The Computer Science department is currently facing a shortage of teaching power, with waitlists for certain classes exceeding 50 people. Many students, including CS majors and minors, struggle to get into the classes that they need in order to graduate.
The staffing shortage partially stems from a lack of graduate students serving as Teaching Assistants, something that they are currently not required to do. The department is heavily reliant on undergraduates serving as TAs and often cannot provide a sufficient number of sections for larger lectures. including introductory courses, each semester.
While the Editorial Board recognizes this acute problem, we want to make it clear that we do not blame the CS department. Admirably, the department has consistently sent out emails keeping their students up to date. Students are quick to note their appreciation of the department’s transparency, but are still calling for a resolution to the problem.
It is unfair that students have to wait several semesters to take required classes, which could adversely affect their graduation plans. In our technologically dominated economy, the skills that a CS student learns are especially useful for their future careers, no matter the field. Students from all disciplines, whether they study English or biomedical engineering, have flocked to CS classes, and the University needs to recognize this growing demand.
The Editorial Board suggests that graduate students be required to serve as TAs for undergraduate classes, just as they are in many departments across the University. If social science and humanities grad students must teach classes, why shouldn’t their counterparts in CS share the burden?
Given the need for TAs, we question why this is not already the case. Implementing such a policy could help alleviate the shortage of TAs, thus allowing for more sections per semester, making it possible for more students to take their required CS courses each year.
The Editorial Board also calls on the University to provide the necessary resources for the department to alleviate its staffing shortage. As the demand for Computer Science degrees increases, it is important for the department to grow at a comparable pace.
The department already needs to hire 100 staffers each semester, and they should be given the resources to hire more if necessary. We believe the problems facing the CS department are worth the additional investments to solve.
Although no one on the Editorial Board is a Computer Science major, we still empathize with the struggle of CS students looking to meet their degree requirements. We applaud the department’s efforts in maintaining transparency and hope that they will soon be able to find a solution that works well for all parties – students, faculty, and the University.
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