College of Arts & Sciences Computer Science (CS) Program
Computer Science (CS) Program Program Overview Recent Improvements Expected Outcomes and Results Plans for Further Improvements
Program Overview The University offers the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) program at the Montgomery and Troy campuses in Alabama. The BSCS degree is also offered at the following international sites through Global Campus: Hanoi University of Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam Institute of Technical Studies, Sharjah Campus, United Arab Emirates
Faculty Members Assessing the Program Dr. Irem Ozkarahan Montgomery Dr. Matthew Mariano Montgomery Dr. Bill Zhong Troy Dr. Sunil Das Montgomery Dr. Emrah Orhun Montgomery Mr. Richard Fulton Global Campus Some of these faculty have also taught at the international sites. The above faculty members met January 29 th, February 4 th and February 18 th to assess the CS Program as of Fall of 2009 The Troy Campus began offering the Computer Science Program in Fall 2009. Many of the current Applied Computer Science Majors have switched to the Computer Science Program. Many students enrolled in the CS program at Montgomery take some of their overlapping courses with the Applied Computer Science program offered by the ecampus. This had been negatively affecting Montgomery student headcount. According to the new data, however, student headcount on the Montgomery Campus increased 8.6%. The Montgomery Campus is now also accepting international students. It is expected that the student headcount will increase even more in the future. Success rate of the courses used to evaluate our SLO s has been encouraging.
Computer Science Discipline Committee Dr. Irem Ozkarahan, Chair, Montgomery Campus Dr. Gary Buchanan, Dothan Campus Dr. Bill Zhong, Troy Campus Mr. Richard Fulton, Global Campus
Recent Improvements The BSCS curriculum has been updated. New curriculum has been effective as of fall Semester 2009. Due to the new curriculum update, the Troy University undergraduate CS program is compatible with the ABET BSCS standards. A capstone examination was agreed to by faculty for the BSCS program. The examination is comprised of targeted questions on final exams in designated courses.
Recent Improvements Montgomery Campus In May 2009, CS Department moved from Gunter Air Force Base to its present location at the downtown Montgomery Campus, Bartlett Hall. Due to its new location the CS Department will be more accessible by present and potential students as well as other members of the university. The CS Department at Montgomery Campus is now accepting international students for the both undergraduate and graduate programs.
Recent Improvements Troy Campus A curriculum review was conducted in light of ABET accreditation standards. As a result, the Applied Computer Science degree will be phased out at the Troy Campus, and the Computer Science Program is being offered in its place since the beginning fall of 2009. Updated the computer lab. Hired tutors to work in the computer lab. Started a Computer Science Club to support curricular activities. Included student projects and presentations in the Software Engineering class. Offered a course in Artificial Intelligence as a Special Topics course.
Expected Outcomes and Assessment Methods EO\Course Assessment Means EO 1: Students will demonstrate knowledge and writing skills in C++ or other programming languages prescribed by the instructor Overall Course Grade in CS 2255 (CS2260 in the old curriculum). The final exam is comprised of targeted questions that were agreed to by the faculty on some important topics classes and data abstractions, inheritance and composition, pointers, virtual functions, overloading, exception handling, and recursion. EO 2: Students will demonstrate competence in Data Structures Overall Course Grade in CS 3323 (CS 3330 for ACS degree). The final exam includes targeted questions that were agreed to by the faculty on some topics lists, ordered lists, linked lists, stacks, queues, and trees. Also included are measurement of program performance and how program performance is affected by alternative data structures. EO 3: Students will demonstrate competence in Data Communication and Networking. Overall Course Grade in CS 4445. The final exam is comprised of targeted questions that were agreed to by the faculty on some important topics an overview of local-area and wide-area systems. Additional topics are standards, topologies, management, communication protocols, and security.
Expected Outcomes and Assessment Methods EO\Course Assessment Means EO 4: 80% of students will evaluate the overall quality of the CS Academic Program and Faculty Accessibility as good or excellent. Graduating Student Survey EO 5: 80% of students will evaluate the library as good or excellent. Graduating Student Survey EO 6: 80% of students will evaluate Academic Advising as good or excellent. Graduating Student Survey EO 7: 80% of students will evaluate the computer labs and software as good or excellent. Graduating Student Survey EO 8: The number of students graduating with this degree will increase by 15% each year over the next five years. Enrollment Figures
Expected Outcomes and Results 75% of Computer Science students will achieve success on the department s capstone examination. For 2007-2008 Montgomery Campus: 68 students successfully completed the CS 2260 exam questions for an average of 90%. 49 students successfully completed the CS 3323 exam questions for an average of 75 %. 43 students successfully completed the CS 4445 exam questions for an average of 77%. Montgomery met this goal with an overall 82% success rate.
Expected Outcomes and Results (cont) For the Troy Campus, 75 % of their students will achieve success on the targeted questions assessment in CS 2260 and CS 4445. The success rate of Troy students for these courses is: CS 2260 97% CS 4445 78.40% Troy Campus exceeded this goal with an overall success rate of 90%. No data is available for the international sites at this time.
