Forum for Advancing Software engineering Education (FASE) Volume 10 Number 09 (128th Issue) - September 15, 2000 987 subscribers Note: If you have problems with the format of this document, try ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Table of Contents This Month's Topic: SE as a Profession After the Withdrawal Features Academic Programs: MSE at Carnegie Mellon University Recruiting Computer Science Software Engineering Faculty News Items September CACM Article on SE Licensing Delayed PEO Journal Reports on SE Licensing in Canada Engineering Times Reports on ACM Withdrawal, Discusses SE Licensing IEEE Computer Letters on SE as a Profession Praxas Makes SPARK V5 Available Free-of-Charge to Academia Calls for Participation CSEE&T 2001 PSP(SM) and TSPi(SM) Workshop - Note Deadline Advance Programs Southern California SPIN Speaker to Discuss SE and "Forensics" Position Openings University of Stuttgart, Germany University of Evansville Loyola College in Maryland Mercer University State University of West Georgia Trinity University Contact and General Information about FASE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This Month's Topic: Status of Software Engineering as a Profession After the ACM Withdrawal from SWEcc Topic Editor: Don Bagert (Professional Issues Editor) ACM's vote to withdraw from the Software Engineering Coordinating Committee (see "ACM Withdraws from SWEcc" in the July 2000 issue) leaves the status of the development of software engineering as a profession uncertain. Therefore, we asked for your opinions the future of the development software engineering as a profession in wake of the ACM withdrawal. Two very well thought-out responses are below. Those readers wanting more opinions are also encouraged to view the FASE-TALK discussion thread on the withdrawal at http://www.cs.ttu.edu/fase/fase-talk.htm#SWEcc_Withdrawal ###################################################################### From: Scott P. Duncan I believe software engineering to be quite different in the nature of the body of knowledge; however, there would seem to be few differences in terms of ethics and professional practices. As to the body of knowledge, I view computer science as more of a fundamental research branch of computing while software engineering is a specific applied discipline related to the software side of computing. Computing engineering, in my view, has to do with the architecture and design of computers and other related hardware which makes it a subset of electronics engineering as much as, if not moreso than, computer science. What distinguishes software engineering from all other forms, including computing engineering, is the actual substance of its domain. Other engineering disciplines deal in physical things where mathematics, traditional sciences, and natural laws make up a fundamental part of the base knowledge. One could argue that math and logic are still fundamental to software engineering and I could agree that they are basic "sciences," if you will, with which a software engineer should be familiar. However, the traditional sciences-based undergraduate training for an engineer does not seem to me to be necessary for a software engineer. (If a software engineer will be dealing in the domain of some other engineering discipline to develop applications, then a background in that domain and its basic sciences makes sense. But no moreso than someone dealing in financial applications having some accounting, banking, or credit card background.) As to ethics and professional practices, the only differences I would see that make sense would have to do with the emphasis on information/data in software engineering and the specific matters of privacy, security, etc. which may be associated with the domains in which computing is applied. It may be that specific ethical/professional statements need to be included in software engineering codes in more detail or in some broader scope than for other engineering disciplines. I think there is no question that the community must proceed to evolve toward further professional status for software engineering given the critical role software plays in just about everything the nations of the world do these days or, at least, how what they do is affected by software systems. But what or who constitute "the software engineering community"? I would suspect that most practitioners in software development, and their employers, have little or no association with or interest in ACM, IEEE-CS, or any other computing-related societies. Hence, playing Devil's Advocate, just who does ACM or IEEE-CS represent and what authority do they have to set any policy or standards? My answer to this is that these organizations have a history of concern for software standards and education/training, so they are, at least, the logical places for such an effort to start. They do, in fact, represent and have at their disposal, many of the key figures in computing's history and growth. They also have access to industry, government, and academic resources to pursue such activities. So what they come up with deserves, it seems to me, very serious attention by industry, government, and academia. On the other hand, it would be dangerous to take the policies and standards that have been developed