Executive Summary

Moving forward to foster an understanding of and ultimately grow the computer science program in terms of quality and quantity.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Timeline of Events

Sunday, Febuary 8th
  1. Updated Friday's text to include links to the documents mentioned
  2. Replied to some emails
Friday, Febuary 6th
  1. Received document clearly conveying sincere attempt to avoid cutting personnel during tough economic times
  2. Received documents: Strategic Initiatives(Cabinet Draft & Work Session Draft)
  3. Received email notifying me about video of Thursday's faculty meeting [non-WMPv11-only version coming soon]
  4. Readership changed a little -- adjusted the WWU image on the blog as requested and I added a disclaimer.
  5. Replied to comments & updated multiple posts to include more information now known
Thursday, Febuary 5th
  1. Received call from Ginger Ketting-Weller - it felt like she heard my concerns [30 min]
  2. Received call from John McVay - I don't think that I was communicating very well and my previous emails were not received before the call because I had the address wrong; I forwarded them to the correct address afterwards [30 min]
  3. Posted and sent email copies of Getting The Dialog Started
Wednesday, Febuary 4th
  1. Setup this blog
  2. Email Andy Porter from the Walla Walla Union Bulletin -- heard back from Maria Gonzalez
Tuesday, Febuary 3rd
  1. Email WWU President, John McVay again -- no response yet.
  2. Email a medical industry CTO -- no response yet.
  3. Email Collegian editor -- she extended the deadline to Wed afternoon -- article made it into Thursday's Collegian.
  4. Email WWU VP Marketing, Jodi Wagner -- conference call scheduled for Thur, Feb 28th 11am; trying to get it done earlier.
  5. Reach out directly to current students and past alumni via IRC, email, and phone in order to build mailing list of interested parties.
Monday, Febuary 2nd:
  1. SR calls and talks with GKW
  2. Call and talk with GKW - said she would like to continue our talk later she did on Thursday
  3. Email WWU President, John McVay - no response yet
  4. Chat with SR about some marketing possibilities:
    [16:16] CS: pulling the plug on what should be a foundational part of the school is ludicruous in my book
    [16:16] CS: I mean, nothing will exist that isn't tied to CS in just 10 more years
    [16:17] CS: they should be looking at it like "whoa...no one is going into cs -- that is counter to the trends we see everywhere else -- let's fix what is broken"
    [16:18] CS: by everywhere else, I mean, technology driving everything
    [16:18] SR: I think that perspective escapes a lot of people
    [16:18] SR: as if the world is run by magic
    [16:19] CS: for some reason, there are a lot of folks that are dead set on solutions that only have the most immediate effect without thinking long term strategy
    [16:19] SR: I agree.  The time for duct tape is over.
    [16:22] SR: I think part of it is when a scarcity mentality replaced an abundance mentality.
    [16:33] CS: there is a solution to the cs dept problem...just have to find it
    [16:34] SR: I'm down with that
    [16:38] CS: or rather, we have to collectively find it
    [16:39] SR: Yes 
    [16:40] SR: It seems to me one way to help the program is to increase awareness of it's existence so future students can sign up for it
    [16:40] SR: another way is to help the school realize how integral CS is to everything
    [16:40] SR: I'm not sure what that looks like though
    [16:41] CS: exactly....the school needs to get behind the program -- acknowledge the central role it should be playing
    [16:41] SR: yep
    [16:42] CS: well...for starters, it would be to fashion how tightly integrated cs is with every existing department
    [16:42] CS: how everything relies and is built upon cs
    [16:43] CS: something like..."what do all of the next generation astronauts, biologists, business specialists, physicists have in common?"
    [16:44] SR: yes
    [16:45] CS: "they will be using computers to solve problems that we don't even know exist today -- who will supplying them with the systems they need to succeed? CS majors"
    [16:48] SR: I'm pretty sure we need to make a commercial for the CS dept.
    [16:50] CS: CS majors "get it done"
    [16:50] CS: CS majors "bridge the gap between humanity and the machine"
    [16:51] CS: CS majors "form the perfect synergy between the power of human creativity and the ruthless efficiency of the machine"
    
  5. @3pm GKW meets with CS Faculty and communicates her decision to:
    • shut down the CS major include CS department in FTE reductions
    • retain a CS minor
    • retain 1 FTE to support CE concentration --> Jim Klein
Sunday, Febuary 1st:
  1. Receive first email notifying me of the impending decision

5 comments:

  1. "Computer scientists find creative ways to extend human capabilities in diverse areas such as artificial intelligence, arts and entertainment, communications, electrical engineering, and business data processing using computer technology. At the core of the computer science degree is an emphasis on the creation, analysis, and implementation of mathematical functions from the level of electrical circuits to the description of them in programming languages. As a computer science major, you will be part of a program small enough to provide personal attention, yet with the resources to allow you many opportunities." --Walla Walla website

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  2. Here’s a thought --- this is the perfect opportunity to utilize the Alumni Association. It is logical to assume that they should be able to provide email lists/contact info of former CS Majors/Minors & other majors/minors as applicable to any alumni upon request.

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  3. excellent point...my gut has me resisting a full on "get everyone involved and overwhelm by sheer numbers" strategy right now.

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  4. Have people considered the ministry potential in obtaining a technical degree through WWU? Right now, both home and abroad, there is a _massive_ ministry need for people devoted to God, with technical skills.

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  5. Personally, very much so. That is one of the primary motivating factors for my involvement in this issue -- I care, not just about computer science, not just about computer science at SDA schools, but specifically for computer science at walla walla university.

    Computer Science is really the only scientific field that is equally both hard core science and hard core humanity. Sure, you don't really "get" this until you are well into the field, but it really is uncanny how similar the questions raised in computer science are to those raised in theology classes like inspiration & revelation.

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