SIGCSE 2020 Pre-Symposium Event by the SIGCSE Committee on Computing Education in Liberal Arts Colleges
Contributed by Andrea Danyluk, andrea@cs.williams.edu
Are you willing to facilitate this discussion? Yes
Are there any others whom you would recommend as potential facilitators for this topic?
Part of the fun of being a computer scientist at a liberal arts college – particularly at a small college – is the ability to interact regularly with scholars in a wide range of disciplines. As individuals with wide ranging interests, we can learn about literature, history, politics, physics and so much more. We see our students connecting computing to other academic interests. And we find connections of our own work to the scholarship of our colleagues across the institution. But what is intellectually exciting and invigorating can also be a challenge. How frequently are you approached by a faculty colleague who is excited to integrate computing into their work and would love to co-teach or develop a project with you; or a (non-CS) student who has a great idea for a thesis and would really appreciate your help in understanding some of the literature in that area that is computationally heavy; or an administrator who is excited about the new wave of AI or Data Science or . . . Having a wealth of collaborative opportunities – all stemming from the enthusiasm of our community – is rewarding, but it can also be a burden. It requires that we make time to consider opportunities, and that we find a way to say “no” to valued and respected colleagues when necessary. This can be especially challenging for new faculty who are excited to establish connections without being pulled in too many directions at once. This discussion will focus on ways to attend to the collective excitement about computing.