research-article

A case study of retention practices at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Authors:

Tanya L. Crenshaw,

Erin Wolf Chambers,

Heather MetcalfAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, Volume 40, Issue 1

Pages 412 - 416

https://doi.org/10.1145/1352322.1352276

Published: 12 March 2008 Publication History

Abstract

Computer science is seeing a decline in enrollment at all levels of education. One key strategy for reversing this decline is to improve methods of student retention. This paper, based on a 10-month case study at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, examines two aspects of student retention at both the graduate and undergraduate levels: community identity and community relationships. Our data shows that students feel isolated from each other, faculty, and members of the greater computer science community. Given our findings, we highlight existing programs and propose new programs which improve student-community interactions. While the lessons learned might not apply at every institution, they constitute a valuable case study for improving conditions for students at large research universities.

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Cited By

DEMİRKIRAN MTANSU HOCANIN F(2021)An investigation on primary school students’ dispositions towards programming with game-based learningEducation and Information Technologies10.1007/s10639-021-10430-526:4(3871-3892)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10639-021-10430-5
Munoz RBarcelos TVillarroel RBecerra CNoel RPonce F(2016)Using app inventor to change perceptions about software engineering2016 35th International Conference of the Chilean Computer Science Society (SCCC)10.1109/SCCC.2016.7836023(1-9)Online publication date: Oct-2016
https://doi.org/10.1109/SCCC.2016.7836023
Kinnunen PMeisalo VMalmi LCaspersen MClancy MSanders K(2010)Have we missed something?Proceedings of the Sixth international workshop on Computing education research10.1145/1839594.1839598(13-22)Online publication date: 9-Aug-2010
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1839594.1839598
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Index Terms

A case study of retention practices at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education

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Information

Published In

cover image ACM SIGCSE Bulletin

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 40, Issue 1

SIGCSE 08

March 2008

549 pages

ISSN:0097-8418

DOI:10.1145/1352322

Issue’s Table of Contents

SIGCSE '08: Proceedings of the 39th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education
March 2008
606 pages
ISBN:9781595937995
DOI:10.1145/1352135
General Chairs:
J. D. Dougherty
Haverford College
,
Susan Rodger
Duke University
,
Program Chairs:
Sue Fitzgerald
Metropolitan State University
,
Mark Guzdial
Georgia Institute of Technology

Copyright © 2008 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 12 March 2008

Published in SIGCSE Volume 40, Issue 1

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Cited By

DEMİRKIRAN MTANSU HOCANIN F(2021)An investigation on primary school students’ dispositions towards programming with game-based learningEducation and Information Technologies10.1007/s10639-021-10430-526:4(3871-3892)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10639-021-10430-5
Munoz RBarcelos TVillarroel RBecerra CNoel RPonce F(2016)Using app inventor to change perceptions about software engineering2016 35th International Conference of the Chilean Computer Science Society (SCCC)10.1109/SCCC.2016.7836023(1-9)Online publication date: Oct-2016
https://doi.org/10.1109/SCCC.2016.7836023
Kinnunen PMeisalo VMalmi LCaspersen MClancy MSanders K(2010)Have we missed something?Proceedings of the Sixth international workshop on Computing education research10.1145/1839594.1839598(13-22)Online publication date: 9-Aug-2010
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1839594.1839598
Lionelle AQuam MBrodley CGill CStephenson BStone JBattestilli LRebelsky SShoop L(2024)Does Curricular Complexity in Computer Science Influence the Representation of Women CS Graduates?Proceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3626252.3630835(729-735)Online publication date: 7-Mar-2024
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Mejias MWashington GBurge LWilson DKouaho LMarshall J(2024)A Framework For Discussing Black Student Threats to Belonging in Computer Science2024 Black Issues in Computing Education (BICE)10.1109/BICE60192.2024.00011(15-20)Online publication date: 1-Feb-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/BICE60192.2024.00011
Marcher MChristensen IGrabarczyk PGraversen TBrabrand C(2021)Computing Educational Activities Involving People Rather Than Things Appeal More to Women (CS1 Appeal Perspective)Proceedings of the 17th ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research10.1145/3446871.3469761(145-156)Online publication date: 16-Aug-2021
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Mejias MJean-Pierre KWashington GBurge L(2019)Underrepresented Groups Threats to Belonging in Computing2019 Research on Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT)10.1109/RESPECT46404.2019.8985905(1-4)Online publication date: Feb-2019
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Metcalf HCrenshaw TChambers EHeeren CBarnes TGarcia DHawthorne EPérez-Quiñones M(2018)Diversity Across a DecadeProceedings of the 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education10.1145/3159450.3159497(610-615)Online publication date: 21-Feb-2018
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Mejias MJean-Pierre KBurge LWashington G(2018)Culturally Relevant CS Pedagogy - Theory & Practice2018 Research on Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT)10.1109/RESPECT.2018.8491699(1-5)Online publication date: Feb-2018
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Main JSchimpf C(2017)The Underrepresentation of Women in Computing Fields: A Synthesis of Literature Using a Life Course PerspectiveIEEE Transactions on Education10.1109/TE.2017.270406060:4(296-304)Online publication date: Nov-2017
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