White Mountain launches UniversiTools Exam Scheduler software

Exam Scheduler will be available for installation in August 2008.

University registrars can obtain 100% conflict-free exam timetables with Universi-Tools Exam Scheduler.

The software manages room capacity, professor preferences, and other constraints to optimize all variables related to the exam period.

It also reduces back-to-back exams for students on the same day.

In March 2008, White Mountain announced its software license agreement with the American University of Beirut (Lebanon) Office of Grants and Contracts to develop, market, and sell the university's conflict-free exam scheduling software.

Professor Moueen Salameh, AUB Registrar and member of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers (AACRAO), created and perfected the scheduling algorithm over the past decade.

"We've automated the process at AUB," explains Salameh, "so that it literally takes us minutes to finalize 100% conflict-free exam schedules as soon as Add/Drop period closes at the beginning of a semester."

"We define the time period for exams, then the software groups courses into conflict free exam sessions." The input data includes the list of courses to be scheduled and the student registration records.

Salameh makes clear that "no student gets scheduled for more than one exam at the same time. We also minimize the number of students having to take more than two consecutive exams per one day, what we call back-to-back conflicts constraint."

Scheduling is generally a pain point for university registrars, as they attempt to accommodate thousands of students during pre-defined, limited exam periods.