Computer Science Undergraduate Student Board

Preface

The Computer Sciences Department at Purdue University takes great pride in the fact that it was the first in its field. The Department has continually strived to hire top-notch faculty, attract talented graduate students, and focus its resources on teaching the best undergraduates.

However, even this resolve could not overcome the early problems faced by Purdue Computer Science. Communication between students of the department and the faculty was lacking. The administration wasn't accurately assessing how the students perceived the department. On the other hand, students felt they did not have an important voice in departmental decisions. There were no efficient ways to make the two bodies (administration and students) interact and share opinions.

Another problem facing the department lay with the corporate partners of the department. When the corporate representatives and donators visit Purdue CS for a feel for how the department is running, they received a very positive and upbeat report of the state of the department. There was no way for corporations to see exactly what needed to be improved here at Purdue CS.

Formation

In 1999, the Computer Science Undergraduate Student Board (USB) was founded by Curt Knapp and Stephanie Scherer, two upperclassmen in Computer Science. The original members were hand-picked students in Computer Science who had a genuine care for the department and its running. Students had to show an interest in improving the general state of CS and an enthusiasm for following the duties laid out in the board constitution.

The USB has not forgotten this tradition and still selects its members once a year through a rigorous interview process. This ensures that the board selects the best and most passionate candidates.

Today, the USB is a group made up of a maximum of twelve undergraduates in the Department of Computer Sciences who are determined to make this a better place to study and obtain a degree.

Objectives

This board has six primary objectives as follows:

1. To become a voice and a vehicle for action for the undergraduate students of Computer Sciences,

2. To stay in touch with the concerns and needs of these students and accurately focus its energies towards solving those concerns,
3. To aid in decisions about the undergraduate curriculum made by the Department of Computer Sciences and offer the students. opinion on these matters,
4. To bridge the gap between faculty and students in the Department of Computer Sciences by facilitating interaction,
5. To offer opportunities for undergraduate students to build upon their marketable skills such as interviewing and resume building,
6. To expose undergraduate students to opportunities beyond their Computer Sciences degree, whether it lie in graduate school or industry.

Accomplishments

In its first few years, the USB has had a positive impact on this department. First and foremost, we have developed a strong relationship with our department head, Dr. Susanne Hambrusch, and kept her abreast of the issues raised by students. The USB has also kept up a strong relationship with the other administrators in the Department as well as the Corporate Partners Council. Twice a year, the USB meets with these company representatives to answer questions about the state of the department.
Since the primary focus of this organization is to improve the department for students, one of our major functions is to hold student feedback forums. These are regular chances for students to air their concerns about the department and its courses. It is also an opportunity for the student body to learn more about the happenings in the department straight from the administrators and professors. From the discussions at these forums, the USB is better able to field the concerns of the students and focus its energies appropriately.

In the past, students have voiced concerns regarding the curriculum which has led to modifications to the first two years of the undergraduate curriculum to include more emphasis on the C language and some fundamentals of Computer Science. The USB has also helped improve some courses by bringing the problems to the department's attention as well as successfully bringing about a pay raise for undergraduate teaching assistants.
Since the USB is formed of students, the student body should find it convenient to bring up these issues openly. The USB takes on the responsibility of acting on these issues and bringing them to a resolution.

The USB also holds various other events such as the mixers where students have an opportunity to interact informally with people such as the Corporate Partners or Faculty. In addition, we send out regular newsletters and updates informing the students of our department of current events and exciting research.

Leadership

1999-2000: Stephanie Scherer (Chairwoman) & Curt Knapp (Co-Chairman)
2000-2001: David Koenig (Chairman) & Craig Hanna (Co-Chairman)
2001-2002: Amar Kumar (Chairman) & Charlie Lambert (Co-Chairman)
2002-2003: Amar Kumar (Chairman) & Charlie Lambert (Co-Chairman)
2003-2004: Gagan Gujral (Chairman) & Carlie Bower (Co-Chairwoman)
2004-2005: Carlie Bower (Chairwoman) & Michael Armbrust (Co-Chairman)
2005-2006: Michael Armbrust (Chairman) & Gregory Ose (Co-Chairman)
2006-2007: Alex Hanna (Chairman) & Chris Line (Co-Chairman)
2007-2008: Chris Line (Chairman) & James Kung (Co-Chairman)
2008-2009: Jason Akers (Chairman) & George Tebbetts (Co-Chairman)

Looking forward

The USB is focusing its energies on two distinct fronts:

1. Publicizing itself as a voice for the student in the department as well as making the student more aware of what there is to explore here at Purdue CS.

2. Developing a stronger relationship with some of the other organizations in Computer Science

This year's board is very enthusiastic about improving the state of this department and has taken on these new initiatives. Be on the lookout for these changes coming soon.