In fact, the first six courses in the major are identical for CS and ECE students. Undergraduates are no longer penalized by the choice of major they make as an entering freshman. They have several semesters in which to learn about the different programs and select the one that is most appropriate. As part of our emphasis on undergraduate studies, we constructed a new classroom this past year that is used for the instruction of our introductory majors sequence, as well as several of our upper-level courses. This classroom, which holds 48 students, is designed to utilized both teaming and technology.
Students sit in teams of four around tables, with two computers at each table.
Finally, the Department has taken great strides in the enhancement of its service courses. We normally teach approximately 2000 students each semester in these courses. We believe that these courses are a valuable component of the education that many students on our campus receive, and are constantly looking at methods to improve them. This has been extremely successful. Students are able to access materials relevant to their classes at any time and from any location.