Spring 2007 CS Undergraduate Studies Committee Notes

Reviewed data summaries from student course assessments and faculty course assessments - alumni surveys, and results - ACM feedback sessions and results

Spring 2007 - We have added a 50 minute CS330 Recitation/Lab in Spring 2007 (recommendation by Kapoor and I think you also in the past). We are planning on having a Grad TA that can use this 50 minute Recitation/Lab to solve examples for the students. The TA may need assistance in choosing appropriate problems based on your lecture plan. We can provide the textbook answer key. It is up to you how you want to handle this for the students, as required, as extra credit, or just as partial office hours for the TA in a classroom

Meeting #1 > agenda items > -detailed review course from last fall (cs440, I am getting > materials from > Beckman) > we tried to do CS487 in spring 06, but Wallace's last semester was > not a > good choice, and Leung's first semester in Fall 06 was not a good > choice so > we chose CS440 > > - summarize and review course assessments from spring06 and fall > 06. I have > done spring06 summary of all course assessments, but can I pass out > materials on Wed this week to our committee for summary work for > fall 06? > > - look at newest ABET requirements

2/26/07 Meeting - Lets plan to meet at 12:45 on the 26th in room 233 (or wherever Dawn can put us). - Review materials from last year's course (CS 440) - Discuss ABET - Review: CS 440 -- got stuff from Beckman Lecture Notes, Nazli (2/3) , Yee (1/3) Exams: Shlomo Programming Problems: Zhiling

CS440 Materials for review http://www.prancingtarantula.net/cs440-review.tgz It's mostly stuff from last semester, but I put in the lectures I've given so far this semester if they were changed. Planned changes for this semester: a 'history of programming languages' lecture (normally I break that up over the semester), and a lecture on the implementation of prolog.

CS440 Review - Course is fine, no changes recommended

Review Fall2006 Course Evals - Every Spring we look at Spring and Fall assessments. - Testing Podcasts --- 430 Algorithms - Comments from evals CS 350 -- TA has too much power, lab is 50%, assignment 10% Course is disorganized. Cindy taught the course. Disorganized, confusing, frustrating: Teacher not prepared. Feedback: Committee decided that was her first time teaching this course and we will make sure the teacher gets these comments. We will watch it more closely. We will ask her to send us a plan to improve the course and address this comments and the committee look at it next meeting. CS 487 -- Francis Leong --- practical and real world --- didn't grade quickly enough. Grades were not explained. Required the use of web applications of a database back end. Feedback: Grade faster, Explain grading criteria, Provide module on database systems --- at least point them to database references We will give the instructor feedback. CS485 - Love Charlie Bauer's class -- only offered once a week CS 455 -- Data Communications Like Soneru's class -- liked his lectures, required them to come to campus. Problems were unclear --- projects were unclear. Too much time on the physical layer of the class. CS 450 -- OS --- didn't like Michael Lee's class. One of the students thought it was OK for a guinea pig class. For Michael Lee's class, wanted to see whats going to happen for the whole semester. Didn't adhere to the syllabus. No homeworks. Required them to go to class for a couple of labs. Didn't space out the projects well enough. CS 100 -- Matt is the best teacher. 100 people thought it was covered superficially CS 105 Hanrath is the best teacher. 105 Non CS majors taking 105 now have an appreciation of stuff Recommend: Hanrath should get a raise --- committee told this to the chair immediately.

ABET --- FALL 2008 Matt will talk to Kallend

Advising Discusssion March 2005 In reviewing some of the ABET requirements, one thing I thought of is our advising of undegrads. They are fine with me handling the administrative side, but want all full time faculty to be involved in some capacity. Maybe we can work on designing a mentor program for CS undergrads with full time CS faculty (tenured and non-tenured track). Each faculty would have only 8-10 mentees. We could start next fall

Yee- We could do this, but we'd probably need some training materials. For grad advising, I am constantly asking Vida what to do.

DG - I like the spirit of what you are trying to do, but sadly we have to be realistic. We have to face the realities that many faculty would not really do anything if we sent them an e-mail that said here are your eight students. Mentoring undergrads doesn't show up on any of their real evaluation criteria. I wish it were different, but I think its wrong to set up the impression that we'll do something and then not really do it. I'm all for talking to the faculty and seeing if any would actually participate or enjoy participating and then have them do it, but to just assign students to faculty seems to be unrealistic It would give students the impression that faculty are eager to do this sort of advising and in reality it wouldn't get done. When I met with the ABET folks they said they much preferred having departments indicate who really does the work and if its someone like a Matt Bauer that's fine with them. They know some faculty have no interest in this area and they don't like a department trying to put up a facade. I think what happens at most research oriented schools is that some faculty really take an interest and help students that they meet in their classes and some faculty don't. I get the impression that all good schools make sure that there is someone around like a Matt Bauer who really knows what is doing and who the students trust and they make sure that guy is rewarded for his efforts. Lets keep the conversation going and let me know what you all think.

Matt - Sounds good to query faculty and see who may be interested, your being more realistic we can talk next meeting. Maybe start informal lunches with students and faculty. Start Faculty Mentor Program

April 23 Meeting Atttendees: Shlomo Argamon, Matthew Bauer, Nazli Goharian, David Grossman, Bogdan Korel, Zhilin Lan, Wai Gen Yee

CS 487 chosen for the fall, Request CS487 Materials for S07 Review

Upgrades to CS 100 planned over the summer. Potential for some funding from the school, Shlomo will follow-up on that.

Nazli discussed impact of having internet class on-line. Proposal: register for on-line, If not registered on-line does not get access to on-line course. Only 400 level courses. Faculty impression for undergrad courses. Matt will send out an e-mail. Bogdan will determine what controls are possible. Freshman courses take attendance. We will review these numbers. Add restrictions for UGs to register for internet section unless they have advisor and instructor permission

Discussion on new math elec course Math435 - Linear Optimization - approved to be added to Math elec list, UGAA notified