School of Computer Science Wiki

• Wide range of previous experience in course
• result is that true novices feel rushed and experienced programmers are bored and disengaged
• the experienced students develop bad habits
• from fall survey (~1/3 response rate) 30% reported more than 2 years of prior programming, 28% reported 1-2 years of prior programming
• its not always the computer science students with prior experience- many of them come in with no prior programming.
• making a separate first semester course for 'non programming majors' is an option but logistically a challenge, especially when students often switch majors in first semester
• simpler, lower cost solution is to exempt students who can demonstrate adequate programming skill from 1500
• summer programming test- on site, evaluated in person.
• exemption rather than challenge exam lets us do this in the summer at no cost to the student
• students would need something to take in the fall.. we propose offering cis2500 in the fall. has the nice side effect of letting students who fail it this semester 'catch up' a semester early.
• there are 3 sections of 1500 now, if 1/3 of the students qualify for an exemption then this is a resource-neutral initiative
• scheduling and the avpa's office are on board and willing to help make it go

CIS*3490 to Soft Eng 1910/2910 semester move (to semester 1 and semester 2) remove math 1200 from CS curriculum and replace with problem solving course that is CS restricted

Motion: CIS*1500 should be taught in a language which fosters advanced problem solving skills rather than learning of syntax. The committee recommends that the CIS*1500 instructors choose a language with a python-like syntax. The choice will be reported back to the curriculum committee by March 1. (carried unanimously) Curriculum committee feels that new majors should be pursued AFTER we have resources and that we should make minor changes to existing programs to encourage continued growth.