2017 NCWIT Summit – “Wrestling with Retention in the Face of Increasing CS Enrollments” Conversation by Tracy Camp, Tina Ornduff, Heather Pon-Barry, and Chris Stephenson
Published on 05/23/2017
The focus on computer science (CS) education at all levels is driving a greater number of students to enroll in postsecondary computer science programs, but getting students in the door is no guarantee that we are going to keep them. In this session, we will explore the complex issue of capacity and retention, especially the retention of women and underrepresented minority (URM) students. We will look at the changing demographics of CS programs and what the data currently tell us about women and URM students within CS courses and CS majors. We will examine what retention means in the face of students’ diverse goals and how retention is or isn’t being considered by our institutions. Additionally, we will look at interventions that are being developed and shared in order to help universities cope with increasing enrollments while still ensuring a positive learning experience, especially for students who are more at risk of leaving the discipline.