Computer Science | Grinnell College

Are you trying to figure out your major? Is Computer Science one of the possibilities? Come join the CS department at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 25 October 2016, in Science 3821, to learn about the CS major. We'll give an overview of the major, opportunities for students, and more. You'll also have the chance to talk to faculty and students.

It's time to celebrate and connect!

Did you know that ...

• Henry Walker is moving to senior faculty status? (He'll be teaching about one course per year for the next five years.)
• Computer science has been its own department for a decade?
• We've had a computer science major for twenty-five years?

We are having an affinity reunion on November 18 and 19, 2016 to celebrate all of these events and more. The reunion will be a chance for alumni from various years and current students to come together and talk about Grinnell, computing, and more.

We've prepared a tentative schedule so that you can see what you have to look forward to.

Send questions to Samuel A. Rebelsky.

Register here!

Grinnell's CS faculty regularly reviews and updates the CS curriculum in response to curricular recommendations, feedback from alumni, and discussions with colleagues around the country. For example, over several semesters, the faculty has drawn upon feedback in discussing alternative approaches for team-based, project courses.

Also since 2010, the major professional computing societies, ACM and IEEE-CS, have been working toward new curricular recommendations for undergraduate CS. The forthcoming recommendations propose adjustments in some areas (e.g., programming languages) and substantial expansion in others (e.g., security).

Recently, synergy between these two efforts has led to a proposal for substantial changes in Grinnell's CS program, including some course revisions, new courses in emerging areas, and increased flexibility in the major.

The CS faculty will present current ideas for a revised CS curriculum and major on Monday, November 11, 2013, at 4:30 in Science 3821, with refreshments served at 4:15 pm in the CS Commons. Everyone interested in computing is encouraged to attend.

Feedback on the draft curriculum and major will be encouraged!