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This program is tentative and subject to change.

Fri 28 Feb 2025 11:15 - 11:25 at Meeting Rooms 408-410 - Lightning Talks #2

This study describes our current effort to expand our previous research to a national scale, exploring the implications of students’ employability and salary between Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Sciences (BS) in Computer Science (CS) degrees. The literature on broadening participation has identified numerous barriers, but these challenges frequently burden students instead of addressing the underlying systemic issues within the curriculum. Previous research has identified bottleneck courses like calculus and physics as barriers to persistence in CS, especially for women and people of color. Reimagining the curriculum and introducing alternative pathways, such as BA in CS, can eliminate bottlenecks and enhance access and retention without compromising essential skills in computing. To understand the implications of the BA pathway on employability and salary, we conducted a study at a large minority-serving institution (MSI) with a CS department serving around 2,000 students. Our previous research revealed that a BA degree offers comparable employment opportunities to a BS degree. While many students view math courses as a significant barrier, broader career aspirations and a faster route to graduation also drive them to pursue a BA. Despite earning potential being important, we discovered salary differences between the two degrees, emphasizing the need for clear communication to help diverse students make informed decisions about their degree paths in CS. Given the findings from a single MSI, we recognize the importance of expanding this project nationally. This lightning talk will discuss background context, lessons learned, and potential collaborations for broader implementation.

This program is tentative and subject to change.

Fri 28 Feb

Displayed time zone: Eastern Time (US & Canada) change

10:45 - 11:55
10:45
10m
Talk
A Joint Taskforce on Undergraduate Data Science Curriculum: An Introduction and Opportunity for Feedback
Lightning Talks
Paul Leidig Grand Valley State University, Maureen Doyle Northern Kentucky University
10:55
10m
Talk
Becoming a Data Scientist: Understanding the Data Science Identity Formation in a Data Science Program
Lightning Talks
Rachel Roca Department of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering; Michigan State University
11:05
10m
Talk
Cognitive Load Dilema: Adding Language Support to CS Curriculum
Lightning Talks
Sofia De Jesus Carnegie Mellon University, Timothy Barnes Carnegie Mellon University, Mark Stehlik Carnegie Mellon University, David Kosbie Carnegie Mellon University, Erin Bozzo Carnegie Mellon University
11:15
10m
Talk
Going National: Exploring the Employability and Salary Insights from Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Degrees for Broadening Participation
Lightning Talks
Jia Zhu The Ohio State University, Monique Ross The Ohio State University, Mark Weiss Florida International University, Kathleen Quardokus Fisher University of Notre Dame
11:25
10m
Talk
I have an Idea that Needs Funding! What’s Next? NOT SO FAQs Regarding NSF and Program Director Engagement
Lightning Talks
11:35
10m
Talk
Shaping the next generation of computing researchers through a year-long immersive undergraduate research experience in socially relevant computing
Lightning Talks
Farzana Rahman Syracuse University
11:45
10m
Talk
Spiral Cultivation of Soft Skills in Computer Science Education
Lightning Talks
Noa Ragonis Beit Berl college