Almost three weeks after Commencement, it finally feels like summer.
Reflections on the first weeks of summer
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Author Archives: Janet Davis
Letter to the Editor: Whitman sees increased interest in computer science
Yesterday the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin printed my first letter to the editor. I read an article about demand for computer science in the Sunday newspaper, and was disappointed that there was no local angle on the story. Wednesday morning I got to work early and wrote this letter. Thanks to Gina Ohnstad, Manager of Media and Public Relations, for her feedback and assistance. Continue reading
Pre-registration results for Fall 2016
Gentle readers, last time I left you with a cliffhanger:
Will Whitman CS be overwhelmed by students in Fall 2016, underwhelmed, or both at the same time?
The answer is both—though not too badly in either direction. Here are the numbers as of the conclusion of pre-registration for rising second-year students:
Prospective students and pre-registration
I’ve heard colleagues describe April as “the month of a thousand nights” because of all the senior recitals, shows, celebrations, and so on. April is also the month of admitted student visits and fall pre-registration. Next year I need to account for all the time in April I’ll spend just talking with current and prospective students.
3-2 CS and joint majors
Yesterday, the Math Department met, and we started a discussion of joint majors. This morning, I met with Fred Moore, Physics, who is the advisor for Whitman’s 3-2 Engineering and Computer Science program, to discuss the future of 3-2 CS. Continue reading
We have a team!
The first meeting of the Whitman CS faculty was today!
I wrote about our first hire, John Stratton, in an earlier post. We have now filled our second position.
How I spent my time at SIGCSE 2016
Each year in March, the Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) hosts the Annual Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, SIGCSE for short. SIGCSE is a medium-sized conference; the final registration count for SIGCSE 2016 was 1243. It’s usually in a medium sized city big enough to have a convention center, but not too expensive for the high school and community college teachers who often don’t have institutional support to attend. This year it was in Memphis. Don’t ask me about Memphis: As usual, I didn’t see much beyond the convention center.
Reflections on starting my second semester
With the start of the spring semester, it’s been a a busy three weeks since my last post. This post will reflect on what’s been keeping me busy in teaching, scholarship, and service. Continue reading
Search status; Reflections on teaching
Happy new year! I have two topics for this post: an update on our faculty search and some reflections on my first semester teaching at Whitman.
On the life of the teacher-scholar-founder
Today is my last day of class. While that means students are filling out course evaluations and finals are coming up, it’s also a time to for me to look back at what I accomplished this semester and what my plans are for the upcoming break. It’s in the air, too: There’s been some discussion at Whitman the last few days about the teacher-scholar model. What does that mean for me, as the founder of a new program?
Counting From Zero 