CS492/692 - Winter 2017 - Assignment 4
Gender Balance in Computer Science
Description
While the percentage of female students in
Computer Science undergraduate programs differs considerably across
institutions, overall there is an imbalance between males and females
in the profession.
For this assignment you will work in a group of 4 (with groups assigned
by the instructor and TAs in an effort to balance the talents in the class).
Your group will be examining: i) the current state of female representation
in Computer Science (both in academics and in industry) ii) reasons why
there is an imbalance iii) actions and strategies that may assist in
rectifying the imbalance iv) reflections on why it is desirable to
increase the percentage of females in Computer Science, leading to
final recommendations for government, industry and academic institutions.
The essay should be on the order of 2500 words and should include
an introduction and a conclusion. While the emphasis in this assignment
is on open-ended thinking, likely a few references will be included,
(certainly for reporting on the current state of females in Computer Science).
The assignment is due at 10am on March 9.
You may wish to limit your focus to Canada or to North America, but this
is not required. If the topic area becomes too extensive to cover in
the limited number of words suggested above, narrow your focus accordingly.
You may also choose to display some information in an appendix.
Purpose
The University of Waterloo is currently participating in the UN-sponsored
HeforShe initiative, examining gender representation in STEM disciplines,
with a focus on instilling in males within our discipline a vested interest
in recognizing the imbalance and in attempting to address it.
The focus for this assignment is on open-ended thinking, guided by
current articles on the topic. There is no right or wrong answer.
Students are urged to be creative and constructive in their
recommendations.