over the past few years (and continue to be developed) and implement them in some program of formal, legal licensing without having first tried them out extensively in practice. Academic programs should be built around them to determine their effectiveness in guiding the training of practitioners. Industry needs to try them and report, publicly, on experience with them. And government needs to debate and examine them as to their suitability and implications if given any legal status, including the consequences of violating them. I cannot speak for other countries, but I am sure there will be resistance [to licensing] in the United States, both for sound and unsound reasons. I believe it is still very premature to be formalizing the licensing of software developers under any engineering category. I know some people are licensed engineers in other disciplines and also are involved in software, so they can call themselves "engineers." But what this has to do with any certification of their software/computing skills, is not at all clear to me. Certainly, as in other domains, not everyone involved in the creation of software, any more than everyone involved in the building of a house, has to have the title (and responsibility) of "engineer." It will be important to address what aspects of a software project would need the formal supervision, approval, and/or review of a licensed software engineer. It will also be important to identify whether sub-disciplines will be necessary, i.e., do we need engineers specific to design as distinct from coding as distinct from testing, etc.? I think [SWEBOK] is a very significant effort and I am participating in reviewing various parts of it. Without something like this as a basis, discussion on the proper education for engineers, the proper expectations in industry for skills, etc. has no reference point. My understanding is that there are a few years of work left on this since the next phase (expected to last a couple years) is to circulate it for "public" review/trial by industry and academia. What I find disturbing to hear is that an attempt may be made to take the version being so circulated and use it as the basis of developing licensing regulations. With no trial/review of the material, I can see why the ACM, though I disagree with their pulling out if the SWECC, would object to a direction that supports this being done at this time. I think those involved with the SWEBOK should not be encouraging government agencies at any level to expect to use the material in any legal capacity at this time. On the other hand, I think government should be quite willing to review such materials (and participate in their development), contributing their perspective on what the implications (and expectations) would be for using such a body of knowledge in a formal licensing situation. This perspective should be shared publicly as well as the SWEBOK so the implications of such use would be clear before it happens. -- Scott P. Duncan SoftQual Consulting http://www.mindspring.com/~softqual/ sduncan@ acm.org OR ieee.org OR asqnet.org ###################################################################### From: J. Barrie Thompson Time to go back and think again ACM's withdrawal from the Software Engineering Coordinating Committee (SWECC) is to be regretted but it does perhaps indicate that there are some fundamental flaws in some of the projects that the committee is currently supporting. In talking to ACM members at the recent 16th World Computer Congress in Beijing it became clear that two of the prime problems that are currently seen by them are: - the current issue of licensing Software Engineers and the perceived close relationship of such with the SWEBOK project - that the initial work done within the SWEBOK project had limitations and that this has impacted on the rest of the project. However, it does appear that it is the issue of licensing that has caused the rift. Perhaps what needs to be done now is to undertake a critical review of all the activities that have been undertaken under the auspices of SWECC in order to identify a common core that is applicable not only to the situations within North America but which is also acceptable to a world-wide community. I have great concerns that many of SWECC's current projects are likely to produce a model for Software Engineering Professionalism that is primarily centred on industry structures and educational models that reflect the situation in North America. For a discipline that will shape the 21st century a much broader view is needed. Also the IEEE-CS and ACM both need to be mindful of their claims to be International bodies and ensure that what they support cannot be accused of having a regional or national bias. For some time the International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP) has been progressing a project on the Harmonisation of Professional Standards which is concerned with setting out an international standard for professional practice in information technology. The current situation is that this project is being referred back to IFIP Working Group 3.4 which is concerned with professional and vocational education and of which I am Vice Chair. Within the working group we have created three professional groups: 1. Professional