Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022
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Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D.
Educating Computing Technology
Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022
AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D.
This document presents a vision for technology education at CSUCI for foreseeable future. The term technology
is used here in lieu of the T from STEM, a well-known acronym standing for Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math. Engineering is another component of STEM, and is not considered in this document beyond the
following brief: Educating engineers is expensive, so in the current fiscal climate in the State of California (and
its consequences at CSUCI) it would be hard to justify a very substantial investment in that area. Especially, that
the job market for engineers (excluding computing-related careers) is much smaller, and grows much slower,
than the job market for computing-related careers. There are a number of options for aspiring engineers from
Ventura County (such as CSUN, UCSB, UCLA, USC, CalPoly) that can meet the local demands for engineering
professions. In contrast, there is a substantial deficit in the supply of computing-related jobs that cannot meet
the demand at the national, state, and county level. The interactive map published by National Center for
Women in Information Technology, NWIT, ([1]) shows the percentages of the demand that can be satisfied by
the current graduation rates from computing-related programs 1.
1 The map is based on the Federal Job Outlook data for years 2008-2018. The reminder of this document uses the current outlook data for 2010-2020 that are even more dramatic.
Monday, August 27, 2012 1
Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D.
In fact, 50% of the total STEM
employment in the Nation is
computing-related according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
United States Department of Labor
([2]). The Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM) has published a set of slides that summarizes the government data published as Occupational
Outlook Handbook 2010-20202 in a very compact and illustrative ways ([3]). Some of the statistics are copied
here, but the whole document that also addresses the high school pipeline issue is attached to this report. It is
well worth studying on its own, although it also touches topics outside of the focus of this document.
Here are some additional very interesting tidbits:
• computing is one of the TOP 10 fastest growing major occupational groups 2010-2020.
• 150,000+ job openings in computing annually
• 1 in every 2 STEM jobs will be in computing in 2020
2 The government publishes the outlook every two years for a 10-year window.
Monday, August 27, 2012 2Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D. The following graph illustrates the gap between the demand and supply in computing-related job market in the context of other disciplines. Please note that the green bar (last in each group) represents the demand, while the others when added constitute the supply 3. The next graph shows the scale and the distribution of computing jobs. It is also related to two largest engineering job markets, those for civil engineers and mechanical engineers. As the last graph borrowed from the ACM report (based on the government data ([4])) and quoted here shows, the market for computing-related jobs is not only fast growing, but also extremely lucrative. Graduates are hired on a spot and paid high starting salaries. State investment is multiplied by many folds over the span of their 3 Associate degrees cannot be counted completely as they do not suffice in many computing-related careers. Monday, August 27, 2012 3
Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D.
careers through the collection of taxes and driving the economy by above-average spending. Wall Street Journal
claims that Software Engineer is the best job in 2012 ([14])!
2010 Total % Growth 2011 Average
STEM Job
Employment 2010-2020 Annual Salary
Engineering
and
Architectural
Managers 176,800 9% $129,350
Computer
and
Informa/on
Systems
Managers 307,900 18% $125,660
Aerospace
Engineers 81,000 5% $103,870
SoAware
Developers,
Systems
and
Applica/ons 913,100 30% $96,250
Biochemists
and
Biophysicists 25,100 31% $87,640
Civil
Engineers 262,800 19% $82,710
Database
Administrators 110,800 31% $77,350
Environmental
ScienGsts 89,400 19% $68,810
Chemists 82,200 4% $74,780
Anthropologists and Archeologists 6,100 21% $59,040
Computing technology professions consistently place at the top of best jobs classifications that also takes job
satisfaction into account. Some statistics show that only one profession is better than a software developer, and
that of a college professor! ([15])
Should then CSUCI invest in educating computing technology professionals?
Absolutely! By all means! Studying the statistics and government predictions should make it obvious to the
reader that investing in educating computing technology professionals makes a lot of sense at many levels. With
the price of computers going down dramatically, computing degrees are substantially less expensive than
engineering and sciences that require a lot of specialized apparatuses and supplies. Although there are some
core subjects that require modest equipment, for many computing areas a fast computer is all what’s needed.
The question then is not if but rather how.
Computing Degrees
Before a vision can be discussed, definitions of computing degrees need to be spelled out to avoid confusion.
Computer Engineering degree is especially confusing by the use of the term engineering. The following brief
descriptions of computing degrees are quoted from the ACM literature ([5]).
Computer Science
Currently the most popular of the computing disciplines; tends to be relatively broad and with an emphasis on
the underlying science aspects.
Information Technology
Focuses on computing infrastructure and needs of individual users; tends to involve a study of systems (perhaps
just software systems, but perhaps also systems in support of learning, of information dissemination, etc.).
Monday, August 27, 2012 4Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D.
Computer Engineering
Typically involves software and hardware and the development of systems that involve software, hardware, and
communications.
