Washington Computer Science Education (WACSE)

WACSE members are asked to join the mailing list here:

Mission

WACSE is a volunteer organization with the mission to improve transfer outcomes for students studying Computer Science and related fields from two-year to four-year institutions.

Objectives

  1. Provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for computing professionals to engage in collaborative discussions across institutions.
  2. To improve communication and collaboration among the educational institutions within Washington state that offer Computer Science courses.
  3. Develop a shared understanding of the content and learning outcomes for computer science courses across transfer and receiving Washington institutions to better advise students on course transferability and degree options.
  4. Respond to current challenges and achieve consistency in computer science related outcomes across institutions where appropriate
  5. Create and share best practices for advising and teaching diverse student learners taking computing courses.

Membership

Computer Science and Engineering faculty, advisors, and administrators at two-year and four-year institutions* in Washington state are welcome to join. We also invite industry and K-12 partners to participate in meetings.

We use the Washington Council for High School-College Relations (WCHSCR) bylaws definition of an institution. An institution is defined as a non-profit higher education institution with a physical campus in the state of Washington that has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Partnerships

WACSE is an officially recognized organization by the Joint Transfer Council (JTC). WACSE provides guidance to the JTC on specific computing-related policies and topics.

WACSE also partners with the Washington Council for Engineering and Related Technical Education (WCERTE) on relevant topics.

There are three elected officer positions:

  • President (alternates between representatives of two-year and four-year institutions): The role of the president is to organize and lead meetings, act as a point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, and to act as a liaison between WACSE and the Joint Transfer Council.
  • President Elect: The role of the president elect is to act as a backup president, support the President with organizational duties, and to prepare to be president for the next term.
  • Past President: The past president mentors the current president.

Each officer serves in each position starting as president elect, to president, and finally as past president. This is a three year term with each role held for one year.

Working groups are organized as needed to work on current projects. Each working group is led by a leadership officer with the exception of elections. Working groups are expected to share out at the WACSE meetings. Any member of WACSE can participate in a working group.

WACSE meetings are held in Fall (virtual) and Spring (in person). Meetings are organized and led by the leadership officers. All member institutions are asked to have at least one representative present at each meeting.

Each two-year and four-year institution in Washington state may have one official voting representative. This representative will cast the vote on behalf of their institutions. Each institution must update their voting representative with the WACSE leadership on an annual basis.

No voting will take place during a meeting. The vote will be open for at least one week to ensure sufficient time for each voting representative to engage with stakeholders at their institution before casting their vote. Approval is determined by a simple majority vote of participating institutions (one vote per institution).

Voting decisions, with the exception of WACSE leadership positions, will primarily involve making recommendations for policy and providing guidance to governing bodies such as the Joint Transfer Council (JTC). These recommendations will undergo review and consideration by the appropriate governing board, which will ultimately make final decisions.

Voting for leadership roles happens after the Spring meeting.

Votes will be publicly available.

Contacts

Sara Farag, Computer Science Program Chair, Bellevue College
President
sara.farag@sbctc.edu

Open
President-Elect

Matthew Fuentes, Engineering and Computer Science Chair, Everett Community College
Past President
mfuentes@everettcc.edu

Kendrick Hang, Policy Associate for Baccalaureate Programs
SBCTC Liaison
khang@sbctc.edu
360-704-3917