Education for Network-centric Organisations - E-training and E-learning for Professionals 2. Educating the Workforce for Informatics as a Profession 3. Professional Standards in Software Engineering The role of the third group is to discuss the needs for appropriate education for Software Engineers at undergraduate level, postgraduate level and professional/industrial levels. It will also consider how common professional standards in Software Engineering can be developed world-wide. In the discussions the group will have to take into account that the body of knowledge is based on rapidly changing technology, that the discipline has not yet fully matured, and that this is a truly world-wide discipline that requires common standards and approaches. It is intended that there will be a series of discussion group meetings to support each of the three above 3.4 professional groups during IFIP's 7th World Conference on Computers in Education (WCCE 2001) which will be held in Copenhagen in August 2001. I also hope to organise panel sessions/ discussion groups/workshops at other major conferences prior to WCCE 2001 to consider areas related to professionalism within Software Engineering and examine the relevance of the work already undertaken within IFIP's Harmonisation project. It is intended that what results from these other activities will feed into the discussions at WCCE 2001. Already such a panel session is scheduled to take place within the IEEE-CS Twenty-Fourth Annual International Computer Software and Applications Conference (compsac2000) which will be held in Taipei this October. I hope that by taking such a board based approach it will be possible to avoid some of the problems that have arisen with SWECC. J Barrie Thompson Professor in Applied Software Engineering at the University of Sunderland Vice Chair IFIP WG3.4 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Features ###################################################################### By: Tom Hilburn (Academic Editor) MASTER OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY We are starting a new feature in this issue of FASE. We would like to report on various academic programs in software engineering, both undergraduate and graduate. For our first program we have asked Jim Tomayko to report on the Master of Software Engineering (MSE) program at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Jim is the director of the program and also heads the Software Development Studio part of the MSE program. The CMU MSE program is one of the pioneers in the field and has gained an international reputation for quality and innovation. 1. Development History The Carnegie Mellon Master of Software Engineering Program admitted four part-time students in 1989. Since then it has graduated over 200 students. A university-wide committee planned the program during the 1986-87 academic year. In 1989 another committee planned the project component, the Software Development Studio. The first director was Norm Gibbs, then also director of the Software Engineering Institute's Education Program. All committees had Software Engineering Institute members, and the program is still considered joint with the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). 2. Curriculum Objectives, Philosophy, and Content The initial curriculum was based on the SEI recommendations for core courses, electives, and a Studio project. The core was based on life-cycle phases and the entire course of study was 16 months. The current curriculum balances five core courses, four electives, and the equivalent of 6 semesters of Studio arranged 1-1-4 over three semesters. The core is now organized around *concepts* rather than life cycle phases. The core courses are Models of Software Systems, Methods of Software Development, Managing Software Development, Architectures of Software Systems, and Analysis of Software Systems. The course descriptions and more about the curriculum can be found at: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/project/mse/www/information/ description.html 3. Admission Information Program prerequisites include discrete math, data structures, principles of programming languages, and two years experience in the software industry. The are an average of 22 full time and 8 part time students accepted on campus annually. 4. The "Studio" Activity The Studio is a one-year practical project for a customer outside the university. Clients have included Charles Schwab, Westinghouse, E-transport, NASA, the Air Force, ISI, and others. The Studio, upper-case "S," is deliberately named to invoke resonance with the art and architectural Studios on which it was modeled after a study of effective professional education. Students apply what they've learned in the core courses to a real project, though not on the critical path. The Studio tends to develop proofs of concept or prototypes. Each project team of 5-6 students has two mentors, each of which meet with the students individually as well as the team. Mentors are recruited from instructors at CMU with actual work experience, or members of the Software Engineering Institute technical staff. 