Connections

In the past year, the focus of Computer Science Associates has been refined and its role with the Department redefined.
The Industry Affiliates Council has taken on the heavy lifting and necessary role of seeking and securing high-value, annual and multi-year financial support commitments to the department from the national, regional and state's major technology and computer-centric corporations.
CSA is now serving the department by providing an organization for the region's alumni, industry professionals, tech biz managers, and interested individuals from the community to interact with the faculty, students and staff to further the understanding of the objectives and problems facing the field of computer science and the department. CSA promotes friendship among all of the participants and a connecting people with each other interested in the benefits of computing-based technologies.
The organization's focus remains on the Computer Science and Engineering department's noble mission of being the region's nexus of computer science research, education and enterprise interests.
The role of CSA has shifted from building fund raising, academic program definition, curriculum assessment, and legislative advocacy to 'fun', comradeship and a connection with purpose.  Come join us. Bring along a colleague and have them bring a friend.
Let's compute some fun!

An Organization's Vitality Is Connection

Computing in modern society is now redefining 'ubiquitous' as the Internet of Things (IoT) era begins. Civilizations are increasingly dependent upon computer systems to operate and monitor our critical infrastructure and vital public safety services. In all kinds of businesses - manufacturing and services, in all of the sciences and engineering disciplines in all of our communications - computing continues to transform our lives, disrupt 'old ways', and obsolete 'old models' at an incredible pace. As civilization advances there's a growing priority 'need' to attract more young girls and boys into the sciences, mathematics, engineering and developing technologies. There's an aspect of this crisis of attraction that is as equally pressing as getting kids interested and involved and that is the need for STEM-based working professionals to volunteer to coach and mentor these young minds.

Get involved. Have some fun. And make a difference. We need to provide tangible help to our impressionable and inquisitive kids and out-of-classroom support for our teachers. This is our Call to Action! CSA is asking its members and colleagues - the scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technicians - the STEM cadre of the state's business community - to step up and volunteer. For those involved with computing, we invite you to join us and help us to expand the mentor ranks of proven, working projects like Coder DoJo Twin Cities, Coder DoJo Rochester and other allied CodeSavvy projects.

Our stated mission is to facilitate connecting our CSA members with 'local communities' [as goodwill ambassadors of the CS&E department, college and university, and as human beings of character, honor and integrity who care about the future and want to pay-it-forward].  Our definition of 'local communities' is: people of all ages, but with a special focus on elementary and middle school kids, who have a keen interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and in particular - the computing arts and science.

As a CSA member we want YOU to become YOUR neighborhood's, YOUR town's, YOUR school's science, math, engineering and technology activist and advocate.