Information Systems
Essentially, this is computing in an organizational context, typically in businesses.
Software Engineering
Focuses on large-scale software systems; employs certain ideas from the world of engineering in building
reliable software systems.
Current state of educating computing technology professionals at CSUCI
At the moment of writing this document, there are the following degrees offered at CSUCI ([6]):
• Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS)
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS)
• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT)
• Minor in Computer Science
• Minor in Information Technology
• Minor in Game Design and Development
• Minor in Robotics
The current degree charts for BSCS and BSIT are published on the program Web site ([6]) and are attached to
this document.
The degrees offered by the Computer Science Program are actually in a very good structural shape and can
easily compete at the local, state, and national levels. There is a substantial number of students from abroad in
the graduate program; there are some undergraduate visa students as well.
The most recent modifications introduced many interactive, hands-on components that are critical in educating
computer technology professionals. All programs are compliant with the guidelines published by ACM/IEEE-
CS ([7]) and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) ([8]). There will be new curriculum
guidelines published in 2013 ([9]), so some changes may be needed.
A vision for the future
Majors
While the population of students pursuing computing degrees has been systematically increasing, many
potential candidates go elsewhere due to the lack of computer engineering degree at CSUCI. Numerous local
companies expressed interest in hiring graduates with such degree that would include signal processing
specialization important in entertainment (e.g., movie production, recording studios, game developers) and
control industries (e.g., military and its sub-contractors). To remedy that, Computer Engineering degree was
added several years ago to the CSUCI Master Plan. Unfortunately, the implementation of the program had
many hurdles that so far have appeared unsurmountable. The degree should be implemented promptly, so
CSUCI offers a complementary set of computing degrees. Information Systems degree is generally offered by
Business programs, so the Computer Science program should not delve into that territory beyond the ongoing
Monday, August 27, 2012 5Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D.
collaboration with the School of Business. Software Engineering is covered well by our software development
inclined Computer Science degree (see Career Path 1 in ([10])), so no separate degree is necessary. Most of CS
graduates are hired as software engineers4.
The vision, therefore, is for three computing technology major degrees offered at CSUCI:
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
Additional Minors
With the introduction of a major, offering also a Minor in Computer Engineering would be inexpensive yet
potentially attractive degree to students from other majors (e.g., Applied Physics).
Designing content for the Internet as well as for the entertainment industry often requires elements of
programming. A Minor in Entertainment Programming would address such needs for Art students and a Minor
in Web Programming for Business majors.
In summary, the Computer Science program would support the following minors:
• Minor in Computer Science
• Minor in Information Technology
• Minor in Game Design and Development
• Minor in Robotics
• Minor in Computer Engineering
• Minor in Entertainment Programming
• Minor in Web Programming
Emphases
Computer Science
The Computer Science degree has a wide definition ([10]), therefore the program should introduce a number of
emphases targeting specific application areas:
• Emphasis in Entertainment Applications,
• Emphasis in Web Applications,
• Emphasis in Biomedical Applications,
• Emphasis in Numerical Methods.
Information Technology
CS faculty participated in establishing the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (BSHS), especially, in
designing the IT in Health emphasis. The government data show that a very large number of information
technology jobs will be in the health industry. Some of that demand will be satisfied by graduates of BSHS with
Emphasis in IT that will be trained to provide direct support for health professionals. However, there is also
extensive supporting back end computing, network, and database infrastructure that requires professionals with
background in information technology. The following emphasis will serve such needs:
4 Job titles are quite murky in computing fields and do not align well with the degrees. See ([4]) for more details.
Monday, August 27, 2012 6Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D.
• Emphasis in Health IT.
Computer Engineering
Digital signal processing is an important application area of computer engineering. Professionals specializing in
acoustic and video processing are especially attractive for local industry and government institutions. Each
specialization should be offered through the following Computer Engineering emphases:
• Emphasis in Acoustic Digital Signal Processing
• Emphasis in Image and Video Digital Signal Processing.
Graduate programs
MSCS
The Master in Science in Computer Science program has evolved into a solid offering for students seeking
advancing their professional and academic careers, and does not require any major changes beyond revising the
graduate courses in response to the evolution of the field.
MS Bioinformatics
It is proposed here that the Master of Science in Bioinformatics program is revived under the auspices of
Computer Science program. The program has been suspended for several years due to the lack of interest from
Biology graduates. The program was misplaced, since the degree is a Computer Science rather than Biology
degree. There should be a strong participation from Biology and Math obviously, but it’s the computation that is
the core of Bioinformatics (e.g., Data Mining is a CS field, and mining into the DNA is the primary activity in
Bioinformatics). The degree may be confused with Biotechnology, which is a strictly Biology field. As such, it's
been successful under the Biology wings, since it appeals to the candidates with degrees in Biology. In contrast,
Bioinformatics appeals to candidates from Computer Science, Math, Applied Physics, who are trained in
algorithms and programming, but need a better understanding of the application area that in this case is Biology.
