Forum for Advancing Software engineering Education (FASE) Volume 11 Number 11 (Issue 142) - November 15, 2001 Note: If you have problems with the format of this document, try ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Table of Contents Next Issue's Topic - Academic Software Engineering: The Next 10 Years Articles Software Engineering in the UK 2001 by J. Barrie Thompson and Helen M. Edwards Advance Programs CSEE&T 2002 Position Openings Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Department Head) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Faculty Positions) Butler University Contact and General Information about FASE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ From: Tom Hilburn, Academic Editor Next Issue's Topic FASE 10th Anniversary Round-Table Discussion Academic Software Engineering: The Next 10 Years For the December 2001 issue of FASE we are planning a special issue to celebrate the 10th anniversary of FASE. As part of this special issue, we will feature a round table discussion of the evolution of the software education and training community, and the key issues and problems in its future. We have invited key members and contributors in the software engineering education community to participate - they will not only discuss the problems and accomplishments from the past but look forward to the challenges and opportunites ahead of us. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Articles ###################################################################### Software Engineering in the UK 2001 J. Barrie Thompson and Helen M. Edwards School of Computing Engineering and Technology University of Sunderland, St Peter's Way, Sunderland SR6 0DD, United Kingdom. E-mails: barrie.thompson@sunderland.ac.uk helen.edwards@sunderland.ac.uk 1. Introduction During the past year we have been involved in a number of activities concerned with examining aspects associated with Software Engineering professionalism and the value of a document produced under the auspices of the International Federation for Information Processing concerned with Harmonisation of Professional Standards. Most notable of these activities were: 1. A half day workshop was held at the 2001 Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T) in Charlotte, North Carolina in February 2001 [1,]. The detailed results of which will appear in the journal Education and Information Technologies, issue 6/4 in December 2001[3]. 2. A full day workshop was held during the 2001 International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE) in Toronto in May 2001 [2]. A report on this can be found in the September issue of ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes [4]. From these activities it has become clear that to progress matters in the future there was a need to: 1. Try and build up a truly international view and be sensitive to local situations. 2. Get accurate data and find out what the situation is across the world both in the areas of professional practice and educational structures. We have produced this article with these requirements in view. We felt that it was important to put Software Engineering education in the UK within a wider context so that readers outside the UK could obtain a better understanding of the situation. We have therefore provided information on the following areas: Section 2: School education and assessment in England Wales and Northern Ireland (EW&NI), so that the reader appreciates what occurs prior to a student undertaking a Software Engineering programme at a University or College. Section 3: University qualifications, so that the reader can appreciate the range of qualifications available and the place of undergraduate Honours degrees in this range. Section 4: University and College Qualifications in Software Engineering Section 5: Detailed information on two B.Sc. Software engineering courses. Section 6: Details of external mechanisms for ensuring educational standards in Universities. Section 7: Professional certification and the role of the British Computer Society. Readers should note that our section on school education and assessment relates to the situation in England Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland for historical reasons has a different education system where the final examinations prior to entering University are Scottish "Highers". These are normally taken at age 17 and are in a greater range of subjects but at a lower level than the final school examinations taken in the rest of the UK. For this reason degree courses at Scottish Universities are typically a year longer than those at Universities in England Wales and Northern Ireland. We felt that to give full details of the scottish pre University system would simply cloud matters and hence have concentrated on the situation in schools in the rest of the UK. We would welcome comments on the value of the information provided in the following parts of the paper. This is because we plan to be involved in running workshops/summits concerned with software engineering education at next year's CSEET and ICSE conferences and would like to make use of information such as this. So, after reading the rest of the article please feedback your comments regarding: * Is anything else needed? * Can anything be omitted? * Does this information provide a suitable template for international comparisons? If for readability you would like to access the "Word" version of this file go to: wwww.cet.sunderland.ac.uk/~seis and "click" the link for "UK Education in SE (draft for monograph)" 2. School Education and Assessment 2.1 Background to time spent at school in the EW&NI School attendance in the EW&NI is compulsory for children "the term after a child's fifth birthday". However, most children in the EW&NI begin education at nursery school (3+ years), move into primary school at 4+ years, move to secondary school at 11+ years. Compulsory education ends at 16 years although those wishing to take a conventional path towards a university degree spend two years in the "sixth form" or further education colleges before progressing to university. The normal academic year is from September until the following summer. The table below tries to summarise the "timeline" of school life. (ages given correspond to typical age at start of the phase) Age School National Key Formal Assessment* Stage 3 Nursery** Foundation Stage 4 Reception Foundation Baseline assessment at start of Stage school year. 5 Year 1 Key Stage 1 6 Year 2 Key Stage 1 Standard Assessment Tests (English, Mathematics, Science) 7 Year 3 Key Stage 2 8 Year 4 Key Stage 2 9 Year 5 Key Stage 2 10 Year 6 Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests (English, Mathematics, Science) 11 Year 7 Key Stage 3 12 Year 8 Key Stage 3 13 Year 9 Key Stage 3 Standard Assessment Tests (English, Mathematics, Science) 14 Year 10 Key Stage 4 15 Year 11 Key Stage 4 General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations: core plus optional subjects 16 Year 12 General Certificate of Education: AS level examinations 17 Year 13 General Certificate of Education: A level examinations * normally towards the end of the stage ** not compulsory 2.2 Standard Assessment Tests at Key Stage 1 to 3 Within England, Wales and Northern Ireland the government dictates the curriculum for the first three key stages for all subjects (and in great detail for English, Mathematics and Science). At the end of each key stage the children are assessed for their levels of ability in English, Mathematics and Science. These standard assessment tests (SATs) are based on both teachers' assessments over the course of the assessed year and nationally set tests which are taken by all children on the same days throughout the countries. These tests are set, marked and moderated externally. At key stage 1: most children should achieve level 2, and the brightest, level 3(or exceptionally 4). At key stage 2: most children should achieve level 4, and the brightest, level 5(or exceptionally 5*). At key stage 3: most children should achieve level 6, and the brightest, level 7 (or exceptionally 8). The results of the SATs for each school are published nationally in government statistics and in national and local newspapers. The use of the resultant league tables are controversial, given that "raw" data is used. But a range of analyses exist within the government Department for Education and Skills providing more focused and meaningful interpretation of the data, and these can be accessed. 