Abstract: To address the low number of baccalaureate degrees in computing to meet the demand for computing professionals, the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) was selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2018 to serve as the lead partner of a national INCLUDES alliance. The Inclusion Across the Nation of Communities of Learners (INCLUDES) initiative is one of NSF’s Ten Big Ideas with the goal of broadening participation in STEM fields by creating networked relationships among organizations and across sectors, using a collaborative approach with stakeholders who share a common agenda. The CAHSI Alliance is using the collective impact framework to accelerate change in broadening participation, particularly of Latinx, in computing fields. One aspect of collective impact is using a common set of data for decision-making within and across institutions. This paper will provide a short description of our data collection and analysis process, which helps populate a dashboard that compares student outcomes for each 2- and 4-year CAHSI institution with other institutions of higher education nationally.

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine what the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation means to Hispanic college students at a Research One four-year university. This qualitative case study used one-on-one interviews with Hispanic undergraduate and graduate students to explore their experiences and perceptions of what it means to be an HSI and how the HSI designation can affect their collegiate experience. The study was guided by Museus’s culturally engaging campus environments model to help identify what strategies can enhance the educational experiences of Hispanic students attending an HSI. The findings of this paper only include data from students of this particular HSI. The overarching themes that emerged include a sense of belonging through campus organizations, the presence of Latina/o/x faculty, and institutional diversity.

Abstract: This Innovative Practice Work-In-Progress paper elucidates the approach of the NSF-funded CAHSI INCLUDES Alliance for creating change in students’ competencies by an effort across eight institutions to support the delivery of one-and two-credit hour courses for three levels of problem solving in Computer Science: general problem solving, computational thinking in problem solving, and algorithmic thinking in problem solving. The courses were developed to address industry’s need for improved problem-solving skills, incorporating consistent, deep collaboration with Google technical staff The first of its kind for CAHSI, the problem-solving courses are fewer credit hours than typical courses in order to fit within a traditional curriculum. The intent is to instill complementary problem-solving, computational thinking skills, and logical reasoning needed to succeed in computer science, and make this content available across different student populations at various stages in their academic pathways. Advanced problem solving prepares students for competitive interviews. The courses create opportunities to learn across academic levels, and create new student communities, mentorship opportunities, and social connections to support retention. The paper reports on the course design, student reflection, assessment and evaluation, and an ethnographic study of the courses.

Abstract: Broadening the participation of women in computing has increasingly become a focus of computing education research over the past several years. To be sure, the field of computing has unique challenges that merit close examination. At the same time, social scientists have built large bodies of literature related to gender equity across disciplines that span several decades, much of it critical to how we understand (in)equity in computing. This panel will provide perspectives from scholars with expertise in a variety of disciplines, including computer science, higher education, and educational psychology. Panelists will share relevant research from their home disciplines and initiate a discussion on the future of computing education research.

Abstract: Broadening participation in computer science (CS) for women and underrepresented minority (URM) students is an important national priority. This research is part of a larger, longitudinal, qualitative study that highlights the role of the department chair in leading diversity-related change initiatives at a set of institutions across the country. Findings from this study reveal important insights about how department chairs lead diversity-related change efforts. Further, findings also highlight the ways that department chairs grapple with dramatically increasing enrollments, representative diversity, and critical mass.

Abstract: As the number of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs; postsecondary institutions that enroll 25% or more Latinx students) in the United States increases annually, so does the need to theorize about what it means to have an HSI organizational identity. Using interview data from a multiple case study of three institutionally diverse HSIs in the Midwest, the purpose of this study was to apply the theoretical notions laid out in the Typology of HSI Organizational Identities about what it means for members to construct an organizational identity for serving Latinx students beyond the HSI federal designation. We utilized the typology to guide this study, seeking to better understand the misalignment between an ideal and currently constructed HSI identity. Findings confirm that the way members make sense of both an ideal HSI identity and a currently enacted identity are connected to outcomes and cultural indicators of what it means to serve Latinx students. Yet the ideal and the current identities do not always align, suggesting an HSI identity is transitional. Moreover, findings suggest that an HSI identity is likely connected to unique institutional missions and characteristics, which means it will vary across HSIs. Theoretical implications are discussed.