Service courses
The program offers a number of GE courses with COMP101 having the largest enrollment. With the predicted
growth in the student population, many more sections will be needed.
In recognition of its importance in the world we live in, computing technology through COMP 101 has been
included along Math and English as the foundation of CSUCI education. Recently however, like Gutenberg’s
print, the Internet has been pushing the world through a technological revolution that makes the ability to
navigate and process vast amounts of distributed information efficiently an indispensable skill. COMP 101 does
not cover that, as it’s focus is on skills aimed at using a single computer. A new GE 1-level courses that focuses
on foundations of data mining and the use of social networks should be included in the basic education of every
CSUCI student.
The GE upper division courses such as COMP 447 Societal Issues in Computer Science and COMP/PSY 449
Human Machine Interaction that are offered online have been extremely successful. The new course COMP/
SOC/COMM 342 on Social Networks should prove a success as well when it’s offered in Spring 2013 or soon
after. There have been attempts (unfortunately unsuccessful so far) to entice History program into another
collaboration on History of the Internet and World Wide Web; that effort should continue.
Monday, August 27, 2012 7Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D. Applying non-traditional approaches to course delivery Some attempts have been made to offer university programs online. That approach would not serve well the population of students coming to CSUCI. The core computer science courses should be offered in class in the format with extended hands-on labs. The feedback collected from several cohorts of students and the improved quality of the graduates prove that the approach works well. Some selected independent individuals may thrive in a self-served environment, but most students need interactivity with peers and the instructor to learn effectively. However, some courses can be successfully offered online; a few were mentioned in the previous section. At the moment, COMP 101 students have an option to test out, although they formally stay in the course and may improve the grade. The whole course should be gradually moved to self-served online offering. While the initial investment will be substantial, subsequent savings should come in a number of returns: sections, classroom space, instructor time, etc. That approach also requires stability in the learning management system that CSUCI uses, so that needs to be done in close collaboration with the IT. The experience gained with a transition of COMP 101 will be used for other programs, especially for remedial Math and English, but also other programs. Another approach could be to engage an external party to create self-administered online formats for selected courses ([16]). Some other courses could be moved to a blended blended format; for example COMP 102 Web Development and COMP 105 Introduction to Programming. In fact, one of the sections of COMP 105 is offered experimentally through the blended program currently underway at CSUCI. The plans will be revised as more experience is gained in the subsequent phases of project. Outreach Advisory board The Computer Science program should have an Advisory Board consisting of the local leaders from the industry and local governments (including schools, colleges, etc.). High school pipeline The Computer Science program should collaborate with the local school boards in establishing AP courses in computing at the local schools. That would increase the number of high school graduates choosing CSUCI and computing technology fields. Specialized summer camps should be offered to increase awareness of the program and computing professions. Especially needed are programs for female and URM students. The university should create publications that explain the degrees, show prospects for successful careers, explain the foundation requirements, would be helpful. Community college pipeline The Computer Science program should work more tightly with the local colleges. Unfortunately, only Moorpark CC offers some courses in computing. Neither Ventura CC nor Oxnard CC have substantial offerings. Nevertheless, outreach activities like professorial visits, student demos, summer camps, etc., could both increase the number of transfers selecting computing technology fields and prepare them better for the studies. The program has already made some inroads by inviting students from colleges to participate in the annual Programming Guru contest at CSUCI. As with the high schools, publishing material that explains the degrees, shows prospects for successful careers, explains the foundation requirements, would certainly be useful. Monday, August 27, 2012 8
Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D.
Collaboration with other universities
According to the Master Plan for Higher Education in California ([11]), CSU campuses can collaborate in
doctoral training with campuses of University of California ([12]) through:
• Joint Doctoral Degree Programs
• Articulated Master's/Doctoral Programs
However, to be a serious partner for counterpart programs at other universities a CSU program has to be well-
established. The body of the Computer Science program faculty would need to grow substantially to initiate
such undertakings.
The natural partner for CSUCI would be the Santa Barbara campus of University of California. If CSUCI
indeed invests into substantial development of computing technology degrees, then it is conceivable that in a
few years the Computer Science program may approach the counterpart program at UCSB with a proposal to
establish an articulated program. One of the MSCS graduates completed a Ph.D. degree at UCSB recently and
found a professorial position at another university; another is pursuing a Ph.D., so there are some inroads.
However, MSCS courses need stable support by tenure-track faculty to be considered for articulation, and that
will not be possible until the program has appropriate number of tenure-track faculty members.
Setting up a joint doctoral program is a very complex task that such a young program as CSUCI’s Computer
Science cannot undertake, so there are no plans for that in the foreseeable future.