2.3 General Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations at Key Stage 4 Once children move into key stage 4 (typically at age 11) they embark on more specialised studies in their chosen subject areas. Normally schools expect all pupils to take as core subjects: English, Mathematics, a science subject, and a modern foreign language; in addition pupils choose options from a wide range of potential subjects (choice being constrained by access to subject specialists in the school and timetabling issues). The subjects available vary from Accounting, Urdu and include diverse subjects such as Design & Technology, Drama & Theatre Arts, Economics, Information Technology, Latin, Law, Psychology, and Sociology (these subjects were chosen pretty much at random from the full list available at the Northern Examination and Assessment Board's web site: www.neab.ac.uk). A "bright" pupil (destined for higher education) would take between nine and twelve General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE subjects). The choice of subjects is made within Year 9 and the syllabi are then studied in Years 10 and 11. The syllabi for the subjects chosen are set by independent examination boards (such as the Northern Ireland Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, or the Northern Examination and Assessment Board). The GCSE subjects are assessed by a mixture of coursework and examinations. The examinations which pupils sit typically consist of long, written answers, (each answer is allowed between 40 minutes and an hour), short written answers (each answer is allowed between 10 and 15 minutes), and multiple-choice answers (where the pupil has to decide which is the correct answer from a range of possible options.) GCSEs in Modern Foreign Languages, for example, include an oral exam, when the pupil has to use the language to talk about set topics with a teacher. Some GCSEs also include teacher-assessed coursework in the final grade. The exam boards set the final exams, and have teams of external markers who mark written papers according to strict criteria. These markers meet together to discuss the marking, and to make sure that grades are being given for the same standard of work. Between exam boards there is variation in the syllabus for specific subjects. Therefore teachers within school may opt for different exam boards based on the content of the syllabus: there is often core material but more variety and flexibility in curriculum at this level than in the national curriculum studied in Key Stages 1 through to 3. Despite the variety in content for GCSE subjects the grading system for GCSE results is exactly the same across the boards. Pupils are graded in their GCSEs. The grade vary from A*, then A to G. Grades A*, A, B, and C are high passes, and expected of pupils aiming at higher education. Grades D and E are also passes which have some value to employers. Exam results are published on a certain day in mid-August: the same day for all subjects, and all boards. Both schools and the government keep records of the percentages of the Year 11 pupils' receiving each grade at GCSE. In particular the government publishes the percentages of pupils who achieve five or more grade C passes at GCSE as annual league tables. All children are expected to be entered for at least some GCSEs. Compulsory education ends at the end of Year 11 but many children "stay on" at school or further education colleges to study for Advanced Level subjects ("A" levels). 2.4 General Certificate of Education AS and A Levels (16-18 years) The advanced study in sixth forms or colleges continues the focusing of pupils' interests and often encourages specialisation in subject areas. Two years study is undertaken which lead to the Advanced ("A") level examinations. Within the first year of this period the pupils typically study four or five subject areas to "AS" (Advanced Subsidiary) level and then in the second year specialise and continue with three of these to a more detailed level. Again, as for GCSEs there is great variety in the options available, but unlike GCSEs there are no core subjects and the only constraints tend to be teacher expertise and timetable resourcing. This approach allows pupils to have as broad or narrow a focus as they desire. The pass grades for the AS and A levels are A through to E. For those applying to university their GCSE results, AS results and projected A level results are used by university admissions tutors to decide on the type of offer to make: unconditional, conditional (on specific grades to be achieved at A level) and rejection. Follow-up on this if you dare at http://www.qca.org.uk/ca/ (The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority). 2.5 Choosing a University or College and Course Pupils can apply to up to five universities or colleges through one central admissions service: University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). This is normally done during the autumn term of the "A" level year (i.e. approximately 10 months prior to starting University). Universities and colleges guarantee to consider applications received by UCAS by their deadline and only one UCAS application form can be submitted per year. The pupils' decisions on courses and universities are made primarily by reading prospectuses and attending open days, however extensive use can be made of the UCAS service and its website (www.ucas.ac.uk) to find which courses of interest operate at which institution. For instance, a search via UCAS in October 2001 for university and college courses in Software Engineering starting in the next academic year (i.e. 2002/2003) identified 132 courses in Software Engineering at degree or sub degree level. The diversity and specialism in subject matter that begins for pupils with their GCSEs and leads into their AS/A levels continues at university level also. A significant factor of the UK university system is that universities and higher education institutes operate autonomously: Degree courses and titles are determined locally (although after going through set university procedures) as is the degree content. Therefore a pupil cannot assume that a degree in mathematics at one university will have the same content as that in another (although in practice some commonality of topic areas can be expected). Therefore for truly discerning applicants course content needs to be investigated as well as course titles. The next section gives an overview of the university system, qualifications and Software Engineering focus. 3. University and College Qualifications: Similarities and Differences 3.1 Qualification Range Within the UK university system there are a range of qualifications, the most typical ones are: Higher National Certificate (HNC) Higher National Diploma (HND), Bachelor's degree (B.A, BSc, B.Eng) Master's degree (M.Sc., M.A., M.Eng, M.Phil.) and Doctorate (D.Phil, PhD, D.Eng). 3.2 HNC/D A Higher National Certificate (HNC) is usually vocationally oriented and often studied part time by technical staff, its academic level is equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor's degree (but without the same breadth of topics). A Higher National Diploma (HND) is similar to the HNC in that it is usually vocationally oriented: it usually studied in a full time mode, its academic level is also equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor's degree (and with the breadth of topics). The content of both HNC and HND qualifications can be locally determined within universities, but this must be mapped to a range of competencies looked for by the national awards body (EDEXCEL, SCOTVEC): therefore there are more constraints on academic staff in this regards. 