CS2013-final-report

Proposed Curricular Revisions
Although the 2012-2013 CS major and curriculum had many strengths, on-going review
identified possibilities for improvement in two substantial ways: the division of some 4-credit
courses into 2-credit courses could provide students with opportunities for more breadth in the
major, and the design of some of those courses could reflect the evolution of the discipline as
represented by CS 2013. The 2-credit courses are likely to meet 1.5 hours per week for the full
semester, although we are also considering half-semester courses.
Full implementation of a substantive major and curricular revision requires substantial
brainstorming, analysis, attention to detail, review, and consultation. The following comments
suggest directions for revised courses and major; adjustments and refinements are likely as
planning and development continue.
Rather than fitting a full range of software engineering topics into a single, required, 4-credit
course, one 2-credit course could highlight concepts, principles, and methodology, and a
second 2-credit course could allow teams to address community needs. The second
course would permit students to join on-going projects for one or more semesters, taking
on more advanced roles in subsequent semesters. Core HCI topics could be incorporated
in one or both of these courses.
A 4-credit elective on computer networks could be split into a more focused, 2-credit
networks course, and a new 2-credit course on computer security
Many SP topics could be covered through the department's weekly seminar presentations or
through an on-going CS table series of discussions. In particular, an annual presentation
and discussion will focus on issues of intellectual property.
Because the multi-paradigm introductory sequence exposes students to many basic
conceptual issues in programming languages, the upper-level course on programming
language can be relatively flexible. Elements of the existing programming languages and
compilers course could be combined into a single 2-credit, interpreter-based
“programming language implementation" course.
Students who take CSC 211 encounter fewer Core-Tier1 topics than those who take CSC 213
because the AR knowledge unit contains primarily Core-Tier2 topics. The CS faculty
considered combining CSC 211 and 213, which some schools have done. However, the
current courses provide good depth, and thus seemed appropriate in the revised
curriculum.
Since Grinnell's liberal arts context limits major requirements to 32 credits, a minimal major can
cover numerous, but not all, learning outcomes recommended by CS 2013. As noted above,
many SP topics can be covered in the weekly department seminar and/or in a reading group
associated with a weekly CS Table. Also, while many IM learning outcomes fit well within a
liberal arts context, a few seem less appropriate.
Advising can encourage students to cover a wide range of topics. The following listing illustrates
possible major requirements and also advising recommendations that could extend a program to
about 38 credits, plus supporting mathematics. The CS faculty will continue to offer a variety of
electives.
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