At the University of Chicago Department of Computer Science, we welcome students of all backgrounds and identities. In order to achieve our educational and research missions, it is essential to establish and maintain a community of diverse voices. As University of Chicago President Robert J. Zimmer wrote, "We have an obligation to see that the greatest variety of perspectives is brought to bear on the issues before us as scholars and citizens. We therefore celebrate our tradition of inclusion and recognize that our success as an institution depends on its ongoing renewal."
UChicago CS manages and participates in a number of programs and initiatives that support students from groups underrepresented in the field. You can read about some examples below.
We recently released our departmental Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) plan, which has been verified by BPCnet.org. It aims to foster an inclusive environment where students from all backgrounds can achieve their highest potential.
The departmental BPC plan builds on existing strengths and collaborations, while fostering new efforts. It will grow and evolve based on community engagement, stakeholder feedback, and impact assessment. Community input is vital, it can be provided here, and when normal operations resume via town halls and topical meetings.
Useful references: BPCnet.org is a national clearinghouse to learn about and engage with ongoing projects to address underrepresentation in computing. Also here is a helpful article from CACM on BPC.
The UChicago chapter of the ACM-W is a hub for women in computer science at the university. We hold biweekly study breaks for women in CS and allies on Tuesdays from 6pm-8pm in Ryerson 255.
The group is open to anyone who identifies as a woman and has an interest in computer science. It's meant to be a safe space for discussion, meeting other UChicago women in CS, and supporting women in the department. In addition to study breaks, we hold various panels, workshops, and speaker events throughout the year. We also run the following departmental initiatives focused on fostering diversity in the Computer Science department.
Graduate Women in Computer Science (GWiCS) is an organization that builds a community of support for female-identifying graduate students in the Computer Science department. Our activities include monthly Sounding Board Socials, recruitment, and advocacy. GWiCS is also part of the Women in Graduate Science organization within the Physical Sciences Division. For more information, please contact Jean Salac.