3.3 Bachelor's degree A Bachelor's degree (B.A, BSc, B.Eng) with honours is the "standard" university qualification.. Students chose to study single or joint honours programmes (such as B.Sc. in chemistry, or B.A in Computing and Waste Management). Within that programme the student typically studies a diet of core and optional modules. A bachelor's degree in England, Wales and Northern Ireland normally take three years of full time undergraduate academic study (in Scotland normally four years). Typically students attend University for some 30 weeks in each academic year and to achieve a classified (honours) degree the normal requirement is for the student to successfully undertake some independent final year project within the specialism of the award. On successful completion of bachelor's degree students graduate with: First class honours - B.Sc. (Hons) I Second class honours upper division - B.Sc. (Hons) IIi Second class honours lower division - B.Sc. (Hons) IIii Third class honours - B.Sc. (Hons) III Pass or ordinary degree - B.Sc. In academia the expectation is that those progressing to research degrees would have first or upper second class honours degrees. Those progressing to taught masters degrees would have first, upper or lower second class honours degrees. Those who have a third class degree should stop at that level. [Historically, a lower second class honours degree was deemed to be "the drinking man's" degree]. In exceptional cases (usually in part time studies) students opt to take an ordinary degree, rather than achieving it by "failing" to reach honours. In addition to this classification of degrees on achievement degrees can also be categorised into "conventional" and "sandwich" degrees. A "conventional" degree in EW&NI simply requires three years (full time) academic achievement within the programme. A sandwich degree has an additional requirements that he student must have successfully completed a year's work experience in an appropriate areas during the programme, therefore this is typically in EW&NI a four year full time course where the third year is spent in industry. 3.4 Master's degrees Again in the UK there are a range of masters qualifications: M.Sc., M.A., M.Eng, M.Phil, some of these are gained within taught programmes, others gained by independent research. We'll take them one at a time. A taught masters course will normally take one year of full time study (45/48 weeks). It will typically have approximately two thirds of its provision based on taught modules and the final third focused on an independent project which has a substantial research component. The award gained can be M.A or M.Sc.: some universities provide further classifications e.g. M.Sc. and M.Sc(distinction). The final award normally has a specific title (for example, M.Sc, in Software Engineering). A masters degree that is gained by independent research is usually awarded as and M.Phil or in traditional "older" universities as an M.Sc or M.A.. These are awarded purely as masters without any specific award title (such as Software Engineering). A research masters is normally gained by independent study and research by a student, allied to an individual academic supervisor (or supervisory team), within an individual programme approved by the relevant university's research committee. There may be some supporting academic study to provide skills required for the research but these are determined on an individual basis. The student submits a thesis and undergoes an oral examination on this with examiners appointed from within and outside the university concerned. There is no classification within this award. The third type of masters is an M.Eng, these are awarded to courses that are taken as undergraduate courses but instead of the conventional three year time span within EW&NI they last for four academic years: with greater specialism and independent work in the fourth year. (In Scotland an extra year applies). These obviously come out of a conventional engineering background but some M.Eng courses exist for software engineering (for instance at UCW Aberystwyth, Heriot-Watt, and others). To add to the complexity, some of these M.Eng degrees last for five years full time as they incorporate a sandwich year! 3.5 Doctorates This final qualification is MUCH simpler to follow! In the UK a doctorate is gained through independent research (typically of three or four years duration in full time mode). It is similar in process to a MSc/MPhil by research, except greater depth is needed in the project and some "originality" needs to be proved. As for the M.Sc./MPhil a doctoral student has an individual academic supervisor (or team), and undertakes research within an individual programme approved by the relevant university's research committee. Again any supporting academic study required for the research is determined on an individual basis. The student submits a thesis and undergoes an oral examination on this with examiners appointed from within and outside the university concerned. There is no classification within this award. 4. University and College Qualifications in Software Engineering So, that's all well and good, but what about Software Engineering? To look at this we'll focus on HNCs, HNDs and first degrees (B.A, B.Eng, B.Sc., M.Eng). A quick search of the UCAS website for "Software Engineering" as a single subject at HNC, HND and degree level in October 2001 gave 132 courses in the UK for entry in 2002. However, closer examination of the titles cast doubt on whether 17 of these really were single subject Software Engineering courses. Thus we have based our further analysis on the remaining 115. The following provides a summary by award type of those courses that we believe are primarily Software engineering and are available for the 2002/2003 academic year. It should be noted that where a course is available in different types of attendance at the same institution they are counted separately by UCAS. Also we have not included qualifications that have Software Engineering as a "joint" subject. The keys in the table are: FT = full time, SW = sandwich (i.e. includes industrial year). Courses marked "*" are in Scottish universities. They tend to be one year longer than others in the UK since Scottish students leave school after "Highers" at 17 years old. # UMIST = University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology ^ ICL = Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine (University of London) HNC/HNDs are predominantly in the "further education" sector, but not exclusively. Degrees are predominantly in the "higher education" sector, but not exclusively. HNC Where how long/type University of East London 1FT Newham College of Further Education 1FT The People's College Nottingham 1FT Walsall College of Arts and Technology 1FT HND Where how long/type University of Bath 2FT Blackpool and The Fylde College 2FT Bradford College 2FT Bridgwater College 2FT University of Brighton 2FT Carshalton College 2FT University of Central England in Birmingham 2FT University of Central Lancashire 2FT City of Bristol College 2FT Doncaster College 2FT Dudley College of Technology 2FT University of East London 2FT Farnborough College of Technology 2FT University of Glamorgan 2FT Herefordshire College of Technology 2FT Herefordshire College of Technology 3SW University of Hertfordshire 2FT Llandrillo College, North Wales 2FT Manchester College of Arts and Technology 2FT Manchester Metropolitan University 2FT Mid-Cheshire College 2FT Newcastle College 2FT New College Durham 2FT University College Northampton 2FT Northbrook College Sussex 2FT North Lincolnshire College 2FT Norwich City College 2FT The People's College Nottingham 2FT University of Portsmouth 2FT University of Salford 2FT Sandwell College 2FT Sheffield Hallam University 3SW South Birmingham College 2FT Soundwell College 2FT Staffordshire University 2FT Suffolk College 2FT Swansea Institute of Higher Education 2FT Wakefield College 2FT Walsall College of Arts and Technology 2FT West Cumbria College 2FT Wigan and Leigh College 2FT York College of Further and Higher Education 2FT BSc Where how long/type Anglia Polytechnic University 3FT Bournemouth University 4SW University of Brighton 4SW University of the West of England, Bristol 4SW University of Central England in Birmingham 3FT/4SW University of Central Lancashire 3FT/4SW Coventry University 3FT/4SW De Montfort University 4SW University of Durham 3FT University of East London 4SW University of Essex 3FT University of Essex 3FT University of Glamorgan 3FT Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh 4FT* University of Hull 3FT/4FT Keele University 3FT Kingston University 4SW Liverpool John Moores University 4SW University of Manchester 3FT Manchester Metropolitan University 4SW Napier University 3FT/4FT* University of Newcastle Upon Tyne 3FT* University College Northampton 3FT Nottingham Trent University 3FT/4SW Oxford Brookes University 4SW University of Paisley 3FT/4FT/4SW/5SW* University of Portsmouth 4SW Sheffield Hallam University 4SW Southampton Institute 3FT Staffordshire University 3FT/4SW University of Stirling 4FT* University of Strathclyde 4FT* Suffolk College 3FT Swansea Institute of Higher Education 3FT University of Teesside 4SW University of Westminster 3FT University of Wolverhampton 4SW B.Eng Where how long/type University of Wales, Aberystwyth 4SW University of