In June 2020 CRA conducted a survey of computer science faculty members at doctoral and non-doctoral institutions who made the transition from teaching in person to teaching online as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey asked faculty members about their perceptions of the challenges in moving to emergency online instruction, both for themselves and for their students, and about what resources were available(or not) to help with the transition. It also asked about planning for the fall 2020 term.

Across the United States and Canada, universities and colleges are facing a significant increase in enrollment in both undergraduate computer science (CS) courses and programs. The current enrollment surge has exceeded previous CS booms, and there is a general sense that the current growth in enrollment is substantially different than that of the mid-1980s and late 1990s. To investigate the current situation, the Computing Research Association (CRA) produced an enrollment survey to measure, assess, and better understand enrollment trends and their impact on computer science units, diversity, and more. Part of this effort included a survey of doctoral- and non-doctoral granting academic units in fall 2015. Generation CS: CS Enrollments Surge Since 2006 reports the survey results with respect to majors, nonmajors, diversity, impact on academic units, and units’ actions in response to the surge.

By Stuart Zweben and Elizabeth Bizot

It has long been the case, and widely known, that women comprise a disproportionally low fraction of the students in post-secondary academic computing programs. But look more closely at the problem, and there are many things that are not known about women’s representation. Are there differences among the different disciplines within the computing field? Are there differences based on the type of institution in which the program is located? Are there identifiable points in the post-secondary academic pipeline where the relative participation of women declines? Has there been any growth in the fraction of women in academic positions, where they can serve as role models to the next generation of students? Is there, in fact, any relationship between the women on faculty in post-secondary academic computing departments and the enrollment or degree patterns in these departments?

Answers to questions such as these can help us understand better the factors that may be influencing women’s choices. They may help us to identify more targeted future studies and perhaps suggest new approaches that would help increase the recruitment and retention of women in computing.

The purpose of this project is to conduct an in-depth review and re-analysis of available data from key national surveys over the past two decades, to gain deeper understanding of insight into the representation of women in computing. The past two decades encompass the dot-com boom period of the mid to late 90s, the dotcom crash of 2000-2001 and the ensuing (albeit temporary) job shortage in computing, and the emergence of many new programs and some fledgling new areas within the computing field that may attract women differentially from other, more established areas.

By Stuart Zweben and Elizabeth Bizot

This article examines trends for women and men in three financial aspects of doctoral study: the primary source of doctoral funding, the source of postdoctoral funding for those choosing a postdoctorate, and starting salaries for new Ph.D.s.

These analyses are part of a larger project examining trends in the representation of women in computing from 1990-2013. As part of that project, we licensed data from the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). The SED is sent each fall to every individual who received a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in the previous academic year. It asks about the respondent’s educational background, demographics, and postgraduation plans. In 2013, 92 percent of doctoral recipients completed the survey. We included data on SED respondents whose field of doctoral program was in the disciplines of (SED codes are listed in the parenthesis): computer science (400), computer engineering (321), information science & systems (410), robotics (415), and computer & information systems, other (419).

We previously used SED data to analyze the baccalaureate origins of women doctoral graduates (Bizot and Zweben, 2015) and plan forthcoming articles on time to degree and postgraduation employment plans.

By Stuart Zweben and Elizabeth Bizot

As part of a larger project examining trends in the representation of women in computing from 1990-2013, we licensed data from the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED). The SED is sent each fall to every individual who received a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in the previous academic year. It asks about the respondent’s educational background, demographics, and postgraduation plans. In 2013, 92 percent of doctoral recipients completed the survey. We included data on SED respondents whose field of doctoral program was in the disciplines of (SED codes are listed in the parenthesis): Computer Science (400), Computer Engineering (321), Information Science & Systems (410), Robotics (415), and Computer & Information Systems, Other (419).

By Stuart Zweben and Elizabeth Bizot

The results of an in-depth study of two decades of data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System database highlight trends in the participation of women in postsecondary academic computing programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Originally published in Computing in Science & Engineering (CiSE), an IEEE-CS publication.

Research findings concerning diversity in computing using Data Buddies data.