PEW MIDSTATES SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS CONSORTIUM

Faculty Development Workshop
Computer Science in the Next Decade
Hope College, November 15-17, 2002

Final Report

Coordinator: Herb Dershem
Phone: 616-395-7508
dershem@hope.edu

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The Faculty Development Workshop for Computer Science, sponsored by the PEW Midstates Consortium, was held at Hope College on November 15-17, 2002. It was well-attended, with representatives from every undergraduate consortium institution except one. The workshop also included a number of participants from non-PEW GLCA schools.

The workshop addressed three major issues confronting small college computer science programs. They are the role and nature of the introductory course, recruiting and retaining females in computer science, and issues of faculty recruitment. The format of the workshop also permitted the attendees to contribute other issues for deliberation.

The workshop was designed to encourage contributions from all participants, and it was successful in that regard. Our keynote speaker was Henry Walker from Grinnell, who is the chair of the ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education. Henry gave a litany of issues facing small college computer science programs, stimulating all participants to consider these issues in the context of their own institutions. This was followed by panels and group discussions on the three issues of introductory course, faculty recruitment, and female participation. All participants were invited to share ideas on any related topic in a show and tell session. Small groups were formed around issues beyond the three addressed that the participants had determined to be important. These discussions were then reported back to the entire group for further conversation.

The interactions at the workshop were very useful to many of the participants. A number of participants established contacts with others that will be of great assistance in professional development, curricular matters, or pedagogy. In the final session, where the participants considered future follow-up to this workshop, they unanimously agreed that a repeat of this workshop would be of value, probably in two years. It was also agreed that next year a workshop of an interdisciplinary nature that involves computer science would be of value.

Finally, the participants were unanimous in their praise for the facilities and accommodations. Comments were made that this was the finest venue for such a workshop that they had ever experienced.

Herbert L. Dershem
Workshop Coordinator

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Last updated 02/13/2003