5. New Initiatives and the Future The original curriculum was 16 months. This was considered too long, so it was compressed into 12 months. It is being returned to 16 months, and a second degree, the Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT), is 12 months. It shares the MSE core, but has a shorter practicum rather than the Studio. The practicum is individual, and is based on a more focused project, which may be found in industry or a Studio. In addition to the new MSIT degree, last year we began to offer a distance education version of the MSE degree. It now exceeds the on-campus enrollment (in FTEs). The first six MSE students, never to have set foot on campus, graduate next August. The MSIT degree will eventually have the largest enrollment. ###################################################################### By: Tom Hilburn (Academic Editor) Recruiting Computer Science Software Engineering Faculty Well the recruiting season is beginning for many computing departments, and if recent trends are any indication, it is going to be another rough one! There will be hundreds of open positions, lots of time and money devoted to filling them, and many positions left unfilled or filled with people with minimum or less than adequate qualifications. A strong economy and a burgeoning demand for software have caused serious problems in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel in software development and software engineering positions. The problem is more severe in the academic positions for computer science faculty. Most programs are looking for faculty with good teaching and research experience (or potential for excelling in these areas), a terminal degree, possibly some depth in certain specialty areas of computing, and if you have a software engineering degree, you would like your new hires to have some real-world experience. Several recent articles and studies in this area highlight the problem. In an August 9, 2000 New York Times article ("Computer Science Departments are Depleted as More Professors Test Entrepreneurial Waters") there is a discussion of the problems some of the more prestigious departments ( U. of Washington, Georgia Tech, MIY and U. of Texas at Austin) are having in losing faculty to start-ups and other industry jobs. It appears that the problems the "big guys" are having are just the tip of the iceberg. Henry Walker at Grinnell College has completed a study of faculty advertisements in CACM (http://www.math.grin.edu/~walker/dept/cacm-ads.96-00.html). His analysis is interesting, but somewhat depressing. I suggest you take a look if you are in the market for computing faculty. Just to give you one piece of data: in 1996-1997 there were 370 positions advertised in CACM; by 1999-2000 the number had climbed to 709. Also Walker cited certain trends he discerned in his analysis: 1. The number of advertised post-doctoral positions and the number of senior level positions has remained about constant over the period. 2. While the number of non-tenure track positions increased significantly in percentage terms in each of the years, the number of such positions advertised during this time frame is relatively insignificant. 3. The number of junior-level, tenure-track positions increased about 28.8% from 1996-1997 to 1997-1998 and again 39.3% from 1997-1998 to 1999. 4. For 1999-2000, many ads indicated that appointment might be possible at several ranks. The statistics for this year indicate positions at the junior level, except when a position is specifically designated as an endowed chair, department chair, or Dean. It is not unreasonable to expect that the modest decrease in the number of senior-level positions listed is due to this broad advertising and counting of positions. 5. Even with this limited selection of ads, the supply of new Ph.D.'s was close to the positions announced here in 1996-1997. Even according to this abridged data, the demand for junior-level tenure-track people exceeded supply by 15.3% in 1997-1998 and by 60.5 in 1998-1999, and 52.7% in 1999-2000 -- and this does not count post-docs or non-tenure-track openings. If you are on a search committee this year you have your work cut out for you - Good Luck! Also, we will be glad to publish your ads for faculty in FASE. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ News Items ###################################################################### By: Don Bagert (Professional Issues Editor) September CACM Article on SE Licensing Delayed The July 2000 FASE announced that the September issue of Communications of the ACM (CACM) would publish "A Summary of the ACM Position on Software Engineering as a Licensed Engineering Profession", which includes as appendices three important panel/task force reports that influenced ACM's decision to withdraw from SWEcc over the licensing issue. However, the article did not appear in the September Communications. When contacted about the matter, CACM Editor Diane Crawford said that yes, such an article was intended for the September issue, but it is now delayed. "A Summary of the ACM Position on Software Engineering as a Licensed Engineering Profession", dated July 17, 2000, is still available at http://www.acm.org/serving/se_policy/selep_main.html. ###################################################################### From: Leonard L. Tripp Professional Engineers of Ontario Journal Reports on SE Licensing in Canada