Bradford 4SW University of Bradford 3FT City University 4SW Cranfield University 3FT/4SW University of Edinburgh 4FT* UMIST# 3FT/4FT M.Eng Where how long/type University of Wales, Aberystwyth 5SW University of Bradford 4FT Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh 5FT Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh 4FT* University of Huddersfield 5SW ICL^ 4FT UMIST# 4FT University of Sheffield 3FT/4FT University of Southampton (S27) 4FT Staffordshire University 5SW University of Ulster 4SW/5SW 5. Two BSc Software Engineering Courses 5.1 Teesside University BSc (Hons) Software Engineering 4 years sandwich course This specialist course applies an engineering approach to the design and development of computer software for a variety of applications in business or industrial contexts. It has three principal themes: Methods, Quality and Tools. Foci: Formal, Structured and Object-oriented methods for both Information and Real-Time systems Quality control in Software Engineering Group project work Course Structure and Content First Year Core Modules: (i) Communications, (ii) Computing Mathematics, (iii) Exploiting the Internet, (iv) Principles of Computers 1, (v) Visual Programming 1, (vi) C Programming 1, (viii) Systems Development. Options Include: (i) Business Organisation, (ii) Formal Methods 1, (iii) Graphical Mathematics 1, (iv) Principles of Computers 2, (v) European Language, (vi) Visual Programming 2. Second Year Core Modules: (i) Advanced World Wide Web 1, (ii) Databases, (iii) Networks and Communications (iv) Object Technology 1, (v) Group Project. Options Include: (i) Formal Methods 2, (ii) Visual Programming for Business, (iii) C Programming 2, (iv) Graphical Mathematics 2, (v) Graphics Programming (vi) User Interfaces, (vii) Advanced Graphics Programming, (viii) Advanced World Wide Web 2, (ix) Compiler Construction, (x) CSCW and Groupware, (xi) Data Structures, (xii) Risk Assessment, (xiii) Expert Systems, (xiv) Functional Programming, (xv) Numerical Programming, (xvi) Object Technology 2, (xvii) Operating Systems 1, (xviii) Programming for Visual Simulation, (xix) Real-Time Development (xx) Systems Architecture, (xxi) European Language, (xxii) Systems Design Methodologies. Third Year: Supervised Work Experience Placement Fourth Year Core Modules: (i) Practical Project, (ii) Advanced Database Systems Options Include: (i) Advanced Graphics Algorithms, (ii) Advanced Systems Programming, (iii) Advanced Visual Simulation, (iv) Artificial Intelligence, (v) Computer Graphics, (vi) Computer Systems Architecture, (vii) Distributed Computing, (viii) Formal Aspects of Computer Science, (ix) Human Computer Interaction, (x) Languages and Compilers, (xi) Operating Systems 2, (xii) Programming the Web, (xiii) Real-Time systems, (xiv) Safety and Safety-Critical Issues. 5.2 UMIST: BEng Software Engineering. 3 years full time course This course is concerned with the development of complex and critical software systems, often embedded in other engineered products, such as telephone exchanges which comprise a number of subsystems, of which software is just one. The course provides an understanding of all the basic techniques for software production and management of the production process, together with a detailed study of how software interacts with hardware. Because many systems can be constructed in either software or by using hardware devices, critical decisions must be made about implementing system functions in either software or hardware. Each approach provides benefits, but also has disadvantages and each decision must weigh up these factors to ensure a final product which not only meets the user's needs, but is also cost-effective, flexible to change and reliable. The course provides the necessary appreciation of computer systems, devices and networks and does not require any previous knowledge. This course is suited to applicants who wish to undertake an in-depth study of the software engineering process and are interested in producing software which has to interact with other engineered components. The distinctive feature of this course is its focus on developing a rigorous approach to software development for use in a wide range of systems ranging from information processing systems to embedded systems. Foci: The role and utility of formal models of software Practical skills in Systems Analysis, Software Design and Implementation The industrial/commercial context of software development including organisational and managerial issues affecting software development The development of inter-personal, organisational, and presentational skills Course Structure Year 1 - Core Modules: (i) Applications of Information Technology, (ii) Artificial Intelligence, (iii) Computer Systems Architecture, (iv) Data Structures and Algorithms, (v) Databases and Data Management, (vi) IT Induction, (vii) Management Concepts in Context, (viii) Mathematical Techniques for Computing, (ix) Personal and Professional Development, (x) Programming and Program Design, (xi) Software Engineering Year 2 - Core Modules: (i) Computer Architecture, (ii) Concurrent Systems, (iii) Database Technology, (iv) Embedded Systems Development, (v) Formal Specification, (vi) Languages and their Implementation, (vii) Networking and Open Systems, (viii) Software Analysis and Design, (ix) Software Quality, (x) Visual and OO Programming Year 3 - Core Modules: (i) Distributed Systems and Internet Technology, (ii) Human Computer Interaction, (iii) OO Specification, Design and Implementation, (iv) Professional Issues, (v) Project Management, (vi) Real-Time Systems, (vii) Third Year Project Year 3 - Optional Modules. Students take 1 module from Group A: (i) Computer Graphics and Visualisation, (ii) Neural Networks, (iii) Requirements Capture and Modelling and Students take 1 module from Group B: (i) Emerging Technologies in Information Management, (ii) Machine Learning (iii) Speech and Language Processing 5.3 Comparison of the two courses The most obvious difference is the industrial year at Teesside. Other comparisons can be made, but there are difficulties in this as certain level of assumptions had to be made about the underlying content of modules. There are no standard module names and therefore seemingly different modules can have similar content (and vice versa). Common concerns seems to include the following:. First Year: Computing Mathematics, Programming and Program Design, Software Engineering, Computer Systems Architecture, Data structures (Yr 2 at Teesside). Second Year: Visual and OO Programming, Systems Architecture, Database Technology (Final Year at Teesside), Formal Specification, Software Analysis and Design, Languages and their Implementation, Networks and Communications. Final Year: Project, computer graphics and visualisation, Artificial Intelligence (year 1 at UMIST), Human Computer Interaction, Distributed Computing and Internet Technology, Real-Time Systems, Database Systems. Differences are more marked (and arise to a large extent because of the range of options available at Teesside. However, it is noticeable that there is a strong emphasis on graphics and visualisation at Teesside whereas at UMIST there is more in the field of requirements, management and project issues. This flavouring tends to reflect the research and practical expertise in the two universities. 6. External Mechanisms for Ensuring Educational Standards in Universities In this section we will consider the following mechanisms which are used within the UK to ensure standards across the university sector. These are: External Examiner System Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications Subject Benchmarks Inspections by the British Computer Society (BCS) for course accreditation also offer a means of assessing standards within computing and hence Software Engineering. This role of the BCS is discussed in section 7. 6.1 External Examiner System Most universities in the UK operate an external examiner system to ensure standards. What this means is that one or more academics from other educational institutions who have appropriate knowledge and experience in the subject area are employed to operate with the home staff on a particular course to ensure standards. A normal role for an external examiners is to ensure, that for assessments: Justice is done to students Standards are maintained at a level comparable with that of assessments undertaken on similar courses in the UK. Typically the duties of an external examiner are: To be a member of the appropriate assessment boards To ensure assessments are conducted according to the relevant regulations Comment on assignment briefs and examination papers Scrutinize samples of student work Meet with students to gain an appreciation of the quality of their learning experience Produce appropriate reports - typically for a higher management level within the University. 