actions between students and faculty, in the classroom and beyond. DOES CS REALLY FIT. IN A LIBERAL ARTS SETTING? Computer science both strengthens.
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Computer Science Faculty Careers at Liberal Arts Colleges
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f you are a graduate student who loves teaching as much as (or even more than) you love research, you should consider a career in the liberal arts. As a prospective faculty member in computer science, you may be unaware of, or have misconceptions about, faculty careers at liberal arts colleges. Although we have all found tremendous satisfaction in our careers at highly ranked liberal arts colleges, most doctoral programs are undertaken at large research universities because many graduate students—and their advisors—are unaware of the career possibilities at liberal arts colleges. By sharing our collective experiences, we aim to dispel myths about teaching and research in computer science at liberal arts colleges. We want to give you a realistic basis for beginning to ponder the question, “Would I be happy and successful at a liberal arts college?”
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WHAT DEFINES A LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE? The liberal arts aim for “liberation” from narrow ways of thinking, preparing students not only for their
While some people think of a liberal arts college as a backup plan, in CS this is a mistake. XRDS • SPRING 2015 • VOL.21 • NO.3
first job, but for life-long learning and ever-changing careers. Rather than educating students in particular professions, liberal arts colleges aim to teach general skills, such as effective communication and critical thinking, which apply to all professions. As such, liberal arts colleges are primarily undergraduate institutions offering the Bachelor of Arts degree (or sometimes the Bachelor of Science). There are few graduate students or part-time students, if any at all. Students typically live on campus, fostering an immersive environment in which learning happens everywhere,
not just in the classroom and office hours—it happens in student organizations, on the sports field, at work, and even over dinner. A small student body and small classes facilitate a strong community with many interactions between students and faculty, in the classroom and beyond.
DOES CS REALLY FIT IN A LIBERAL ARTS SETTING? Computer science both strengthens and is strengthened by the context of liberal education [1]. Computer science degrees at liberal arts colleges often emphasize multiple approaches 13
begin
to problem solving, breadth of study, and communication skills, as well as a strong foundation in the study of algorithms. Our alumni often find their writing, speaking, and listening skills make them stand out from their colleagues. Many find themselves in roles where they translate between software developers and non-technical stakeholders. Introductory classes attract a range of students. Some want to use computing to support their studies in other disciplines; others are motivated by the desire to be an informed citizen of the 21st century. Liberal arts colleges place a strong emphasis on student support, including sup14
port to students entering CS who have not had the opportunity or impetus to study CS before college. Because women and underrepresented minorities as a group tend to have less formal pre-college CS experience than White and Asian men,1 this supportive environment may play a special role with respect to increasing diversity in the discipline.
LIFE AS CS FACULTY AT A LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE Many CS graduate students and faculty consider jobs at prestigious re1 CS Education Statistics. http://www.exploringcs.org/resources/cs-statistics
search universities to be the only academic positions worthy of pursuit. However, we all find our work at our respective liberal arts colleges highly rewarding. Like faculty at research universities, we enjoy autonomy in our work, as well as opportunities for mentoring, leadership, and creativity. Working closely with students lets us shape the future of computer science. Moreover, students at liberal arts colleges are more likely to be satisfied with their experiences as undergraduates, more likely to believe their college experience had a significant impact on their personal and professional development,2 and more likely to eventually earn a doctorate.3 Everyone has heard the saying those who can’t do, teach. We hold doctorates from MIT, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, Northwestern, and the University of Washington. While we could have gotten jobs in industry or at research institutions, we chose to teach. Teaching is challenging work. Our students and colleagues have high expectations, and we have high expectations of ourselves. We must innovate and strive for constant improvement. We consciously chose to teach because it is stimulating and rewarding; yet we have not given up research. While it’s a challenge to balance teaching, research, service, and advising, we all have active research programs and/or supervise undergraduate student research. In fact, our institutions demand it of us. Being a CS professor, no matter 2 Liberal Arts College Graduates Feel Better Prepared for Life’s Challenges, Study Finds. http://collegenews.org/news/2011/liberalarts-college-graduates-feel-better-preparedfor-lifes-challenges-study-finds.html 3 Baccalaureate Origins of S&E Doctorate Recipients (NSF 08-311). http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf08311/