The following URL contains reports on progress in software engineering curriculums and software engineering licensing in Canada. http://www.peo.on.ca/Communications/edonline.htm [Editor's Note: From there, you may want to first click on the link to the July/August 2000 issue.] Leonard L. Tripp Boeing Shared Services P.O. Box 3707, MC 7L-16, Seattle, WA 98124 +1 425.865.2732 (V), +1 425.865.6914 (F) Member of: http://www.computer.org ###################################################################### By: Don Bagert (Professional Issues Editor) Engineering Times Reports on ACM Withdrawal, Discusses SE Licensing The August/September 2000 issue of Engineering Times, published by the USA-based National Society of Professional Engineers, reported on ACM's Withdrawal from SWEcc (see July 2000 FASE) in a page 3 article entitled "Association Rejects Licensing of Software Engineers." Page 4 of that same issue has a letter to the editor by Dale Sall, President of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), the organization which provides engineering licensing examinations to most states in the USA. Mr. Sall wrote in response to Dr. Roger Zimmerman's article "Taking a Proactive Approach to Software Engineering, which appeared in the June 2000 issue of Engineering Times (as reported in the June issue of FASE), stating that although NCEES did vote in its annual meeting the intention to create examinations for software engineering once the provisions of its Examination Policy 7 was met, they have not as yet been met. In particular, there is not yet an curriculum accredited by ABET/EAC in software engineering. [Editor Note: At least one school, the Rochester Institute of Technology, is expected to be visited by ABET/EAC in the Fall of 2001.] ###################################################################### By: Don Bagert (Professional Issues Editor) IEEE Computer Letters on SE as a Profession In the August 2000 issue of IEEE Computer, there were three letters (on pages 4-5) in response to articles published in their May issue under the heading "Software Engineering - A Maturing Profession?" (see the May issue of FASE for details), including one from J. Barrie Thompson, who also discusses software engineering as a profession elsewhere in this issue of FASE. ###################################################################### Tom Hilburn (Academic Editor) via Rod Chapman PRAXIS CRITICAL SYSTEMS Praxis Critical Systems is pleased to announce the immediate availability of release 5 of the SPARK language and the SPARK Examiner toolset. This release is available free-of-charge to academic institutions for teaching and non-commercial research purposes. Full support for this release will be available to a single point-of-contact per institution. SPARK remains the only widely-used, unambiguous programming language that supports formal development methods such as B and Z, while being used in large, real-world projects such as EuroFighter, Lockheed C130J, SHOLIS, and the MULTOS CA. To accompany release 5, a second printing of the textbook "High Integrity Ada - The SPARK Approach" by John Barnes is in production. Release 5 adds significant functionality over previous releases, including: Support for proof of programs involving abstract state; Support for explicit quantifiers in predicates; Improved generation of proof rules for enumerated types; Generation of output files in HTML; Command-line selectable annotation character; Revised SPARK_IO package complying with the INFORMED design approach. Please email us for more information at mailto:sparkinfo@praxis-cs.co.uk or see our web-site: http://www.praxis-cs.co.uk/ Yours, The SPARK Team Praxis Critical Systems Note: The SPARK programming language is not sponsored by or affiliated with SPARC International Inc and is not based on SPARC(tm) architecture. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Calls for Participation ###################################################################### By: Tom Hilburn (Academic Editor) CSEET2001 - PSP(SM)/TSPI(SM) WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT Topic: Teaching PSP(SM) and TSPi(SM) in Universities Workshop Coordinator: David Carrington (email: davec@csee.uq.edu.au) Description: Discuss teaching PSP(SM) and TSPi(SM) processes in a university setting, particularly to students with limited software development experience. Objectives: - to promote discussion about issues that affect the teaching of PSP(SM) and TSPi(SM) in universities, - to share experience gained from teaching PSP(SM) and TSPi(SM), and - to identify strategies that can assist teaching PSP(SM) and TSPi(SM) in universities. If you would like to participate as a panelist in any of these workshops, please send your position statement by email to both of the CSEET 2001 Workshop Co-chairs AND to the coordinator for the specific workshop (listed in column 2 above). These position statements must be received by 9/19/2000. Notification of acceptance as a workshop panelist will be made by 11/3/2000. Tutorials/Workshops Chairs: Jeanne Murtagh, Air Force Institute of Technology (Jeanne.Murtagh@afit.af.mil) John A. Hamilton Jr., Naval Postgraduate School (hamiltoj@spawar.navy.mil) (SM)PSP and TSPi are service marks of Carnegie Mellon University. