Modeling Counseling Center Wait Times

The demand for counseling in colleges continues to increase, including Appalachian State University. Using data provided by Appalachian’s counseling center, I create three simulations: the Individual Referral Simulation (IRS), the Top Heavy IRS, the Bottom Heavy IRS, and the Part-Time IRS. I found that increasing staff to hold only ten appointments more a week for individual counseling reduced wait times and allowed all referred students in the simulation to receive at least one appointment. If increasing staff is not possible, the Bottom Heavy IRS also results in a decrease of wait times, although not as much as the Part-Time IRS.