Dan Kazez, professor of music, doesn’t want to cut the cheese department. That is to say, if Wittenberg were to be likened to a Whole Foods, a manager wouldn’t want to cut the department that may not be essential, but certainly makes the store look good.
Kazez used the metaphor in defense of the Computer Science Program on Thursday in the last of the Educational Policies Committee’s Open Forums. Students and staff from a variety of departments said that the program is an essential part of a number of disciplines on campus and that if the university wants to remain modern and competitive, the program should stay.
Jeremiah Williams, professor of physics and liason for the 3/2 program in engineering, said that a strong computer science program keeps Wittenberg competitive in the engineering field. According to Williams, the 3/2 program is a strong recruiting tool.
Senior Peiquin Li, an international student from China, came to Wittenberg for the 3/2 program and the small size of the university.
“Student’s wouldn’t learn as much at bigger research oriented institutions,” he said.
Another student added that as a female, the university’s majority female population is a draw for women interested in the field traditionally dominated by men.
Senior Eric Mann added that the program is strong, citing the fact that a team of three students placed in 2nd at an international collegiate programming competition sponsored by IBM recently.
According to Mann, sending a team to the competition tells IBM and other businesses “we want to be there, we want to compete, we want to learn.”
Computer science is also applicable in a number of disciplines, said junior Sage Hazarika, a business major. Hazarika suggested that the development of applications is a growing field in businesses internationally.
Margaret Goodman, professor of biology, added that she has worked with a number of computer science majors in developing applications and programs for. molecular biology
Senior Ian Chadd said he was admitted into a competitive internship in economics based solely on the fact that he had taken a basic computer programming course.
Still more students and faculty that spoke asked how computers can be considered passé in a modern society.
“Computers are intrinsic to society. We all have computers and we all have problems using them,” said Amil Anderson, professor of chemistry.
According to Anderson, computer science training allows students to be more than just a passive consumer of technology.
Ken Irwin, a reference librarian said that if computer science was to be cut, Wittenberg was in danger of becoming “an old school school.”
Although this was the last Open Forum to be held, the EPC welcomes additional comments through Dec 17. Those wishing to provide feedback are asked to do so through the Provost’s page on the university website.
In final forum, Computer Science Program called modern, necessary
– December 7, 2012Posted in: Current Issue, Headlines
I graduated from Wittenberg this past May with a BA in Computer Science. As a direct result of that degree, I continued to work on an app that began as my Computer Science Honors Thesis project and, thanks to the liberal arts education I received at Wittenberg, I have created my own small business and used Kickstarter as a crowdfunding tool to raise over $10,000 in startup cash to sell it. I also have received numerous job offers to work in fields looking for computer programmers.
None of this would have happened had I not majored in Computer Science. In this world where so many recent alumni have been hard pressed to find jobs after college, I find that my liberal arts education, and especially my BA in Computer Science, have made me competitive in today’s technological world. How many others graduated in May and are already earning money as a direct result of their degree earned at Wittenberg.?
It baffles me that Wittenberg University is considering downsizing or even outright cutting the Computer Science department. As my story shows, this major is one that has immediate payoff due to the increasing demand for programmers in all fields. Although I could have received my Computer Science degree at other schools, I chose Wittenberg because, as a liberal arts school, it could offer me supplemental skills that would make me even more competitive in my future endeavors (and it has).
If Wittenberg were to reduce the size of the Computer Science department, it would deprive students of the same incredible opportunities that I have received and ultimately result in Wittenberg becoming increasingly irrelevant in this technological age.