6.2 Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (known as the QAA) is a UK government created body which as defined on its website (www.qaa.ac.uk) has the mission to promote public confidence that quality of provision and standards of awards in higher education are being safeguarded and enhanced. It pledges on its website to do this by: * working with higher education institutions to promote and support continuous improvement in the quality and standards of provision; * providing clear and accurate information to students, employers and others about quality and standards of higher education provision; * working with higher education institutions to develop and manage the qualifications framework; * advising on the grant of degree awarding powers and university title; * facilitating the development of benchmark information to guide subject standards; * promulgating codes of practice and examples of good practice; * operating programmes of review of performance at institutional and programme levels. The QAA, as part of its efforts to ensure educational standards, has been responsible for defining: * A framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland * A framework for higher education qualifications in Scotland * Subject benchmark statements which provide a means for the academic community to describe the nature and characteristics of courses in a specific subject area. Details of the QAA work and publications can be obtained from the agency's website (www.qaa.ac.uk), The main purposes of the qualifications frameworks, as stated in the framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, are: * to enable employers, schools, parents, prospective students an others to understand the achievements and attributes represented by the main qualification titles; * to maintain international comparability of standards, especially in the European context, to ensure international competitiveness, and to facilitate student and graduate mobility; * to assist learners to identify potential progression routes, particularly in the context of lifelong learning; * to assist higher education institutions, their external examiners, and the Agency's reviewers, by providing important points of reference for setting and assessing standards. In section 4 we provided lists of HNC, HND and degree courses in Software Engineering, the framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland provides qualification descriptors for each of these qualifications and for Masters as follows: Certificate level The holder of a Certificate of Higher Education will have a sound knowledge of the basic concepts of a subject, and will have learned how to take different approaches to solving problems. He or she will be able to communicate accurately, and will have the qualities needed for employment requiring the exercise of some personal responsibility. Intermediate level (includes HNDs and non-Honours degrees) Holders of qualifications at this level will have developed a sound understanding of the principles in their field of study, and will have learned to apply those principles more widely. Through this, they will have learned to evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems. Their studies may well have had a vocational orientation, enabling them to perform effectively in their chosen field. They will have the qualities necessary for employment in situations requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and decision-making. Honours level An Honours graduate will have developed an understanding of a complex body of knowledge, some of it at the current boundaries of an academic discipline. Through this, the graduate will have developed analytical techniques and problem-solving skills that can be applied in many types of employment. The graduate will be able to evaluate evidence, arguments and assumptions, to reach sound judgements, and to communicate effectively. An Honours graduate should have the qualities needed for employment in situations requiring the exercise of personal responsibility, and decision-making in complex and unpredictable circumstances. Masters level Much of the study undertaken at Masters level will have been at, or informed by, the forefront of an academic or professional discipline. Students will have shown originality in the application of knowledge, and they will understand how the boundaries of knowledge are advanced through research. They will be able to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, and they will show originality in tackling and solving problems. They will have the qualities needed for employment in circumstances requiring sound judgement, personal responsibility and initiative, in complex and unpredictable professional environments. 6.3 Subject benchmark statements (abridged information from www.qaa.ac.uk) The QAA have had developed, by the relevant academic communities, subject benchmark statements which provide descriptions of the nature and characteristics of programmes in a specific subject. These statements also represent general expectations about the standards for the award of qualifications at a given level and articulate the attributes and capabilities that those possessing such qualifications should be able to demonstrate. Current subject benchmark statements relate to the bachelors degree with honours. QAA have articulated that they expect subject benchmark statements are used for a variety of purposes: * Primarily, as an external source of reference for higher education institutions when new programmes are being designed and developed in a subject area. * As providing support to institutions in pursuit of internal quality assurance as they enable the learning outcomes specified for a particular programme to be reviewed and evaluated against agreed general expectations about standards. * As one of a number of external sources of information that are drawn upon for the purposes of academic review and for making judgements about threshold standards being met. Computing Benchmark Statements The benchmark statements for Computing were developed by a group of 18 senior academics and involved consultative meetings with the academic community. The title Computing was chosen as being the most representative for the discipline as this was the overwhelming view of the academic community that was expressed at a consultative workshop. The Computing Benchmark document recognises the diversity of computing as practised within the UK and that in 1999, UK universities and colleges offered over 2400 undergraduate programmes in Computing, with 15 different titles for a single-subject degree course alone. Thus a set of benchmarking standards have been produced that will accommodate a wide variety of courses: including modular and non-modular courses, both vocational and academic courses, and courses focusing on different aspects of computing. The Computing Benchmark document provides sections on: 1. The study of Computing 2. The curriculum 3. Course design 4. Learning Teaching and Assessment 5. Benchmarking Standards at Threshold and Modal An annex then provides an list of 33 knowledge areas which are seen as indicative of the scope of the broad area of Computing. These topics range from Architecture through Databases, Information Retrieval, Professionalism, and Software Engineering to Web-based Computing. Each of these knowledge areas is in turn broken down into a number of topics. 