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Advance Programs ###################################################################### From: Kip Haggerty via Don Bagert Southern California SPIN Meeting Friday 27 October 2000, 9 am-noon The Pointe @ The Pyramid California State University, Long Beach Software Engineering & Forensics John Cosgrove, P.E. Abstract Litigation involving computers and software has exploded recently. Tom DeMarco & Tim Lister estimate that "costs of litigation are rising faster than any other aspect of software development.", and [l]itigation costs are "a larger component than coding." The pervasive nature of computers in every aspect of society has been noticed by the legal system. Forensic engineering refers to engineering services associated with the legal system. Forensics as applied to software engineering, has two meanings. The first is the engineering support provided to the legal system, usually as an expert witness in litigation. The second meaning is the concern that all software professionals should have for the forensic (i.e., litigation potential) implications of their work. The role of the software engineering forensics expert, the implications for developers, and a proposed means for survival in a litigation-intensive computer world constitute the core issues. Biographical Information JOHN COSGROVE, P.E. -- Cosgrove Computer Systems Inc. -- has over forty years experience in real-time software engineering and has been a self-employed, consulting engineer in the Los Angeles area since 1970. He is a charter member of the LASPIN Steering Committee. Recently, his consulting business has seen the demand for forensic services increase significantly. For more information about the meeting and the Southern California Software Process Improvement (SPIN) Network, please see http://www.uces.csulb.edu/spin/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Position Openings ###################################################################### From: Jochen Ludewig University of Stuttgart, Germany Full Professor of Computer Science Safe and Reliable Software Systems The Department of Informatics invites applications for a position as a full professor (C4). Applicants should have demonstrated research expertise in the area of safe and reliable software systems. Excellent teaching ability and a strong commitment to co-operation are essential. Possible research areas are - models of safety and reliability of software systems - techniques and tools for forecasting, measuring, or computing safety and reliability - methods for development and maintenance of safe and reliable software systems - correctness of programs, error rate estimation - risk analysis and countermeasures - software systems that must be extremely safe and reliable - techniques and protocols for safe and reliable software systems More information about the department can be found at http://www.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/ For the full text describing the position, see http://www.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/profs.html Candidates should apply, or at least contact the department, by October 15, 2000. ###################################################################### UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE Faculty Position in Computer Science The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Evansville invites application for a tenure track faculty position in computer science starting either January or August 200l. The University of Evansville is an independent, church-related, selective admissions, undergraduate university organized into four colleges and schools: Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education and Health Sciences, Engineering and Computer Science. The University, located in a city of 135,000 in southwestern Indiana, has a strong tradition in the liberal arts and sciences and international education. Enrollment numbers approximately 2,600 full-time students. The University also has a British campus, Harlaxton College, located north of London. Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in computer science or closely related field. All areas will be considered. The following areas are of particular interest: artificial intelligence and graphics. Salary and rank will be commensurate with academic background and experience. Applications from qualified women and under-represented minorities are encouraged. The University of Evansville is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Please send resume and three references to: Dr. Dick K. Blandford, Chair Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science University of Evansville 1800 Lincoln Avenue Evansville, Indiana 47722 Consideration of applications will begin immediately. ###################################################################### LOYOLA COLLEGE IN MARYLAND The Computer Science Department of Loyola College in Maryland invites applications for a tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in fall, 2001. We seek an enthusiastic individual, committed to excellent teaching and continued scholarship. A Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field is required. While candidates in all areas of specialization will be considered, we