Expected Outcomes and Results (cont) One of the Capstone examination courses has been CS 2260. In the new program this course is replaced by CS 2255. For the fall of 2009 at Montgomery Campus 9 students completed the CS 2255 exam questions with the average of 80%. This expectation was met. 25 students completed the CS 3323 exam questions with the average of 73% This expectation was not met. 24 students completed the CS 4445 exam questions with the average of 79%. This expectation was met. For most of the Capstone examination courses the expectations are met. This indicates that students have sufficient knowledge on the very important topics that were listed previously ( Expected Outcomes and Assessment Methods --slide # 9). The only course that is very close to meeting the expectations is CS
Expected Outcomes and Results (cont) For fall 2009 Troy Campus capstone examination results are: CS 2255 16 students completed this course with an average of 95%. CS 3323 is not yet offered. CS 4445 16 students completed this course with an average of 83%. Please note that the Troy Campus has just started offering the CS program. These percentages also include students in the ACS program taking these courses as well. The Troy Campus exceeded this goal with an overall success rate of 90%. This indicates that students have sufficient knowledge on the very important topics that were listed previously ( Expected Outcomes and Assessment Methods --slide # 9). No data is available for the international sites at this time.
Expected Outcomes and Results (cont) The Graduating Student Survey for the 2008/2009 academic year shows us the following in terms of the CS program across the Troy University. Number Participated Satisfaction Percentage Evaluated Subject Areas 51 94.4% Overall quality of the CS Academic Program and Faculty Accessibility. This expectation was exceeded. 40 93% Library. This expectation was exceeded. 44 81.5 Academic Advising. This expectation was met. 37 97% Computer Labs and software. This expectation was exceeded.
Expected Outcomes and Results (cont) The number of students graduating with this degree will increase by 15% each year over the next five years. When international students are admitted for the Montgomery Campus, it is expected this to increase to 20%. The headcount for the Montgomery Campus for the Fall term of following years has been: 2003 Fall 172 2004 Fall 186 2005 Fall 137 2006 Fall 155 2007 Fall 182 2008 Fall 186 2009 Fall 202 The number of enrollments for the Troy Campus for the Fall term of 2009 was 163 students. The department has not met this goal. During the last five years the program s enrollment at the Montgomery Campus has declined due to a shift of students to ecampus and a decrease of military students enrolling in courses.
Expected Outcomes and Results (cont) International Locations: Hanoi Institute of Technology (Hanoi, Vietnam) headcount for the Fall term of following years has been: 2005 Fall 13 2006 Fall 14 2007 Fall 14 2008 Fall 9 2009 Fall 6 Vietnam National University (Hanoi, Vietnam) headcount for the Fall term of following years has been: 2005 Fall 5 2006 Fall 0 2007 Fall 1 2008 Fall 3 2009 Fall 2 Institute of Technical Studies (Sharjah, UAE) headcount for the Fall term of following years has been: 2005 Fall 34 2006 Fall 15 2007 Fall 17 2008 Fall 13 2009 Fall 12
Expected Outcomes and Results (cont) Graduating Student Survey for Fall of 2009 of the CS program at Montgomery Campus is summarized in the following. Number Participated Satisfaction Percentage (average and above) Evaluated Subject Areas 25 90% Exceeded Overall quality of CS academic program 22 88% Exceeded Academic advising 23 92% Exceeded Faculty accessibility 22 88% Exceeded Instruction in major courses 22 88% Exceeded Instruction in general education courses 23 92% Exceeded Faculty s use of technologies to enhance teaching 24 92% Exceeded Course availability in major 23 92% Exceeded Communication between students and faculty 22 88% Exceeded Registration procedure 20 80% Exceeded Computer labs 19 76% Not met Laboratory/instructional equipment
Expected Outcomes and Results (cont) Graduating Student Survey for Fall of 2009 of the CS program at the Troy Campus is summarized in the following. Please note Troy Campus just started offering CS Program in the fall of 2009 Number Participated Satisfaction Percentage (average and above) Evaluated Subject Areas 2 100% Exceeded Overall quality of CS academic program 1 50% Not met Academic advising 2 100% Exceeded Faculty accessibility 2 100% Exceeded Instruction in major courses 0 ----- NA Instruction in general education courses 2 100% Exceeded Faculty s use of technologies to enhance teaching 2 100% Exceeded Course availability in major 2 100% Exceeded Communication between students and faculty 1 50% Not met Registration procedure 0 ----- NA Computer labs 1 50% Not met Laboratory/instructional equipment
Expected Outcomes and Results (cont) Graduating Student Survey for fall of 2009 of the CS program in Global Campus as a whole is summarized in the following. Number Participated Satisfaction Percentage (average and above) Evaluated Subject Areas 4 100% Exceeded Overall quality of CS academic program 3 75% Not Met Academic advising 4 100% Exceeded Faculty accessibility 4 100% Exceeded Instruction in major courses 3 75% Not Met Instruction in general education courses 4 100% Exceeded Faculty s use of technologies to enhance teaching 2 50% Not Met Course availability in major 4 100% Exceeded Communication between students and faculty 4 100% Exceeded Registration procedure 4 100% Exceeded Computer labs 4 100% Exceeded Laboratory/instructional equipment
Expected Outcomes and Results (cont) The high percentages summarized in the previous tables indicate that the CS Department in Montgomery, Troy, as well as Global Campus met the goals in the evaluated subject areas with almost a 100% average as reported in the Graduating Student Survey for fall of 2009.
Plans for Further Improvements For Alabama Campuses: Update current computer labs with newer equipment and software and add an additional computer lab. Consider offering new courses under a special topics umbrella. Expand the CS program to other campuses of Troy University. Be able to obtain data from the international sites. The aimed goal for CS 3323 is slightly lower than expected. We will be monitoring this course at Montgomery Campus. Again, we have not met the goal of a 20% increase in headcount at the Montgomery Campus. However, we are hopeful that we will be able to reach our goal once our international program matures. For the international sites: Develop higher standards for faculty certification. Review textbook selections by the Computer Science Discipline Committee. Review all CS course syllabi by full-time CS faculty members. Develop course exit examinations for core courses. Develop better coordination/communication with all of Troy campuses offering the CS program