CSCI Advisor
Fall 2005
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INTRODUCTION
This newsletter is published biannually by the Student Advisory Board (SAB) of the Department of Computer Science at Northern Illinois University. The newsletter is intended to help our students become more informed about the activities and projects in which our department is involved. It is also sent to prospective students and employers seeking information about NIU's Department of Computer Science along with other information about the department.
The Computer Science Student Advisory Board fulfills the university requirement that each department have a student advisory board to provide student input on department practices and policies.
SAB OFFICERS
President: CRAIG MOWERS
Vice President: ERIC BAMBACH
Secretary: WILLIAM LYMAN
Treasurer:ERIK BRYNJOLFSSON
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
The schedule of classes booklet for Spring 2006 is available online at the listing "Courses" under "Academics" on the Office of Registration and Records' web page
The reference numbers for all Spring 2006 computer science courses, other than those that require permission, can also be found on the department's home page under the listing "Course Offerings." The reference numbers for computer science courses are also posted on the bulletin board outside the departmental office PM460, Psychology/ Computer Science Building.
ANGOTTI RETIRES
Dr. RODNEY ANGOTTI, who has served as the department's chair for the past 23 years, retired on January 31, 2005. However, Dr. Angotti is serving as the department’s Interim Chair until June 30, 2006 while a search is being conducted to find a permanent replacement. In preparation for Dr. Angotti’s retirement, Dr. GEORGE (JIM) HENRY has been appointed as Director of Graduate Studies.
Dr. Angotti joined the faculty at Northern Illinois University in 1967 as a member of the then Department of Mathematics. He served as the Department of Mathematical Sciences' assistant chair from 1968 to 1971 and played a key role in establishing computer science as one of the emphases available to students majoring in mathematics. He later served as Assistant Dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 1971 to 1983 and was appointed as the interim chair of the Department of Computer Science in December 1982 and as the department's chair in August 1983.
SUMMER 2005 GRADUATES
Undergraduates and graduate students who completed the requirements for their degrees in Summer 2005, but who did not participate in the August 2005 graduation exercises, can participate in the December 2005 Commencement Ceremonies. Undergraduates wishing to do this must obtain permission from Dr. SUE W. DOEDERLEIN, Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, by November 7, 2005. Graduate students should address their petitions by the above deadline to Dr. SUZANNE WILLIS, Associate Dean, Graduate School.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
The department's Spring 2006 500-level graduate offerings are CSCI 530: Computer Networks, CSCI 563: Systems Design & Analysis,
CSCI 568: Advanced Systems Programming, and CSCI 588: Data Base Concepts.
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GRADUATE STUDENTS (cont.)
In addition to the graduate courses listed above, the following graduate courses with their indicated topics and teachers will be offered in Spring 2006:
CSCI 531: Network Appl Program
Dr. Ibrahim Onyuksel
CSCI 575: Web Development
Professor Penny McIntire
CSCI 580E: Java
Dr. Jim Henry and
Dr. Jie Zhou
CSCI 580G: Data Warehousing
Dr. Eugene Sheng
CSCI 580D: Linux
Dr. Neil Rickert
CSCI 580V: .Net Programming
Dr. Robert Zerwekh and
Professor Jim Leon
Graduate students wanting to complete reading courses must secure permission from both the department and the individual teacher with whom they wish to read. The names of faculty eligible to offer graduate reading courses can be obtained form the department's receptionist, FRANCES WISSMILLER.
Additional graduate courses are offered at the Multi-University Center, Oak Brook; at NIU-Hoffman Estates; and at Rock Valley College's Stenstrom Center. Interested graduate students should refer to the article, "Regional Courses," which appears in this publication.
GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
UNDERGRADUATES
Undergraduates may be allowed to take a graduate course for undergraduate credit if they have:
1) a minimum of 90 credit hours
2) completed CSCI 440 or 464
3) at least a GPA 0f 3.0
4) departmental permission
Also, undergraduates who are scheduled to complete their graduation requirements in their final term without carrying a full load have the possibility for early admission into Graduate School. This option allows students to combine both undergraduate and graduate studies in their last semester of undergraduate work.
See the department's chair, Dr. Rodney Angotti, to investigate either of these possibilities if you are interested and believe that you are qualified.
