Haley DiFruscio curated this story by Harriet C. Dockery, which The Appalachian published March 25, 1976.
Appalachian’s Mathematics Department is developing a new major and minor with a concentration in computer science. Beginning next fall, students may work toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Science with a Computer Science option. This major will use some courses already in existence, while other classes will be created especially for the program. Dr Robert I. Winner of the Math Department discussed details of the program with The Appalachian.
Students interested in training for careers in this field are urged to take Computer Science 2400 in their freshman year. A two hour course graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis, it allows students to sample the fundamentals of computer language and programming, and to determine their interest and aptitude in the subject.
Specialized Computer Science classes, Statistics courses, and a Mathematics-Calculus sequence (MAT 1100, 1120, 2130, and 2240) will be required in the program. No minor or electives are required, but Winner says, “We will have some strong course recommendations for people who want to go to graduate school.” Winner thinks Accounting, Business, and Physical Science courses will be especially useful electives for students who plan a career in computer technology.
“We have a very good computer center here [at the University],” remarked Winner, adding that he hopes the math department will soon acquire two computers in the $30,000 range and one or two mini-computers worth $1,000 for its own use. Winner feels the machines are needed to provide students an opportunity to practice programming techniques they learn in class.
Economists say Computer Science, a relatively new field, has a shortage of available qualified programmers; consequently, it is now a seller’s market, and probably will continue to be an open field for several years.
“I would like to say that anyone who graduates from here with a GPA of 3.0 or better is guaranteed a job,” says Winner. He hopes the new major will attract highly-motivated students who are interested in computer as a craft as well as a science. “We have to operate a high-quality program,” he comments, “because we feel a personal responsibility not to graduate anyone who is incompetent.”
Winner says the Math Department hopes to graduate 15 or 20 students a year after the program is well under way. He believes the department will have no difficulty attracting students, because computer programming is “almost like playing a game.”