Accreditation
Program accreditation is important for external interaction with funding institutions, academic peers, as well as
for potential candidates, who often are not familiar with the educational system in the USA and in California.
Computing technology programs are accredited by Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
(ABET). ABET’s Criteria for Accrediting Computing Programs 2012 - 2013 ([8]) collects very strict
requirements for accreditation.
While Computer Science program is compatible with the accreditation guidelines in many respects, the lack of
resources makes accreditation unfeasible at the time of this writing. A substantial mass in the body of tenure-
track faculty and the availability of substantial lab space are important accreditation criteria. When the program
gets the promised space in the West Side Hall, and the number of tenure-track faculty is indeed increased
dramatically, time and human resources should be committed to obtaining ABET accreditation.
Resources
Human
Faculty
The program suffers from a dramatic deficit in human resources: all degrees are managed with just two tenure-
track faculty members. The faculty has been working under extreme stress for years to alleviate that deficiency.
The situation is particularly hard in the graduate program in which all instructors must have doctorates, and
hiring contingent faculty is very difficult due to the very high salaries of Ph.D. holders in the industry and high
job satisfaction in computing technology fields.
As recent as in 2007, the Computer Science program offered core courses only once a year, since there were not
enough students enrolled. As of 2012, the program offers two sections a year in Computer Science core, while
starting to fill courses in the revised Information Technology curriculum well. In spite of the substantial growth,
the body of tenure-track faculty has the same size (2) as ten years ago, although it was higher (3) between 2005
Monday, August 27, 2012 9Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D. and 2010. This abnormal situation has to change immediately. There are plans to hire two more professors in 2013-2014, but that is not sufficient; the program should already have 6-7 tenure-track faculty to properly support the existing workload and be on par with the support for other CSUCI programs. The growth in the program size that has been observed over the last few years will accelerate in response to the government predictions for the job market, as well as to the high level of job satisfaction, low unemployment and high salaries in the computing industry. That trend has already been observed across the nation ([13]). If the university invests in technology education along the lines drafted in this document, over the next ten years, the population of students pursuing computing degrees at CSUCI will likely be in the range of 400 (BSCS: 150, BSIT: 100, BSCS:100, and MSCS: 50). The student body at the university will likely be in the range of 10,000 by 2022, so the program FTES will increase dramatically. To support the growth, the university should aim at hiring more tenure-track faculty for the program over the next ten years, so by 2022 Computer Science has approximately 15 tenure track faculty. Staff The Computer Science lab facilities lack some equipment, but a larger problem is related to human resources as well. The lack of tenure-track faculty hinders permanency in lab patronage, but there is also a need for technical support personnel. The program has been employing student IT assistants without a budget line item since the IT support position was moved to the IT department. Since then, numerous core courses have been revised and include substantial hands-on lab components. Like in other sciences (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), specialized support lab is a necessity, so a full-time professional should be hired to provide technical lab support to the program immediately. Labs The program lab and classroom facilities start to be under strain. The general CS/IT labs are highly utilized, so the lack of open lab slots limits access to the labs for many students needing to work on homework assignments. Some help has been provided through a number of specialized computers in the library. Nevertheless, the current labs should serve the program sufficiently until the West Side Hall is built in 2015. The space in the new labs designed to support degrees outlined in this document (including Computer Engineering, new minors, new emphases, and extended GE offerings) should satisfy program needs for the foreseeable future. Acknowledgments The author would like to express his gratitude to Prof. Peter Smith and to Mrs. Anna Bieszczad for their valuable constructive feedback. References 1. http://www.ncwit.org/edjobsmap 2. http://www.bls.gov/emp 3. http://www.acm.org/public-policy/2012_CS_Slides_Aug.pptx 4. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm 5. http://computingcareers.acm.org/ 6. http://compsci.csuci.edu/degrees/ 7. http://www.acm.org/education/curricula-recommendations 8. http://www.abet.org/DisplayTemplates/DocsHandbook.aspx?id=1805 Monday, August 27, 2012 10
Educating Computing Technology Professionals at CSUCI 2012-2022 by AJ Bieszczad, Ph.D.
9. http://ai.stanford.edu/users/sahami/CS2013/
10. http://computingcareers.acm.org/?page_id=8
11. http://www.ucop.edu/acadinit/mastplan/mp.htm
12. http://www.ucop.edu/acadinit/uccsu/collaborations.htm
13. http://cra.org/govaffairs/blog/2012/04/undergrad-computer-science-enrollments-rise-for-fourth-straight-
year-cra-taulbee-report/
14. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304587704577335703058909284.html
15. http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/moneymag/0910/gallery.bestjobs_leaststress.moneymag/4.html
16. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/04/19/pearson-partners-ivy-tech-self-paced-online-gen-ed-
courses
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