Overview

Mission Statement

The mission of the Computer Science Program is to be an exemplary program in a small, Land-Grant, flagship university. We strive for excellence in research, teaching and service that will be of benefit to our students, our profession, and for the people of the State of Maine. Researchers will gain a national or international reputation and will provide educational experiences for both graduate and undergraduate students in their research laboratories. Faculty will provide excellent teaching to undergraduates and graduate students both in and out of the classroom. We see advising as an important part of teaching. We believe that excellent teachers have high standards for students and give students the tools to meet those standards.
Excellent teachers also motivate students, nurture them as scholars, and share their enthusiasm for learning in general and for their discipline in particular. Like excellent research and teaching, excellent service is also productive and recognized and is performed with dedication, competence, enthusiasm and professional integrity.
It is also an important part of our mission to maintain our highly collegial environment while expanding our research mission. We are dedicated to building a community of learning including faculty, students and staff.

Program Educational Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes

The Computer Science BS program at the University of Maine has been continuously accredited by ABET since 1995, first as an offering of the Department of Computer Science and now as an offering of the School of Computing and Information Science. The BS in Computer Science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission(s) of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Computer Science Program Criteria. Our program educational objectives and student learning outcomes can be found here.

What is Computer Science?

How does computer science relate to other computing fields? Please see our explanation.

Congressional Recognition of Importance of Computer Science

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed Resolution 558, “Supporting the increased understanding of, and interest in, computer science and computing careers among the public and in schools, and to ensure an ample and diverse future technology workforce through the designation of National Computer Science Education Week.”

The resolution supports research in computer science, specifically mentioning research that motivates increased participation in the field. It also “encourages schools, teachers, researchers, universities, and policymakers to identify mechanisms for teachers to receive cutting edge professional development to provide sustainable learning experiences in computer science at all educational levels and encourage students to be exposed to computer science concepts” and “encourages opportunities, including through existing programs, for females and underrepresented minorities in computer science.”

In addition, the White House recently announced an initiative, CS for All, that aims to give all students in the U.S. the opportunity to learn CS, with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Education serving as the lead federal agencies. NSF has already committed over $20 million over five years.