The Computer Science Undergraduate Program: An Evolutionary Transformation--
In the first of a two-part article, Peter Lee, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, provides an in-depth perspective describing the evolutionary transformation of the Carnegie Mellon computer science undergraduate program over the past 10 years.

Undergraduate education in computer science is a major activity of the School of Computer Science (and, before the creation of SCS, the Computer Science Department). However, recent years, especially since 1996, have been marked by tremendous changes in all aspects of the undergraduate program, including admissions, teaching methods, curriculum. Some highlights include the following:

• The quality of the student body has been steadily increasing .

  Today, it can be argued that Carnegie Mellon undergraduates in computer science are among the top science and engineering undergraduates in the country, comparable in all quality measures to their peers at MIT, Caltech, and Cornell, and distinctly superior to almost all other top-tier institutions. It is fair to say that each entering class of 130 CS freshmen is the most accomplished class ever to walk the Carnegie Mellon campus.

• The faculty commitment and dedication to teaching is at an all-time high.

  Course evaluations and recommendations from students now form an integral and significant part of promotion and tenure cases for faculty members. Nearly one in five students works one-on-one with a faculty member, either as a research or teaching assistant. Perhaps the clearest sign of a new enthusiasm for undergraduate education can be seen in the 200-level core curriculum, which last year involved 17 faculty members (14 working as classroom instructors and 3 as teaching assistants), 11 of which were tenured. Out of the 11, there were two Associate Deans, one Department
  Head, and six full Professors. Supporting these faculty were an additional 39 graduates and undergraduate teaching assistants. It is not possible to find such extensive involvement of such senior and world-renowned faculty members in the freshman and sophomore curriculum at any other major institution.

• The student body is more diverse than ever.

  Each year we receive approximately 3,000 applications for the undergraduate program in computer science. The yearly freshman enrollment target is 130 students. Out of each year's applicant pool, there are over 700 applications that meet or exceed (our relentlessly increasing) standards for admission to the program. What this means is that we are now in the luxurious position to choose the 130 most "interesting" student prospects and thereby ensure the most diverse and educationally rich environment for all of our students. One result has been a dramatic increase in student activism of all kinds, including political and community activism, intramural and collegiate athletics, outreach, social clubs, teaching, and research. It has also led to a significant increase in the number of women in the CS program, up from roughly 40 in 1994 to over 175 in 2002.

• The program includes an innovative curriculum that balances foundations, systems, and applications.

  The undergraduate program includes an intensive four-year program of instruction in the fundamentals and applications of computer science. (See the attached figure.) Owing to the diversity of the student body, there are 4 distinct entry points into the freshman-year curriculum, based on the level of prior experience in computer programming. This then leads to one of the most rigorous sophomore-year core curricula in the country, featuring
  four highly demanding CS courses, three of which have been invented and developed by Carnegie Mellon faculty. (See, for example, http://www.discretemath.com for information on one of these core courses.) Finally, the junior and senior years provide opportunities for self-defined exploration, along with both specialization and breadth.

• The program and community are as friendly, open, and supportive as ever.

  In 1996 we expanded the program to admit 130 students each year. These students, along with a small number of transfers, bring our total student population to about 550. Through staff increases, which today include an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (Jeannette Wing), Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs (Peter Lee), Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs (Mark Stehlik), Freshman Class Advisor (Jim Roberts), Undergraduate Relations Liaison (Catherine Copetas), and Undergraduate Program Coordinator (Catharine Fichtner), we have been able to sustain a small-community feel and maintain a mostly informal, friendly, and supportive environment for our students and alumni. In a nutshell, we still operate on the "reasonable person principle", and there are very few rules that can't be bent or broken (especially by Mark Stehlik) when there are clear benefits for any of our students.

  As you can see, compared to, say, ten years ago, there has been an almost complete transformation of undergraduate education in computer science at Carnegie Mellon. Even so, it still carries on the great traditions of serious attention to foundations, systems, and applications, along with "learning by doing" that has served our alumni so well in their careers. We are extremely proud of all of our alumni, and work hard to preserve the characteristics of our program that help to distinguish our graduates from those coming out of other universities.

  Another important point is that the undergraduate program is still evolving rapidly, and in fact could benefit from much greater participation and guidance from its alumni. Next time, we will describe the courses and curriculum in greater detail, as well as the overall experiences that our current students get while on campus. This hopefully will give you an idea of ways in which we can continue to grow and improve, and how you can get involved in this evolution.