SIGCSE 2021 Panel Recap: How Student Surveys Drive Change: Using the Data Buddies Department Report from the Computing Research Association

On Monday, March 15, CRA’s Director of the Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) Burçin Tamer was a panelist at the SIGCSE 2021 session, “How Student Surveys Drive Change: Using the Data Buddies Department Report from the Computing Research Association.” Tamer and other panelists discussed how departments have used their students’ responses to the Data Buddies survey to make meaningful changes in their department. The session slides are available, along with a video overview of the panel by Colleen Lewis.

Panel Abstract:  This panel provides examples of how faculty refine, expand, and evaluate initiatives to broaden participation in computing using the Data Buddies Survey (https://cra.org/cra/cerp/data-buddies). The Computing Research Association administers the survey annually and prepares summary reports for over 140 member institutions. Participation is free, and the survey gathers information about students’ educational experiences, confidence, attitudes, and career goals. Faculty and staff from prospective and participating institutions can benefit from the panelists’ discussion of aligning department initiatives for broadening participation with data about students’ experiences.

The panelists for the session included:
Colleen M. Lewis
University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign

Tracy Camp
Colorado School of Mines

Thomas Horton
University of Virginia

David Reed
Creighton University

Burçin Tamer
Computing Research Association
Director of CERP