XRDS • SPRING 2015 • VOL.21 • NO.3
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what the institution, is a highly valued career choice in today’s society: “scientist” and “teacher” are both among the top 10 most respected professions in the United States [2]. You might be concerned that liberal arts professors are entirely consumed by their jobs and never leave their offices. Our experiences, however, suggest this is an option and not a requirement. We all have rich lives outside of our work. Most of us have partners and most of us have children. We are involved in our communities and our circles of friends. We have hobbies, athletic pursuits, and personal projects. Though it can be challenging at times, work/life balance is a high priority. While there are many advantages to teaching CS in a smaller, more intimate liberal arts community, one potential challenge is finding collaborators. We have found many collaborations form around teaching, both within and between liberal arts colleges. Further, professors at research universities can be eager to collaborate with liberal arts professors because we provide unique perspectives on how to involve undergraduates in research and ways to integrate teaching and research. Such collaborations can help university professors strengthen the broad-
Being a CS professor, no matter what the institution, is a highly valued career choice in today’s society. XRDS • SPRING 2015 • VOL.21 • NO.3
er impacts of their grant proposals and recruit graduate students. Many liberal arts faculty themselves obtain grants from the NSF, other government agencies, and industry. Three of us received prestigious NSF CAREER Awards, and we have all worked on grant-funded projects.
WHAT’S NEXT? If you are considering applying for jobs at liberal arts colleges, here is some general advice. While some people think of a liberal arts college as a backup plan, in CS this is a mistake. At liberal arts colleges, it is highly competitive to get hired for a faculty position. It is not necessarily the case that strong candidates at research institutions are even stronger candidates at liberal arts colleges, because search committees at research institutions and liberal arts colleges look for different things. Research institutions primarily want faculty who will mature into top-notch researchers; liberal arts colleges want faculty who will be passionate teachers and scholars. All Ph.D.s have extensive training and experience in research, but not all Ph.D.s learn how to teach. Find and take advantage of opportunities to practice teaching—whether formal opportunities, such as serving as a TA or teaching your own class, or informal opportunities, such as tutoring or outreach. Also consider supervising an undergraduate research project. All kinds of teaching experiences can strengthen your applications to liberal arts colleges. As you gain teaching experience, seek opportunities to learn best practices and innovative ideas. Many universities offer seminars on teaching for graduate students in a range of disciplines. These seminars often provide opportunities to reflect on your own
teaching and develop a teaching philosophy. Since liberal arts colleges are small and often have distinctive missions, it’s important that each new hire is a good fit. This means your cover letter is critical. Along with teaching and research statements, the cover letter is a primary means for the search committee to winnow candidates early in the process. The cover letter should show you have investigated the institution and thought about how you would contribute [3]. If we’ve intrigued you, seek out opportunities to learn and practice teaching skills; drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you! References [1] Walker, H, and Kelemen, C. Computer science and the liberal arts: A philosophical examination. ACM Transactions on Computing Education 10, 1 (2010). [2] Smith, J. The 10 most prestigious jobs in America. Business Insider. November 13, 2014; http://www. businessinsider.com/most-prestigious-jobs-inamerica-2014-11 [3] Davis, J., and VanDeGrift, T. The journey to a teaching-oriented faculty career: A handbook of advice for graduate students. In Proceedings of the 2006 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. (June 19-21, Chicago). American Society for Engineering Education, Washington D.C., 2006. Biographies Janet Davis is an associate professor of computer science at Grinnell College. She will soon depart for Whitman College, where she will build a new CS program. Jeannie Albrecht is an associate professor of computer science at Williams College. Her research interests include distributed systems, networks, and green computing. Christine Alvarado is an associate teaching professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of California, San Diego. Her main area of scholarship is in designing curricula and programs to broaden participation in computer science. Tzu-Yi Chen is an associate professor of computer science at Pomona College. She is currently in her second term as department chair. Amy Csizmar Dalal is an associate professor and the chair of the Computer Science Department at Carleton College. She studies the usability of computer networks. Sohie Lee is a senior lab instructor in the Computer Science Department at Wellesley College. She loves teaching CS at a women’s college.
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