *, Saleh Mufleh Alsager 2, Ochi Aymen 3

 Affiliation(s):

 1Department of Mathematics, College of Science, University of Hafr Al-Batin, Hafar Al-Batin, Saudi Arabia
 2Department of Agriculture Engineering, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
 3Department of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Hafr Al-Batin, Hafar Al-Batin, Saudi Arabia

 Full text

  Full Text - PDF

 * Corresponding Author. 

  Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3367-192X

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2024.09.010

 Abstract

This paper introduces a new mathematical model aimed at improving how faculty resources are allocated in higher education institutions. The model takes into account the complexities of student enrollment, teaching quality, and program offerings. It provides a structured method to estimate faculty needs, including both Ph.D. holders teaching core courses and teaching assistants or lecturers managing practical courses, labs, and related tasks. By considering factors such as class sizes, faculty workloads, and student enrollment patterns, the model offers useful insights for academic planning. Two case studies from Hafr Al Batin University illustrate the model's practical value and flexibility. These examples show how the model can support informed decision-making, helping to maintain a balance between student numbers and teaching quality. The paper concludes by highlighting the importance of data-driven planning in the changing field of higher education, suggesting future research directions, and positioning the model as a key tool for improving the management and administration of higher education. The main goal is to ensure a high-quality education for students while making efficient use of resources.

 © 2024 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

 Mathematical model, Faculty resource allocation, Higher education, Student enrollment, Strategic planning

 Article history

 Received 19 April 2024, Received in revised form 16 August 2024, Accepted 4 September 2024

 Acknowledgment

No Acknowledgment.

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Alnaji L, Alsager SM, and Aymen O (2024). Optimizing faculty resource allocation in higher education: A mathematical model for strategic planning. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 11(9): 88-99

 Permanent Link to this page

 Figures

 Fig. 1 Fig. 2

 Tables

 No Table

----------------------------------------------   

 References (22)

  1. Bland CJ, Center BA, Finstad DA, Risbey KR, and Staples JG (2005). A theoretical, practical, predictive model of faculty and department research productivity. Academic Medicine, 80(3): 225-237. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200503000-00006   [Google Scholar] PMid:15734804
  2. Bousnguar H, Najdi L, and Battou A (2022). Forecasting approaches in a higher education setting. Education and Information Technologies, 27: 1993-2011. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10684-z   [Google Scholar]
  3. Buckner E and Zhang Y (2021). The quantity-quality tradeoff: a cross-national, longitudinal analysis of national student-faculty ratios in higher education. Higher Education, 82: 39-60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00621-3   [Google Scholar] PMid:34720134 PMCid:PMC8550476
  4. Carpenter BW, Hermanson DR, and Mensah MO (2013). The accounting doctorate shortage: Opportunities for practitioners. Strategic Finance, 94(11): 31-36.   [Google Scholar]
  5. Dlamini NG and Dlamini ND (2024). Understanding the well-being challenges confronting academic staff in South African universities: A narrative review. Discover Education, 3: 9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00089-8   [Google Scholar]
  6. Ehrenberg RG (2000). Tuition rising: Why college costs so much. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, USA. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674034433   [Google Scholar]
  7. Ewell PT (2009). Assessment, accountability, and improvement. NILOA Occasional Paper #1, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment, Champaign, USA.   [Google Scholar]
  8. Fairweather JS (2005). Beyond the rhetoric: Trends in the relative value of teaching and research in faculty salaries. The Journal of Higher Education, 76(4): 401-422. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.2005.0027   [Google Scholar]
  9. Gappa JM, Austin AE, and Trice AG (2007). Rethinking faculty work: Higher education's strategic imperative. Jossey-Bass, Hoboken, USA.   [Google Scholar]
  10. Jaeger AJ and Eagan Jr MK (2009). Unintended consequences: Examining the effect of part-time faculty members on associate's degree completion. Community College Review, 36(3): 167-194. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552108327070   [Google Scholar]
  11. Jaquette O and Curs BR (2023). Enrollment growth and faculty hiring at public research universities. Research in Higher Education, 64(3): 349-378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-022-09707-6   [Google Scholar]
  12. Leal Filho W, Wall T, Salvia AL, Vasconcelos CR, Abubakar IR, Minhas A, Mifsud M, Kozlova V, Lovren VO, Azadi H, and Sharifi A (2024). The impacts of the COVID-19 lockdowns on the work of academic staff at higher education institutions: An international assessment. Environment, Development and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04484-x   [Google Scholar]
  13. Mobley M and Easley R (2021). The faculty recruitment-retention connection: A strategic linkage approach. Atlantic Marketing Journal, 10(2): 5.   [Google Scholar]
  14. Naidoo-Chetty M and Du Plessis M (2021). Job demands and job resources of academics in higher education. Frontiers in Psychology, 12: 631171. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631171   [Google Scholar] PMid:34248738 PMCid:PMC8260971
  15. Pavlov OV and Katsamakas E (2020). Will colleges survive the storm of declining enrollments? A computational model. PLOS ONE, 15(8): e0236872. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236872   [Google Scholar] PMid:32776955 PMCid:PMC7416962
  16. Petersen B, Koshy-Chenthittayil S, DeArmond M, and Caromile LA (2023). Assessment of diversity-based approaches used by American Universities to increase recruitment and retention of biomedical sciences research faculty members: A scoping review protocol. PLOS ONE, 18(6): e0276089. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276089   [Google Scholar] PMid:37347732 PMCid:PMC10286964
  17. Rhoades G (2001). Managing productivity in an academic institution: Rethinking the whom, which, what, and whose of productivity. Research in Higher Education, 42: 619-632. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011006511651   [Google Scholar]
  18. Sorcinelli MDE and Austin AE (1992). Developing new and junior faculty. Jossey-Bass, Hoboken, USA. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.37219925005   [Google Scholar]
  19. Steele MM, Fisman S, and Davidson B (2013). Mentoring and role models in recruitment and retention: A study of junior medical faculty perceptions. Medical Teacher, 35(5): e1130-e1138. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2012.735382   [Google Scholar] PMid:23137243
  20. Szromek AR and Wolniak R (2020). Job satisfaction and problems among academic staff in higher education. Sustainability, 12(12): 4865. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124865   [Google Scholar]
  21. Wang L and Calvano L (2022). Class size, student behaviors and educational outcomes. Organization Management Journal, 19(4): 126-142. https://doi.org/10.1108/OMJ-01-2021-1139   [Google Scholar]
  22. Watermeyer R, Bolden R, Knight C, and Crick T (2024). Academic anomie: Implications of the ‘great resignation’ for leadership in post-COVID higher education. Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01268-0   [Google Scholar]