Abstract: In 2004, the Computing Research Association (CRA) held its annual meeting in Snowbird, Utah, to update department chairs in computing on trend data and other computing-related issues. Attending the meeting that year were department chairs from seven Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): California State University-Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), Florida International University (FIU), New Mexico State University (NMSU), Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC), University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez (UPRM), and The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). These chairs realized they had power in numbers and made a decision: “let’s take each of our homegrown best practices and come together as a unified alliance.” The Computing and Information Science Engineering (CISE) directorate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) had just launched its alliance program to broaden participation in computing, in an effort to meet one of NSF’s goals: accelerate the number of students who enter and complete STEM degrees. UTEP, under the direction of Ann Quiroz Gates, took the lead in writing the successful proposal, with the other six chairs as co-investigators. That funding officially launched the establishment of the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) in 2006 to establish a unified voice and consolidate their collective strengths and resources, while bringing in others committed to increasing the number of Hispanics in all computing areas.

Abstract: For years, the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) have lacked diverse representation of students. In some disciplines, like computer science, diversity has remained especially stagnant. However, there are growing initiatives to promote the success of minoritized students in STEM. The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) is a network of computer science departments at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) across the nation that aims to increase the number of Latinx students graduating with credentials in computer science. Bianca Alvarez, a current doctoral student in computer science at the University of Texas at El Paso, described how CAHSI has played a role in motivating her to dream beyond what she thought was possible

Abstract: The technology field today, with continually emerging social media and communication platforms, is highly impacted by controversy and ethical considerations. It is imperative for computer science undergraduates to be prepared to face these issues as they enter the workforce. This paper describes how the design and pedagogical tools applied in a leadership course led to growth in the ability of these students to effectively confront ethical issues and handle controversial topics. With U.S. Department of Education funding, an interdisciplinary, multicultural team of faculty, researchers, and evaluators implemented an equity-oriented pilot course in leadership for undergraduate computer science students. The site of course implementation was The University of Texas at El Paso, a Hispanic-Serving Institution with over 85% Hispanics enrolled in undergraduate studies, including computer science. Some 90% of the students in this project were Hispanic. The course was piloted over four semesters, which allowed the instructional team to perfect the approaches that were most successful for student success. The leadership course integrated two primary approaches: 1) a relational model of leadership used to examine complexities that arise when technology professionals encounter multiple perspectives and diverse ideas; and 2) cooperative learning approaches, including constructive academic controversy model, used to develop leadership skills while contextualizing the role of ethics in computing. The course culminated in an academic controversy exercise where student teams examined the Facebook /Whistleblower controversy. The teams gathered research-based arguments, debated with each other, changed sides, and debated again. Eventually, they developed and presented an informed consensus of positions. Throughout the process, students practiced critical professional skills such as effective team communication, active listening, and perspective-taking—effective tools for team communication and diversity appreciation. This approach to leadership education has significant implications for equity with a focus on student thinking, perspectives, and values.

Abstract: Within computer science education, a growth mindset is encouraged. However, faculty development on the use of growth mindset in the classroom is rare and resources to support the use of a growth mindset are limited. A framework for a computer science growth mindset classroom, which includes faculty development, lesson plans, and vocabulary for use with students, has been developed. The objective is to determine if faculty development in growth mindset and active use of the growth mindset cues in the CS0 and CS1 classroom result in superior academic outcomes. Comparative study results are presented for two semesters of virtual classroom environments: one semester without Growth Mindset, and one semester with Growth Mindset. Female students demonstrated the most growth, as measured by academic grades, in CS0, and maintained that growth in CS1. Males demonstrated growth as well, with both males and females converging at the same high point of accomplishment at the end of CS1. Race and ethnicity gaps between students were reduced, improving academic equity.

Abstract: Technology is quickly evolving and continues to play an increasingly important role in our daily lives. Social, political, and ethical concerns about technology, including its applications in public surveillance, violations of individual privacy, and manipulations of voting behavior, have increased in recent years. These concerns disproportionately affect racially minoritized groups, as scholar Ruha Benjamin notes in her book Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code (Benjamin, 2019), and Safiya Noble describes in her book Algorithms of Oppression (Noble, 2018). Benjamin and Noble illustrate not only how technology adversely impacts racially minoritized communities, but also how racism and sexism are embedded in the production of technology. One solution to this problem is to diversify the technology workforce. As researchers like Ebony McGee note, however, the climate for minoritized groups in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is exclusionary and hinders their capacity to thrive and earn degrees in STEM disciplines.

Abstract: This paper presents an innovative approach, applicable to all research-based fields, that identifies and broadly engages future computer science researchers. The Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI) piloted a national virtual Research Experience for Undergraduates (vREU) during the summer of 2020. Funded by an NSF grant, the goal of the program was to ensure that students, in particular those with financial need, had opportunities to engage in research and gain critical skills while advancing their knowledge and financial resources to complete their undergraduate degrees and possibly move to advanced studies. The vREU pilot provided undergraduate research experiences for 51 students and 21 faculty drawn from 14 colleges and universities. The Affinity Research Group (ARG) model, based on a cooperative learning model, was used to guide faculty mentors throughout the eight-week vREU. ARG is a CAHSI signature practice with a focus on deliberate, structured faculty and student research, technical, communication, and professional skills development. At weekly meetings, faculty were provided resources and discussed a specific skill to support students’ research experience and development, which faculty put into immediate practice with their students. Evaluation findings include no statistical difference in student development between the face-to-face and virtual models with faculty and the benefit of training as an opportunity for faculty professional growth and impact. This faculty development model allows for rapid dissemination of the ARG model through practice and application with weekly faculty cohort meetings, coaching, and reflection.