# data[].attributes.headline
Separate Computer Science and Software Engineering into two different majors.

# data[].attributes.subject
Separate Computer Science and Software Engineering into two different majors.

# data[].attributes.body
What I believe to be one of the biggest sins committed by many Computer Science departments around the United States (UHD included) is to try to capture the latest tech trends within the employer market and adapt them into their one-size-fits-all Computer Science academic programs. Tech and its business applications are constantly evolving, and as a result, we at UHD end up with a Computer Science degree that tries to capture "everything all at once", and while this is a noble, well-intentioned effort, the real-life result produces roughly two camps of students within the Computer Science department:

Computer Science students who want to be software engineers, a discipline that requires practical learning experiences related to hands-on design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of production-level codebases, an experience that is not (and in my humble opinion, should not) be provided by the Computer Science major, whose main focus should be in the theoretical understanding and advancement of the science of computation, and end up having to take theoretically-minded upper elective courses that are not at all related to their professional objectives of working in real-life, production level codebase design, implementation, testing, and maintenance.

Computer Science students who want to pursue theoretical tracks within Computer Science and have the chance to deep dive in concepts such as compiler design, computational complexity, and automata theory (to mention a few theoretically-minded Computer Science fields), but instead have to deal with upper elective classes (and even some core foundation classes) that assume each and every student enrolled as a Computer Science major has the single goal to be a software engineer (which is simply not the case, as evidenced by the wide variety of UHD graduates working in the fields of networking, automation, data, and cybersecurity, amongst many other fields that are not necessarily software engineering)

As a result of this organizational failure, UHD ends up with roughly two types of Computer Science students and graduates:

Software Engineering students disguised as Computer Science students, who begrudgingly see their required upper elective, theoretically-minded Computer Science classes as a time and resource sink that works not in favor, but against their professional objectives, which in turn would be better served by course loads that better reflect and serve their future objectives, such as engineering-minded multi-semester production-level codebase design, implementation, testing, and maintenance course sequences that would better prepare them to contribute in real-world codebases, as well as local industry co-op/apprenticeship major requirements that would convert these students into highly valuable, highly coveted software engineering practitioners in the real world.

Computer Science students who wish to have the chance to take deep dives into theoretically-minded Computer Science upper elective classes, which in turn would unlock more possibilities for interdisciplinary collaboration and research, while simultaneously elevating UHD's profile of academic excellence at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the field of computational science; instead, these same students end up having to work around one-size-fits-all upper elective courses lead by academically-minded instructors, who themselves have the not so desirable task of balancing the instruction of their assigned course material with department-mandated real-world applications of the course concepts they are assigned to instruct, resulting in unfortunately common situations where neither the theoretical concepts are sufficiently explored, nor the real-world applications of the course material are thorough enough to satisfy real-world, constantly evolving business demands.

Based on the points above, it is my true and sincere belief that UHD would better serve itself and its current students within the Department of Computer Science by separating the Computer Science and Software Engineering fields of study into two different major tracks that each reflect the needs, expectations, and objectives of the aforementioned student populations. As a matter of fact, UHD has already done something like this before, by creating the Data Science undergraduate major and Data Analytics graduate degree, allowing students who would have otherwise enrolled as Computer Science, Statistics, and Math undergraduate majors to pursue a degree plan better adjusted to their personal and professional objectives, which in turn has highlighted UHD as a educational center of excellence in the field of data science, being the first school (public or private) in the state of Texas to offer a program of this kind.

While I realize an organizational and academic undertaking of this magnitude would come at no small cost to the University, it is my true and sincere belief that this is the best path moving forward; while the academic offerings provided by Computer Science departments around the United States and the world in the past might have been sufficient to nurture and grow a relatively young and underdeveloped software engineering industry that had not been yet adopted by every facet of the world around it, this could not be further from the case today, with production-level codebases' becoming more complex, dynamic and widely adopted by every single aspect of everyday life. Knowing this, it personally appears to me that the exercise of expecting a currently enrolled Computer Science student that really wishes to be a software engineer to be prepared for the real world upon graduation does not only appear to be ill-fitted, but actively regressive, much like expecting a physicist or mathematician to solely and successfully spearhead a civil engineering or mechanical engineering project in today's world: while these propositions were theoretically possible based upon the general description of each individual's academic dominion at certain points in the history of mankind (and at some point were the basis for the engineering fields mentioned above), such a proposition today is widely accepted to not only be inadequate, but objectively inappropriate, which in turn reflects the fact that wide arrays of concepts, practices, techniques and ideas unique to the engineering fields described above have evolved in complexity and specialty to the point where they need to be taught and practiced as their own subjects. However, and when it comes to the idea of separating computer science and software engineering as their own separate fields, this fundamental shift has not been realized by an unfortunately significant section of higher education institutions around the United States and the world. By elaborating on and proposing the changes aforementioned, it is my true hope to see the University of Houston-Downtown become an educational trailblazer and take a step in the right direction.

# data[].attributes.body
Integrate industry recognized transferable skill certificates, microcredentials, or badges that students can pursue. This can help emphasize the value of pursuing these skills for students and provide an assessment measure (ie number of certificates earned).

# data[].attributes.headline
Can the QEP connect to students attaining badges or microcredentials?

# data[].attributes.subject
Can the QEP connect to students attaining badges or microcredentials?

# data[].attributes.body
Would like to see a detailed assessment plan for these skills. Assignments aligned with value rubrics.

And for that, all stakeholders need to be engaged in this conversation.