In addition, undergraduates interested in attending graduate school in the field of computer science either at Northern or elsewhere are encouraged to speak with Dr. Angotti about their plans.
REMINDERS
Pre-Majors
Spring 2006
applications for admission to the Department of Computer Science must be submitted between January 30, 2006 and February 24, 2006. Students attending school during the spring term at NIU who have not attended a precomputer science declaration meeting should make arrangements to attend one of these meetings. Such arrangements can be made during the early weeks of the Spring 2006 term by contacting the department's receptionist, Frances Wissmiller, at PM460, Psychology/Computer Science Building.
Majors
In Spring 2006, CSCI 240: C++, CSCI 241: Intermediate C++, CSCI 330: UNIX, CSCI 360: Assembler, and CSCI 440: Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis will be offered in conjunction with CSCI courses numbered 462 through 468.
In addition to the above undergraduate offerings, qualified majors can enroll in the following courses with their indicated topics and teachers in Spring 2006:
CSCI 461: Computer Networks
Dr. Steve Wang
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REMINDERS (cont.)
Majors (cont.)
CSCI 470: JAVA
Dr. Jim Henry and
Dr. Jie Zhou
CSCI 473: .Net Programming
Dr. Robert Zerwekh and
Professor Jim Leon
CSCI 475: Web Development
Professor Penny McIntire
CSCI 490E: Linux
Dr. Neil Rickert
Students wanting to learn more about these special courses can obtain information from the departmental office.
SOMETHING NEW -- THE COMPUTER SCIENCE MINOR
To be eligible for declaration, students must have completed or be enrolled in CSCI 240 and have credit for or be placed through MATH 110. Interested students must sign up for a pre-computer science declaration meeting and applications should be submitted during the 3rd through 6th weeks of the Fall or Spring semesters or during the 2nd through 4th weeks of the Summer term.
Computer Science requirements for the minor are CSCI 240, CSCI 241, CSCI 330, CSCI 360, and a 400level CSCI elective.
SERVICE COURSES
The department’s Spring 2006 courses for non-majors are as follows: CSCI 205: Introduction to Computing, CSCI 210: Elementary Programming, CSCI 215: Visual Basic, and CSCI 275: Elementary Web Design.
CSCI 205 can be used to meet partially the general education requirements in the Distributive Studies Area. CSCI 210 counts toward the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Bachelor of Science requirements for many of the social science departments
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FORUNDERGRADUATES
Undergraduate Teaching Fellows
Applications for Spring 2006 Undergraduate Teaching Fellowships should be filed by November 18, 2004. The criteria for these awards include a GPA of 3.0 or above in computer science course work. Interested computer science majors can obtain applications from the department's receptionist at PM460.
Internships
You will discover that numerous, well paid, and interesting job opportunities are available to declared computer science majors.
Academic credit can be earned for these jobs through the department's internship course CSCI 390: Internship and, in the case of graduate students, CSCI 590: Internship. Earning credit for CSCI 390 is a convenient way to meet the three-
hour 300-400 level elective requirements that declared undergraduate computer science majors must complete successfully.
The reports filed to meet the requirements for internship credit are also useful documents to include in students' job portfolios.
This year's Fall 2005 Internship Fair was held on Wednesday, October 5, 2005, in the Holmes Student Center. There will be another Internship Fair on Wednesday, February 15, 2006, at the Convocation Center. Information about internship opportunities can also be found at .
WANTED -- MAINFRAMERS
Even though there have been numerous predictions of its demise, the mainframe computer has not only survived, it is thriving. Approximately 70% of all business data resides on these important machines. IBM and other vendors are concerned about the lack of mainframe know-how, a situation being compounded by the graying workforce.
WANTED -- MAINFRAMERS (cont.)
IBM, through its Academic Initiative Program and it’s Mainframe Programming Contests, is attempting to bring this shortage of mainframe programmers to the attention of computer science students. In promoting its mainframe contest, IBM claims that mainframes are growing in popularity and require a new generation of mainframe experts. Several NIU students recently completed the first phase of the programming contest and DOMINIC CHEVALIER, NIKHIL FAFAT, and SHIVANANDA NARU were recognized as top finishers.