7. Professional certification and the role of the British Computer Society In the UK there are no mechanisms to formally license engineers analogous to those adopted in the USA and other parts of the world. This is the situation for all branches of engineering: mechanical, electrical, chemical etc. Instead forms of certification operate which are controlled by the relevant professional bodies. This is also the situation within other professions such as the Legal and Medical professions. For people in the field of computing (including Software Engineering) the relevant professional body is the British Computer Society (BCS). The BCS is very much in the mould of other traditional professional bodies in the UK such as The British Medical Association and The Institute of Civil Engineers. Each of these bodies has a Royal Charter which is a mechanism which is used as a means of ratifying the professions. A profession is granted chartered status by the Government on satisfying particular criteria, which in turn protects the public from unqualified or illegal practices. The BCS is a professional body and a learned society. It is also a member of the UK Engineering Council which is a co-ordinating body for all the engineering institutions within the UK. The BCS is licensed by the Engineering Council to nominate members as Chartered Engineers (again applicants must be appropriately academically qualified and experienced). Successful members can use the designation CEng which stand for Chartered Engineer. It should be noted that in the UK it is not illegal to claim to be an engineer. But it is illegal to claim to be a Chartered Engineer if you are not one. However, the BCS is recognised as the body that represents Information Systems Engineers a much wider constituency than Software Engineers. Thus being granted chartered engineering status by the BCS recognises that the person is a Chartered Information Systems Engineer not a Charted Software Engineer. The following subsections provide some further information on the BCS that in subsections 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 was taken straight from the BCS web site (http://www.bcs.org.uk) on 15 October 2001. 7.1 The British Computer Society As the only Chartered Professional Institution for the field of information systems engineering, the British Computer Society (BCS) exists to provide service and support to the IS community, including individual practitioners, employers of IS staff and the general public. Formed in 1957, the Society now operates under a Royal Charter granted in 1984 which requires it, amongst other things to: "... promote the study and practice of Computing and to advance knowledge therein for the benefit of the public." The BCS is also an Engineering Institution, fully licensed by the Engineering Council to nominate Chartered and Incorporated Engineers and to accredit university courses and training schemes. The Society is a professional body and a learned society with a wide range of activities designed to support the IS community both in the UK and overseas, including: * accrediting individual professional competence and integrity through the award of our professional qualifications and those of the Engineering Council; * defining standards for professional conduct through our codes of conduct and practice and the associated disciplinary procedures; * advising the UK Government and its agencies on IS-related matters included in proposed legislation. Where necessary, the BCS sponsors legislation itself, for example the Computer Misuse Act 1990; * examining and initiating debate on topical IS issues such as safety critical systems, software certification, intellectual property rights, computer pornography and the year 2000 date change problem; * representing the profession on issues of importance, liaising with other professional bodies, including other engineering institutions, overseas informatics societies and make representations to Government and to the European Commission; * setting standards for education and training, through the BCS examination and by inspection and accreditation of university courses and company training schemes; * providing opportunities for networking through the activities of the branch and specialist group networks; In 1989 the Society helped to found the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) through which it gains access to the European Commission. The BCS is also the UK member of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). 7.2 BCS Professional Membership (Qualified Grades) Eligibility to apply for professional membership is evaluated by using a simple points-based system. Points are awarded according to academic and vocational qualifications, training and experience. Participation in the BCS Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme will earn additional points, as will relevant experience. (Alternate routes for application to Professional Membership are available for Senior IS Practitioners and for established practitioners with no academic qualifications). Associate Member (AMBCS) Eligibility is determined by age (22 years minimum), academic qualifications, training and experience. 70 points on the points-based scheme are required to apply for Associate Member, subject to a minimum requirement of one year of experience. Members at this grade are entitled to use the post-nominal letters AMBCS. Member (MBCS) Eligibility is determined by age (24 years minimum), academic qualifications, training and experience. 100 points on the points-based scheme are required to apply for Member, subject to a minimum requirement of four years of experience. Members at this grade are entitled to use the post-nominal letters MBCS and the title Chartered Information Systems Practitioner. Fellow (FBCS) For election to Fellow, applicants should have been an MBCS for at least one year and be at least 30 years of age. A minimum of eight years of practical experience are also required, five of them in a position of substantial responsibility. Fellows of the Society are entitled to use the post-nominal letters FBCS and the title Chartered Information Systems Practitioner. The points system allows for academic qualifications and relevant experience. 7.3 Engineering Council Qualifications: Chartered (CEng) & Incorporated (IEng) Engineer The British Computer Society is a Chartered Engineering Institution and professional members who meet the Engineering Council requirements may apply for the qualifications: * Chartered Engineer (CEng) * Incorporated Engineer (IEng) The criteria for registration are set out in the Engineering Council policy document Standards and Routes to Registration (SARTOR). With certain limited exceptions, applicants must have an academic qualification which has been accredited for CEng or IEng by one of the Engineering Institutions. The qualifications now include approximately 250 computing-related degree courses which are accredited by the BCS. Members registered as Chartered Engineers may also apply for the qualification "European Engineer". The qualification is awarded by the Federation Europeene d'Associations Nationales d'Ingenieurs (FEANI) and entitles those registered to use the title EurIng. FEANI brings together national engineering associations form 22 European countries as National Members. It was founded in 1951. 7.4 Gaining Membership of the BCS The BCS has its own sets of examinations and assessments (e.g. the BCS Professional Graduate Diploma and the Professional Graduate Diploma Project). However, the BCS also accredits other higher education academic qualifications as giving partial or full exemption from its examinations. For example, an established Software Engineering Honours Degree from a UK University is highly likely to be successfully accredited by a visiting panel from the BCS and gain full exemption from BCS examinations. A graduate who has completed such a degree would gain the same points towards BCS membership (50 points) as one who gained the BCS Professional Graduate Diploma and the Professional Graduate Diploma Project. Each year of relevant practical experience undertaken by the graduate is also worth 10 points. Thus MBCS status could be achieved by the graduate's accredited degree plus five years relevant experience. Entry to full membership of the BCS can usefully be compared with entry to the US based ACM as given in the Communications of the ACM Volume 44, Number 7 page 8. The Professional Membership Qualifications for the ACM are that an applicant must confirm that he/she satisfies ONE of the following: * Bachelor's Degree (in any subject area); or * Equivalent Level of Education; or * Two years full-time employment in the IT field 7.5 Professional Codes The BCS has Code of Conduct for its members and a Code of Practice for professional standards of competence, conduct and ethical practice for computing in the United Kingdom. The Code of Practice is essentially a series of statements that prescribe minimum standards of practice, to be observed by all members. While the Code of Conduct is a set of rules which members should endeavour to discharge in pursuing their professional lives. The latter is broken down into four sections relating to: Public Interest Duty to Employers and Clients Duty to Profession Professional Competence and Integrity Full details of the BCS Code of Conduct and Code of Practice can be found on the BCS web site (http://www.bcs.org.uk). References [1] Thompson J. B. and Edwards H. M. (2001): Workshop on Achieving a World-wide Software Engineering Profession, 14th Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T 2001), February 19-21, 2001, Charlotte NC, proceedings: IEEE-CS, Los Alamitos, pp.67-74. [2] Thompson J. B. and Edwards H. M. (2001): Workshop to Consider Global Aspects of Software Engineering Professionalism, 23rd International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE2001), proceedings: IEEE-CS, Los Alamitos, pp.768-769. [3] Thompson J. B. and Edwards H. M. (2001): Achieving a World-wide Software Engineering Profession (Report on the CSEET 2001 Workshop, to appear in: Journal of Education and Information Technologies, 6/4, January 2002. [4] Thompson J. B., report on the ICSE Workshop to Consider Global Aspects of Software Engineering Professionalism, ACM Software Engineering Newsletter September 2001. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Advance Programs ###################################################################### From: Tom Lethbridge CSEE&T 2002 Program Finalized ----------------------------- The advance program for the 15th Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T 2002) has been finalized. The conference will be held Feb 25-27, 2002 in Covington, Kentucky, which is a walk across the river from downtown Cincinnati. The full advance program can be found at http://www.site.uottawa.ca/cseet2002/program.html Here are the highlights: KEYNOTE TALKS - Monday, Feb 25th: NANCY LEVESON (MIT): The Future of Software Engineering Education. - Tues Feb 26th: ED YOURDON: Preparing Software Engineers for the 'Real World' - Wed Feb 27th: F.C. KOHLI (Tata Consulting Services - Father of the Indian IT Revolution) INVITED LUNCHEON TALK (Tuesday): - Dennis J. Frailey (Raytheon Company and Southern Methodist University) and James Mason (Securities Industry Automation Corporation): Using SWEBOK for Education Programs in Industry and Academia PANEL SESSIONS - Panel 1 (Monday at 11 a.m.): Changing Conditions for Undergraduate Software Engineering Programs. Chair: Gregory W. Hislop (Drexel University) - Panel 2 (Monday at 1:45 p.m.) The Canadian Experience in Licensure and Accreditation. Chair: Deborah Wolfe (Canadian Council of Professional Engineers) - Panel 3 (Tuesday at 1:45 p.m.): Software Engineering Masters Programs-Lessons Learned. Chair: Vladan Jovanovic (Georgia Southern University) - Panel 4 (Wednesday at 1:15 p.m.): The Software Studio in Software Engineering Education. Chair: Sarah Kuhn (Dept of Regional Economic and Social Development U. Massachusetts Lowell) TUTORIALS - Tutorial 1: Introducing Software Economics within SWE Project Courses. Presented by Daniel Port and Barry Boehm (both of the University of Southern California) - Tutorial 2: Measuring, Changing, and Measuring Changes in Students' Attitudes Toward and Understanding of Software Engineering Process Presented by David Klappholz (Stevens Institute), Lawrence Bernstein (Stevens Institute), and Catherine Kelley (Fairleigh Dickinson University) - Tutorial 3: Software Quality Across the Curriculum Presented by Massood Towhidnejad and Thomas B. Hilburn (both of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) - Tutorial 4: Legal Issues of Interest to Software Engineering Educators Presented by Cem Kaner (Florida Institute of Techhnology) WORKSHOPS - Workshop 1: Developing Software Engineering Courses using Computing Curriculum 2001 (CC 2001) Documentation Organized by J. Barrie Thompson and Helen M. Edwards (University of Sunderland, UK) - Workshop 2: First Year Software Engineering Organized by Lynda Thomas and Mark Ratcliffe, University of Wales, Aberystwyth - Workshop 3: Integrating Agile Practices into Software Engineering Courses. Organized by Laurie Williams, North Carolina State University), Michael Lutz (Rochester Institute of Technology), Greg Hislop (Drexel University), Michael McCracken (George Institute of Technology), Nancy Mead (Software Engineering Institute) and J. Fernando Naveda (Rochester Institute of Technology) PAPERS Paper session A (Monday at 11 a.m.): Programs Focusing on Learner Needs - Ahmed Seffah and Peter Grogono: Learner-Centered Software Engineering Education: From Resources to Skills and Pedagogical Patterns - Wing Lam: Towards a Certification-Centred Software Engineering Programme - Kenneth L. Modesitt: International Software Engineering University Consortium (ISEUC): A Glimpse into the Future of University and Industry Collaboration Paper session B (Monday at 3:15 p.m.): Teaching Software Design - Jocelyn Armarego: Advanced Software Design: A Case in Problem-based Learning - W. Michael McCracken: Models of Designing: Understanding Software Engineering Education from the Bottom Up Paper session C (Monday at 4:30 p.m.): Graduate Education. - J. Barrie Thompson and Colin J. Hardy: Use and Evaluation of SWEBOK by Postgraduate Students - Sheryl L. Duggins and Barbara Bernal Thomas: Maturing the Curriculum for the Professional Software Engineer Paper session D (Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.): Teaching Introductory Material - Lawrence Bernstein, David Klappholz and Catherine Kelley: Eliminating the Aversion to Software Process in Computer Science Students and Measuring the Results - Jennifer Bevan, Linda Werner, Charlier McDowell: Implementing Pair Programming in a Freshman Programming Class - Mark Ratcliffe, Johhn Woodbury and Lynda Thomas: Improving Motivation and Performance Through Personal Development in Large Introductory Software Engineering Courses Paper session E (Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.): Group Projects - Mark J. Sebern: The Software Development Laboratory: Incorporating Industrial Practice in an Academic Environment - Mats Daniels, Xristine Faulkner and Ian Newman: Open Ended Group Projects, Motivating Students and Preparing them for the 'Real World' - Annegret Goold and Peter Horan: Foundation Software Engineering Practices for Capstone Projects and Beyond Paper session F (Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.): Experience Reports - Anuja Shukla and Laurie Williams: Adapting Extreme Programming For A Core Software Engineering Course - Jane Huffman Hayes: Energizing Software Engineering Education through Real World Projects as Experimental Studies - Joan Krone, David Juedes, and Meera Sitharam: Theory Meets Practice: Enriching the CS Curriculum through Industrial Case Studies - Anne Fuller, Peter Croll, and Limei Di: A New Approach to Teaching Software Risk Management with Case Studies Paper session G (Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.): Teaching about the SE Process - Michael Halling Wolfgang Zuser Monika Kohle Stefan Biffl: Teaching the Unified Process to Undergraduate Students - David Umphress: Software Process as a Foundation for Teaching, Learning and Accrediting - Martin Host: Introducing Empirical Software Engineering Methods in Education Paper session H (Wednesday at 2:45 p.m.): Experience Reports - Rick Duley, S P Maj: Cutting Hacking : Breaking from Tradition - M. Brian Blake and Todd Cornett: Teaching an Object-Oriented Software Development Lifecycle in Undergraduate Software Engineering Education - Birgit Demuth, Mike Fischer and Heinrich Hussmann: Experience in Early and Late Software Engineering Projects Courses Note: CSEE&T will be held immediately prior to SIGCSE, so you can easily attend that conference too. ----- Timothy C. Lethbridge, Associate Professor http://www.site.uottawa.ca/~tcl tcl@site.uottawa.ca SITE: School of Information Technology and Engineering University of Ottawa, Canada, K1N 6N5 Office: 613 562-5800x6685 Fax: 613 562-5187 Home: 613 237-6642 Mobile: 613 859-9944 Co-author of McGraw Hill textbook -- Object Oriented Software Engineering: Practical Software Development using UML and Java. http://www.lloseng.