# data[].attributes.body
Streamline the process and communication so that more students take advantage of it.

# data[].attributes.body
At CUAS, we’re proud of several successful initiatives at UHD that equip students with valuable, transferable skills:

Campus Gardens: Our students manage the CST and Sustainability Gardens, learning hands-on skills in urban agriculture, sustainable food systems, and resource management. This experience fosters teamwork, project planning, and environmental stewardship.

2. SustainaGator Program: SustainaGators act as student ambassadors for sustainability on campus, developing skills in social media, community engagement, and public speaking. They create educational content, lead outreach efforts, and learn to communicate effectively about sustainability initiatives.

3. Research and Project-Based Learning: CUAS supports student-led research on topics like energy efficiency, waste management, and urban agriculture. Projects like tracking greenhouse gas emissions or piloting waste-to-energy initiatives provide students with problem-solving, data analysis, and critical thinking skills relevant across many industries.

4. Zero-Waste Event Planning: Students involved in zero-waste events learn project coordination, logistics, and sustainable event management. They gain experience in organizing, implementing waste-reduction strategies, and working with diverse teams.

5. Collaborations with Local Organizations: Through partnerships with groups like HISD, Texas Master Natutalist, Zero Waste Houston, students build professional networks and gain real-world exposure to sustainability efforts in the wider community. This involvement enhances leadership, adaptability, and collaboration skills.

These CUAS activities give students the hands-on experience and skills needed to pursue sustainability careers and contribute to any field with a solid foundation in environmental and project management.

# data[].attributes.headline
We need more time for sessions like these. You can't cultivate ideas across departments in 1 hour.

# data[].attributes.subject
We need more time for sessions like these. You can't cultivate ideas across departments in 1 hour.

# data[].attributes.headline
Leadership within student orgs and clubs

# data[].attributes.subject
Leadership within student orgs and clubs

# data[].attributes.body
Students serving in a leadership role in student orgs and sports clubs regularly exercise most of these skills in their duties as a president, VP, treasurer, captain ect…

# data[].attributes.body
More networking opportunities for students to work on communication skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Continue to surface student voices by including student representation on all key committees, including search and advisory iterations. Create flexible meeting options so that non-traditional students are not excluded.

# data[].attributes.body
Consider interpreting all transferable skills through the lens of the 21st Century. How does “communication” as a skill reach excellent in today’s environment?

# data[].attributes.body
In order for the QEP to succeed, more students need to do more internships before they graduate.

# data[].attributes.headline
Creating collaborations between students from different colleges

# data[].attributes.subject
Creating collaborations between students from different colleges

# data[].attributes.headline
Student mentoring for their success and finish on time.

# data[].attributes.subject
Student mentoring for their success and finish on time.

# data[].attributes.body
Professionalism also includes business etiquette.

# data[].attributes.body
Hosting college and departmental student forums that are open to the UHD community and relevant professional communities for students to do five minute elevator speeches on how they have learned and applied transferable skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Choose a cohort of students to study throughout the life of the QEP? Perhaps a few different cohorts! Ask them, faculty, staff, administrators, and community members to come up with rubrics for measurement and measure/share growth through the life of the QEP.

# data[].attributes.body
What about the skill of having self knowledge, reflecting on our biases, privilaeges, flaws, fears. Preconceptions. Etc. many of our disciplines teach this, and it is arguably the most fundamental skill, undergirding the others

# data[].attributes.body
It’s also important to emphasize the “metacognitive” aspect of the QEP—students should not only acquire transferable skills, they should be able to clearly know and articulate that they have them.

# data[].attributes.body
A job shadow day, where students can shadow faculty/staff in their roles.

# data[].attributes.body
How many skills should a degree program have? Is there a minimum?

# data[].attributes.body
UG Research: critical thinking, communication (verbal, written, visual)

# data[].attributes.body
Our students do an excellent job of working together with faculty and staff.

# data[].attributes.body
Student employment opportunities where managers intentionally develop skill building tasks, training, and opportunities.

# data[].attributes.body
Many times students share that they do not see or understand how what they are doing relates to the "real world"; this is up to us as a whole to make salient and clear.

# data[].attributes.body
On campus employment can cultivate many of the listed skills

# data[].attributes.headline
Elevating the Focus on Transferrable Skills

# data[].attributes.subject
Elevating the Focus on Transferrable Skills

# data[].attributes.body
Provide regular updates on whatever is assessed to each department; set reasonable (yet aspirational) goals for us, help us monitor progress, and motivate us along the way!

# data[].attributes.body
Many excellent services for students

# data[].attributes.body
How many skills do students need to show at graduation to be considered a success?

# data[].attributes.body
Service learning,

# data[].attributes.body
Provide more leadership opportunities for students

# data[].attributes.body
Give faculty well-designed and effective resources for delivering on transferable skills and integrating them into their courses and programs. Make those tools available to all.

# data[].attributes.body
It would be great to have one centralized department for co/extra curricular activities university wide.

# data[].attributes.body
2. Help our Student workers to write up what they do in offices as transferable skills to work force

# data[].attributes.body
Students who are studying visual arts learn that even when you make a mistake, you can make it into something beautiful. Paint over it, ad lib over a missed line, etc

# data[].attributes.body
Student employment opportunities often require students to integrate what they learn in class with professional practices

# data[].attributes.body
I think professionalism and leadership may be combined (for instance project management and time management are closely related.)

# data[].attributes.body
Internships

# data[].attributes.body
It would be helpful to pick skills that have associated Value rubrics.

# data[].attributes.body
There needs to be much more interdepartmental communication and cooperation. Often the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.

NO SILOS

# data[].attributes.body
Students who sing in our concert chorale are learning how to listen and blend their voices with others. This applies to teamwork and interactions in professional life.