NIU Computer Science graduates are well positioned to take advantage of the shortage of mainframe programmers. The department’s programs have a set of courses devoted to mainframe computing and the graduates of these programs have excellent job prospects.
JOB FAIRS
The Office of Career Planning and Placement conducted a job fair on September 28, 2005. The Job Fair for Spring 2006 is scheduled for February 22, 2006. There will also be an Educators' Job Fair on February 27, 2006 at the Convocation Center. For more information about these important events visit the web site
Northern Illinois University's fairs are among the largest campus-based job fairs in the country. In addition to these opportunities, Northern's Career Planning and Placement Center posts announcements on job fairs held on other regional campuses. Interested students can obtain information about these fairs from the web site mentioned above.
Students exploring job opportunities should also visit the listing Victor eRecruiting at the above web site. In addition to job opportunities for alumni and current students, there is information about how to search for a position, sample resumes, places where previous graduates are employed, and information about other valuable services.
REGIONAL COURSES
The Department's Regional Courses are conducted at the Multi-University Center (MUC), Suite 200, 1010 Jorie Blvd., Oak Brook, IL; at NIU-Hoffman Estates (HEEC), 555 West Trillium Blvd., Hoffman Estates, IL; and at the Stenstrom Center, RockValley College (RVC), 4151 Samuelson Rd., Rockford, IL. The graduate program is offered at the Oak Brook and Hoffman Estates sites; the undergraduate General Computer Science Emphasis is offered in Rockford.
The Spring 2006 Regional Courses are:
CSCI 440: Data Struc & Algorithm Analy (RVC)
CSCI 464: Data Structures (HEEC)
CSCI 466: Database/Comm Software (HEEC)
CSCI 467: System Design and Analysis (MUC)
CSCI 467: System Design and Analysis (RVC)
CSCI 468: Systems Programming (MUC)
CSCI 580N: Advanced C++ (HEEC)
CSCI 595: Algorithms (MUC)
Questions about the department's Regional Courses should be directed to the Department of Computer Science (8157530378); information about graduate or studentatlarge status can be obtained from Northern Illinois University's Graduate School -- Tel. No. 8157530395 or
Undergraduate students not admitted to Northern who wish to pursue the General Computer Science Emphasis at the Stenstrom Center, RVC, should contact the Northern Illinois University's Office of Admissions for details. ( or Tel. No. 815-753-0446).
Commuting NIU undergraduates can enroll in classes at the Multi-University Center, at NIU- Hoffman Estates, or at Stenstrom Center, RVC, but they must receive permission to do so. In addition, graduate students can complete available courses at Stenstrom Center, RVC but also need permission to do so.
Additional information about Regional Courses can be found at the listing LAS-CSCI at
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ACM NEWS
The Student Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) serves as a focal point for information regarding the advantages of being associated with this organization of computer professionals. As in the past, the ACM will sponsor IT speakers to talk on various computer related topics.
Fall 2006 speakers included:
Shari Knights, Computer Associates,
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Reva Freedman, NIU, Tuesday,
November 8, 2005
Look for the Student Chapter of the ACM's fliers posted around campus for announcements of additional activities, or on the department's home page,
Professors GEORGIA BROWN and AMY BYRNES are the advisors to the Student Chapter of the ACM.
COLLOQUIUM NEWS
CAROLYN PENSTEIN ROSE, Carnegie Mellon University, was the department's featured colloquium speaker for Fall 2005. Dr. Rose delivered an address on September 22, 2005, entitled "Guided Exploratory Learning in a Simulation Environment for Thermodynamics." She also spoke to the Cognitive Science Group on September 23, 2005. Her talk was entitled "Recent Result in Intelligent Systems at Carnegie Mellon." Her visit was funded by the Graduate Colloquium Committee.
FALL 2005 EVALUATION OF TEACHING
Wednesday, November 16, 2005, and Thursday, November 17, 2005, have been designated for evaluating the department's teachers. Students are encouraged to participate responsibly in this exercise so that our teachers can obtain feedback on their teaching practices and performances.
The department relies heavily on these evaluations in making personnel decisions. In addition, the results of the evaluations play an important role in selecting the department's annual teaching excellence winner.
