Vision, Mission, and Goals | Computer Science | The University of Vermont(title)

Computer Science Vision

To be among the nation's premier small research and teaching Computer Science departments.

Computer Science Mission

To create, share, and apply knowledge in Computer Science, including in interdisciplinary areas that extend the scope of Computer Science and benefit humanity; to educate students to be successful, ethical, and effective problem-solvers and life-long learners who will contribute positively to the economic well-being of our region and nation and who are prepared to tackle complex 21st Century challenges facing the world.

Computer Science Goals

Undergraduate Programs

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The goals of our undergraduate programs are to (1) teach students how to use computers effectively, creatively, and intelligently; (2) teach computer science as a multifaceted, humanistic discipline of problem solving; (3) provide up-to-date curricula in the technical and scientific knowledge needed for the professional and academic goals of our students; (4) encourage and participate in interdisciplinary undergraduate educational opportunities at UVM; (5) teach students how to acquire new knowledge, independently, in a world that changes with ever increasing rapidity; (6) provide students with experiential learning opportunities; and (7) educate an increasing number of undergraduates in CS to meet the growing demands of the regional and national economy.

Undergraduate Service to non-majors

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Provide high-quality service courses to an increasing number of students outside of Computer Science, ideally eventually to all students at UVM to adequately prepare students to meet the challenges of this Digital Age.

Graduate Programs

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The goals of our MS and PhD graduate programs are to (1) offer a high quality flexible graduate curriculum with an emphasis in Intelligent Systems; (2) encourage and participate in interdisciplinary graduate educational opportunities at UVM; (3) teach our students how to extend the frontiers of computer science knowledge; (4) support high-quality faculty research programs; (5) increase the size and quality of our graduate student body. An additional goal of our MS program is to generate revenue through tuition dollars and an additional goal of our PhD program is to help our students become innovative scholars.

Educational Delivery

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Offer high-quality and effective instruction in a variety of modes, including exploring opportunities for experiential learning and new pedagogical approaches including hybrid and online education as a means of increasing efficiency, increasing student learning opportunities, and potentially raising revenue.

Scholarship

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Pursue excellence in scholarship and seek support for our research and graduate programs through research grants and contracts.

Faculty

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Increase the number of faculty to ensure viability for our undergraduate and graduate programs, commensurate with increases in student hours taught. Establish a sustainable and flexible workload policy that permits and rewards high-quality research, teaching, and service, and enables us to recruit and retain top-quality faculty.

Diversity

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Increase and embrace diversity in our student and faculty bodies, including increasing the proportion of females.

Community building

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Create a strong sense of community, pride, and common purpose within and between our students, our faculty, and our staff.

Infrastructure

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Ensure that we have adequate office, lab, and meeting spaces and necessary infrastructure, including hardware and software, to support the activities necessary to achieve our goals.

Departmental operations

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Ensure that our department and programs operate smoothly and efficiently, with an emphasis on aligning our operations and activities with proactive planning to achieve our goals.

Development

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Increase our outreach and connections to alumni and with businesses and industry both locally and across the country to aid development efforts.

Outreach

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Establish strong and positive visibility for our educational and research activities both within and outside of UVM, establish partnerships with local businesses and industry, work to promote pre-college Computer Science education and awareness in the state of Vermont.