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Position Openings ###################################################################### From: Mark Ardis Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Head, Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering Applications are invited for Head of the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE) at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Rose-Hulman is a highly selective, coeducational, primarily undergraduate college of engineering, mathematics and science with an enrollment of 1600. Rose-Hulman students are extremely talented academically and have a broad range of outside interests which include performing arts, sports, and service. The nine CSSE faculty members and 225 CS majors enjoy an interactive and collegial atmosphere. For the past three years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Rose-Hulman number one among undergraduate engineering schools not offering the PhD. Rose-Hulman Ventures, a business incubator, provides opportunities for faculty and students to work on industrial projects. The successful candidate will have a PhD in computer science or a related field, leadership skills, and vision necessary to lead this growing department. Salary is very competitive. Letters of application accompanied by a curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference, should be sent to Mark Ardis, Chair of Department Head Search Committee, Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47803. Position will remain open until filled; screening will begin January 15, 2002. For additional information see www.cs.rose-hulman.edu or contact mark.ardis@rose-hulman.edu; (812) 877-8226. /EOE/. ###################################################################### From: Mark Ardis Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Faculty Positions, Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering Applications are invited for full-time tenure-track faculty positions in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE) at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Rose-Hulman is a highly selective, coeducational, primarily undergraduate college of engineering, mathematics and science with an enrollment of 1600. Rose- Hulman students are extremely talented academically and have a broad range of outside interests which include performing arts, sports, and service. The nine CSSE faculty members and 225 CS majors enjoy an interactive and collegial atmosphere. For the past three years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Rose-Hulman number one among undergraduate engineering schools not offering the PhD. Rose-Hulman Ventures, a business incubator, provides opportunities for faculty and students to work on industrial projects. The successful candidate will have a PhD in computer science or a related field, and the excellent teaching skills and interest in ongoing professional development necessary to be a member of this growing department. Rank is open and salary is very competitive. Letters of application accompanied by a curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference, should be sent to Frank Young, Professor and Head, Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47803. Positions will remain open until filled; screening will begin January 15, 2002. For additional information see www.cs.rose-hulman.edu or contact frank.young@rose-hulman.edu; (812) 877-8401. /EOE/. ###################################################################### From: Deborah J. Hwang University of Evansville Faculty Position in Computer Science The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Evansville invites applications for two tenure-track faculty positions in Computer Science starting January or August 2002. 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 2,400 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, graphics, and computer/human interaction. 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 curriculum vita 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. ###################################################################### From: Peter Henderson Butler University OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INITIATIVE The Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Butler University invites applications for a tenure-track position at the assistant or associate professor level. Area of expertise is open. Preference will be given to applied areas such as, but not limited to, Software Engineering, Computer Networks and Distributed Systems. The department, which is housed in a beautiful new building, consists of four full-time faculty and about 60 undergraduate majors in computer science. Class sizes are small; our students expect and receive individual attention. In addition to our computer science program, we are in the process of developing an innovative undergraduate program in software engineering. Both programs have an early emphasis on mathematical problem solving. Research involving undergraduates and collaboration with local industry are both supported and encouraged. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Computer Science or a closely related discipline. A strong commitment to teaching and distinction in scholarship are expected and encouraged. Send a detailed resume to Professor Peter B. Henderson, Head Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering Butler University 4600 Sunset Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46208-3485 USA and arrange to have at least three letters of reference sent to the same address; the letters should address both the research potential of the applicant and provide evidence of quality teaching. Screening will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. Butler University, with an enrollment of 3400 undergraduate students, is located in a residential area of Indianapolis, Indiana, and offers an array of professional and pre- professional programs within the context of a strong commitment to the traditional arts and sciences and to the values of liberal education. It enjoys a national reputation for excellence and quality, and has been ranked among the top institutions in its Carnegie category (see, for example, the USNews ranking). Letters and requests for information may also be sent to recruitcs@butler.edu. In addition, please e-mail to the same address a URL pointing to your online resume and publications. Applications from women and minorities are particularly sought. Butler University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity educator and employer. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Contact and General Information about FASE FASE is published on the 15th of each month by the FASE staff. Article and Faculty Ad Submission Guidelines 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, faculty ads, 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, according to the schedule provided. 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 trailing blanks and 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. All characters (outside of the newline) should in the ASCII code range from 32 to 126 (i.e. "printable" in DOS text mode). All articles contain the viewpoints of their respective authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the FASE staff. _____ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information Everyone that is receiving this by email is on the FASE mailing list. If you wish to leave this list, send a message to and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write: unsubscribe fase To rejoin (or have someone else join) the FASE mailing list, write to and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write: subscribe fase For instance, if your name is Jane Smith, write: subscribe fase Jane Smith But what if you have something that you want to share with everyone else, before the next issue? For more real-time discussion, there is the FASE-TALK discussion list. It is our hope that it will be to FASE readers what the SIGCSE.members listserv is to that group. (For those of you that don't know, SIGCSE is the ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education.) To subscribe to the FASE-TALK list, write to and, in the text of your message (not the subject line), write: subscribe fase-talk For instance, if your name is Jane Smith, write: subscribe fase-talk Jane Smith Please try to limit FASE-TALK to discussion items related to software engineering education, training and professional issues; CFPs and other such items can still be submitted to the editor for inclusion into FASE. Anyone that belongs to the FASE-TALK mailing list can post to it. As always, there is no cost for subscribing to either FASE or FASE-TALK! (Subscriptions can also be maintained through the Web via http://lyris.acs.ttu.edu. 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, or in reverse order. _____ 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 807 Hwy 1204 #B-2 Pineville LA 71360 Phone: 318-641-0824 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