especially welcome applicants with expertise in networking, computer engineering, or operating systems. Loyola is Catholic, Jesuit, selective liberal arts university that values scholarly excellence as well as individual growth and service to others. The school has been recognized nationally for its commitment to the support of technology and is ranked among the top ten comprehensive universities in the North by US News and World Report. The BS in Computer Science has been CSAC-accredited since 1989. A Masters in Engineering Science with a Computer Science concentration is also awarded, and most of the ten members of the Computer Science Department teach on both the undergraduate and graduate level. The CS faculty functions in a collegial, cohesive manner; classes are small (less than twenty students in most upper-division CS classes), and opportunities for personal contact with students are plentiful. We have been especially successful in involving undergraduates in faculty research projects. To apply please forward a current CV with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references to: Dr. Roberta E. Sabin Chair, Computer Science Department Loyola College 4501 North Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21210 E-mail: res@loyola.edu Before a campus visit, we will request that you forward formal letters of recommendation and official transcripts. Loyola is located in the northern suburbs of Baltimore, close to many professional, recreational, and cultural opportunities. Loyola is a Jesuit Catholic institution, which welcomes applicants from all backgrounds who can contribute to our unique educational mission. Loyola is an AA/EO employer which seeks applications from women and members of minority groups. More information is available at www.loyola.edu/cas and www.cs.loyola.edu ###################################################################### MERCER UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE Faculty Position The Department of Computer Science in Mercer University's College of Liberal Arts is accepting applications for a tenure track Assistant Professor faculty position. The appointment will be effective August 1, 2001. Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in computer science or a closely related field with graduate work in computer science. Individuals close to completion of their Ph.D. are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have a strong commitment to undergraduate education, be able to teach a wide variety of undergraduate computer science courses as well as interdisciplinary courses, be interested in conducting research in collaboration with undergraduate students, and be pursuing scholarly activities within the discipline. Responsibilities associated with the position include teaching undergraduate computer science courses, teaching interdisciplinary courses, directing undergraduate research projects, and serving as faculty advisor for individual students. Participation in student organizations such as Upsilon Pi Epsilon and the ACM Student Chapter is also expected. There is also the possibility of teaching graduate level courses in software engineering. Mercer University is a private, comprehensive Baptist affiliated university with programs in liberal arts, law, pharmacy, medicine, education, engineering, and theology. To learn more about Mercer University, visit Mercer's web site at www.mercer.edu The Computer Science Department offers the BS and BA degree in computer science. The BS degree program is accredited by CSAB. The Department also offers coursework in support of the Computer Engineering major which is offered through the School of Engineering. Individuals should forward a letter of application, vita, official graduate transcripts, and three letters of reference to: Dr. David L. Cozart Department of Computer Science Mercer University 1400 Coleman Avenue Macon, GA. 31207 For additional information, contact Dr. David L. Cozart at: (478) 301-4087 or through E-mail at cozart_dl@mercer.edu Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Mercer University is an AA/EEO/ADA employer. ###################################################################### STATE UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA Position Announcement Computer Science Department State University of West Georgia The Computer Science Department at the State University of West Georgia invites applications for three or more tenure track positions for Spring 2001 and/or Fall 2001 contingent upon funding. The positions are primarily at the assistant professor level, but highly qualified applicants at higher ranks will be considered. The Department is experiencing rapid growth and preparing to move to a $20 million Technology-enhanced Learning Center. The Department is seeking CSAB accreditation and preparing to offer a graduate program in applied computer science. We seek energetic and enthusiastic individuals, committed to excellent teaching. We offer competitive salaries and excellent fringe benefits. Requirements include a Ph.D. in Computer Science. We are especially interested in candidates specialized in Web/Multimedia, Networks, OS or OO Systems, but strong candidates in other areas will be considered. Applicants should submit curriculum vitae and three