AN IMPORTANT STUDENT SERVICE
It is never too late to visit Career Services. Whether one is just beginning one’s studies at NIU, or is an upperclassman, or about to graduate come to Career Services and become involved in planning for future employment after graduation.
Computer Science majors and alumni can now search for internships and permanent employment positions by visiting the Career Services Office in the Campus Life Building Room 220. Those who seek advice and counsel concerning careers or jobs can call 815-753-1641 or visit the Career Services’ website.
As a comprehensive department, Career Services provides many services to support career decisions. Career Services is prepared to assist students and alumni in individual career counseling and planning; internship and job search strategies and resources; and help in developing effective resumes and cover letters. The department sponsors career related workshops for student organizations; practice interview sessions; and credential services for educators.
There are job and internship fairs each fall and spring that provide opportunities for students to meet employers who seek interns and permanent employees. The next Internship Fair is February 15, 2006; the Job Fair for all majors is February 22, 2006; and on February 27, 2006 is the Educators’ Job Fair. All of the Fairs take place in the Convocation Center.
The department’s Career Resource Center (CRC) has books, magazines, newspapers, and handouts to assist with making career decisions. Information is available about employers, salary statistics, and job market projections. There are also major and degree specific career guides; and
AN IMPORTANT STUDENT SERVICE
(cont.)
manuals to aid in making decisions for those who plan to attend graduate school. Computers are available in the CRC for internship/job searches and resume and cover letter preparation.
There are two online sites available for resume critiquing: for non-educators, and for educators. There are walk-in hours for resume review from Noon to 4:00 p.m. each Tuesday and Wednesday. Career Services makes every effort to help students prepare for the job market.
ENROLLMENT TRENDS IN CS
Editors’ Note: We asked Dr. Rodney Angotti if he knows anything about enrollments in computer science departments. He showed us an article addressing this issue which appeared in the May 2005 edition of Computing Research News. Some of the highlights of the article are as follows:
Popularity of computer science as a major among incoming freshmen has dropped significantly in the past four years.
Currently 16,000 incoming freshmen have expressed interest in majoring in computer science. In 2001, 24,000 incoming freshmen expressed an interest in majoring in computer science.
In 1982-83, 5% of all incoming college freshmen declared computer science as their potential major.
In 1999-2000, 3.78% of this freshmen cohort declared computer science as their intended major.
In 2004-05, 1.4% of incoming freshmen expressed an interest in computer science as their major.
For men, the percentages for the above reported periods are as follows: 5.75%, 6.5%, and 2.75%, respectively.
For women, the percentages for the same periods are as follows: 4.0%, 1.4%, and .3%, respectively.
The last time freshmen expressed this little interest in computer science was in 1978.
The number of bachelor degrees in computer science predicted for 2005 is 20,000.
Where are today’s freshmen? Approximately 32% intend to major in the Arts & Humanities, Education, or Social Sciences; 23% intend to major in Biological Sciences or a medically related field; 16.5% intend to major in Business; 13% intend to major in Computer Science, Engineering, or a technical field; and 3% intend to major in Physical Sciences. These percentages for 2001 were 34%, 19%, 17%, 14%, and 3%, respectively.
HANDLER HONORED
HENRY HANDLER, a Theoretical Computer Science major, was recently chosen Internship/Co-op Student of the Month for June on the basis of his summer internship with Discover Financial Services. To qualify, internship/co-op students were required to submit a written statement about their work experience along with letters of recommendation from (1) their internship/co-op employer and (2) an NIU faculty member/internship supervisor. Students’ GPAs were also considered.
As a winner, Henry is eligible to compete for the 2005 Co-op Student of the Year award. In addition he was given a $100 gift certificate to be used in the Holmes Student Center Bookstore.
ALUMNI NEWS
DALE AHRENS (B.S. 1975) is Vice President of Sopris Surfers, Inc. in Carbondale, Colorado. He also lives in Carbondale, Colorado.
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ALUMNI NEWS (cont.)
GERSON BARAJAS (B.S. 2003) is a Programmer/Analyst with Kable News Inc. in Mount Morris, Illinois. He resides in Rockford, Illinois.
CRAIG EDWARDS (B.S. 1971) is a Meteorologist-in-Charge with NOAA/National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He resides in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.