The Computer Science program offers many opportunities, both social and academic, to become involved in department life.

Social

The department has an active student chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM). Computer science majors and any students interested in computers and computing are welcome to join. Past activities have included bowling nights, workshops on current technologies, and hosting speakers from industry to talk about their professions.

Students and faculty also participate in the Women in Math and Science (WhIMS) group. WhIMS sponsors activities such as "science activity days" in conjunction with the Girl Scouts, field trips, and social gatherings.

Other recurring social activities include an end-of-the-year picnic (highlighted by a spirited and highly-contested game of kickball), a "meet the majors" ice cream social, and a party in the fall for new and prospective majors.

For those who like a little competition, Carleton annually fields at least one team in the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest. Three Carleton teams (in 1987, 1996, and 1997) have gone on to the international finals of the contest, placing fifth, seventeenth, and twenty-second in the world. In 2002 and 2003, one of Carleton's teams finished first among liberal arts schools in their region.

Academic

The Computer Science program offers many opportunities for academic growth beyond the classroom. Occasionally, the department sponsors a colloquium on a current topic in computer science. These colloquia often involve outside speakers, some of them from industry and some of them Carleton alums. The colloquia offer an excellent opportunity for students and faculty to see what is currently happening in the field of computer science in the "real world".

Students have the opportunity to participate in faculty-directed research projects, for academic credit or for pay, both during the school year and during the summer. Examples of recent and ongoing research projects include data mining for atmospheric science and streaming media and networking.

Many of our students work for the department during the school year in various capacities. Opportunities including serving as course graders, "prefectors" (teaching assistants), lab assistants, tutors, and assistant system managers. Some students also work for the Computer Center as lab assistants or programmers.