letters of reference to: Adel Abunawass, Computer Science Search, Computer Science Department (http://www.westga.edu/~cs/), State University of West Georgia (http://www.westga.edu/), Carrollton, GA 30118. E-mail: adel@westga.edu. Review of completed applications will begin immediately but the search will remain open until all positions are filled. The State University of West Georgia is an EO/AA Employer. ###################################################################### TRINITY UNIVERSITY Position Announcement Assistant Professor Of Computer Science Trinity University is seeking applications for a tenure track assistant professor position in Computer Science. Candidates for this position must have a Ph.D. in Computer Science or related area. Furthermore, candidates must be able and willing to participate in the ongoing development of the undergraduate computer science curriculum, and be active in research and professional activities including seeking external funding for research and education. Candidates must be prepared to teach introductory and advanced courses in computer science, advise first-year students and computer science majors, and be willing to include undergraduate students in their on-going research activities. Teaching load is nine student contact hours per semester (three courses per semester), two semesters per year, beginning August 2001. Trinity University is an independent, coeducational, primarily residential university founded in 1869. Undergraduate enrollment is approximately 2400, including students from all areas of the United States and many foreign countries. Trinity has highly selective admission standards, and is rapidly moving toward its goal of becoming one of the nation's highest quality, primarily undergraduate institutions. Two hundred twenty faculty teach and conduct research on an attractive residential campus which overlooks downtown San Antonio, a city rich in heritage and ethnic diversity with a population of more than one million. Trinity's principal focus is on undergraduate education featuring intertwined, mutually reinforcing intellectual experiences for students and faculty across the University. Priorities include development of critical and creative thinking skills and excellence in written and spoken communication. Additional information about Trinity University may be found at http://www.trinity.edu. Computer Science Department information may be obtained at http://www.cs.trinity.edu. Letter of application, curriculum vitae, statement of teaching and research interests, and names, addresses and telephone numbers of at least three references, and other materials of the candidate's choice should be sent to Professor John E. Howland, Chair, Assistant Professor Search Committee, Department of Computer Science, Trinity University, 715 Stadium Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78212-7200 by Monday, December 4, 2000. Trinity University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Contact and General Information about FASE FASE is published on the 15th of each month by the FASE staff. Send newsletter articles to one of the editors, preferably by category: Articles pertinent to academic education to Tom Hilburn ; corporate and government training to David Carter ; professional issues and all other categories to Don Bagert . If the article is for a FASE topic where there is a guest editor, the submission should instead be to that person. Items must be submitted by the 8th of the month in order to be considered for inclusion in that month's issue. Also, please see the submission guidelines immediately below. FASE submission format guidelines: All submissions must be in ASCII format, and contain no more than 70 characters per line (71 including the new line character). This 70-character/line format must be viewable in a text editor such as Microsoft Notepad WITHOUT using a "word wrap" facility. 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From there, click on "TTU Faculty Mailing Lists", and then either "fase" or "fase-talk", depending on which list you desire.) _____ Back issues (dating from the very first issue) can be found on the web (with each Table of Contents) at in chronological order, in reverse order, or through ftp at . _____ The FASE Staff: Tom Hilburn -- Academic Editor Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Department of Computing and Mathematics Daytona Beach FL 32114 USA Phone: 904-226-6889 Fax: 904-226-6678 Email: hilburn@db.erau.edu URL: http://faculty.erau.edu/hilburn/ David Carter -- Corporate/Government Editor 6212 Mil Mar Blvd Alexandria LA 71302 USA Phone: 318-767-2339 Email: dacarter@bayou.com Don Bagert, P.E. -- Professional Issues/Misc Editor and Web/Listmaster Department of Computer Science 8th and Boston Texas Tech University Lubbock TX 79409-3104 USA Phone: 806-742-1189 Fax: 806-742-3519 Email: Don.Bagert@ttu.edu URL: http://www.cs.ttu.edu/faculty/bagert.html Laurie Werth -- Advisory Committee Taylor Hall 2.124 University of Texas at Austin Austin TX 78712 USA Phone: 512-471-9535 Fax: 512-471-8885 Email: lwerth@cs.utexas.edu Nancy Mead -- Advisory Committee Software Engineering Institute 5000 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA Phone: 412-268-5756 Fax: 412-268-5758 Email: nrm@sei.cmu.edu