Overview of CS 3604

Computer Science (CS) 3604 (Professionalism in Computing) is a course offered by Virginia Tech to students majoring in CS.  This course is divided in two parts: 1) Professionalism in Computing, and 2) Careers.  Professionalism in Computing focuses on the social impact, implications, and effects of computers on society as well as on the responsibilities of computer professionals in directing emerging technologies.  This portion of the course is taught on Mondays and Wednesdays during the Fall 1997 semester.  The Careers section is concerned with computer science as a career; it focuses on career opportunities, how to interview for jobs, how to receive career counseling, how to learn to write effective resumes and prepare writing samples, and how to participate in service learning.  This portion of the course is taught on Fridays during the Fall 1997 semester.  (taken from http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~cs3604/)

The CS 3604 Web Pages primarily contain information about the course (e.g., class calendars and assignments) and on-line reading materials.  The way the course is offered, all of the above items are divided into two sections via a Professionalism Home Page and a Careers Home Page; the CS 3604 Home Page has links to both of these pages.  In addition to the common elements of a course web page, the CS 3604 web site also provides an on-line debate tool.  Students use this tool to participate in debates which constitute part of their grade in the course.  Therefore, this site is more than just a complement of the class meetings, it is actually an integral part of the course.  However, in addition to serving as a course home page, the author of this web site is also seeking to make it an information resource for the various topics covered in the class.  Hence, the range of intended users is very broad.  Potential users include the instructors and students of CS 3604 who access this web site every week, instructors of and students enrolled in similar courses being offered at other universities, computer scientists and/or social scientists searching for research materials pertaining to ethics and social impact problems, and potential students and/or parents looking for career prospects within the field of computer science.