John R. Rice

In August of 1994, the Department of Computer Sciences established the Computer Science Undergraduate Office to better serve the needs of our undergraduate majors as we meet the ever growing demand for more computer scientists. While our faculty educates the students in computer science, the Undergraduate Office coordinates and supervises our efforts in the areas of undergraduate recruitment, orientation, retention, counseling, scholarships, placement, service courses, as well as a K-12 outreach program.

A powerful workstation was dedicated to providing email service for all computer science majors and a permanent computing account throughout their careers at Purdue. In the Fall of 1995 the department also established an undergraduate majors computing laboratory equipped with 20+ modern workstations and a resource room where students can meet between classes, study and read. There are workstations here where students can read email or access information on the World Wide Web.

Interest in computer science as a career choice has increased substantially in the past few years and is predicted to be an area of fast growth throughout the next decade. To address this interest a K-12 outreach program as well as a personalized approach to welcoming prospective students was developed by the Undergraduate Office. The K-12 Outreach program reaches out to increase the understanding of computer science in the state through workshops which are available for both teachers and students. Prospective students and their families are encouraged to visit our department. A tour of the facilities is given and a meeting with an academic counselor and faculty member is arranged.

The Undergraduate Office helps students especially during their arrival and departure at Purdue. A freshmen orientation course was designed specifically for computer science majors. The course orients our majors to college life and the department. Lectures by industrial representatives expose the students to the many options available to them upon the completion of their education. The senior resource seminar assists the seniors to prepare their resumes and sharpen their interview skills. Industrial representatives describe career paths and considerations in planning their careers.

We believe all of these efforts will combine to enrich our students college experience in the Department of Computer Sciences.