Editorial: Computer Science growing pains

The UNC computer science department has a massive enrollment problem, and we have to figure out a solution.

Over the past ten years, the number of UNC students declaring or intending to major in computer science has swelled 831.65 percent, far outpacing faculty growth in the department, which grew 8.2 percent in the same time period. 

Because the University doesn’t staff enough computer science professors, the department is overworking its faculty. According to The Daily Tar Heel, computer science professors teach an average of 815 credit hours a semester. By comparison, biology professors teach an average of 558 hours. If nothing changes, professors may burn out, leading to early departures and retirement. 

In addition, because of the high demand for computer science classes, many students aren’t able to take intro level classes. This sort of barrier could disproportionately affect students already underrepresented within the computer science field — such as women, Latinx students, African Americans and poor first-generation students. 

These computer science growth problems are not unique to UNC. According to the New York Times, the number of undergraduates studying computer science in the country doubled between 2013 and 2017, while the number of tenure-track professors only grew by about 17 percent. All over the country, universities are attempting to incorporate a massive influx of computer science students into their programs without an adequate supply of professors.  

What has caused the sudden collegiate interest in computer science? For one, computer science is more accessible and widespread than ever. From big data to social media, we understand that computer science is important to learn because technology has seeped into every aspect of our lives. But let’s not beat around the bush; computer science’s rising popularity stems from its ability to provide high-paying and high-status jobs straight out of college. After all, unlike other high-salary professions, such as medicine or law, programmers don’t have to go to graduate school.

Because fewer programmers are going to graduate school, the supply of future professors is shrinking. Tech giants are also poaching Ph.D.s, further narrowing the number of professors able to accommodate the ballooning demand for computer science courses.

UNC has taken steps to address the issue of an under-equipped computer science department. The University changed the computer science curriculum in Fall 2019. COMP 401, 410 and 411 are currently being phased out for more efficient classes. According to the Computer Science Department website, this new change simplifies prerequisites and is more flexible. 

In addition, the University has accepted the department’s request to make four new faculty hires within the next two years. The new professors will impact the department positively, as they will take some pressure off of the other professors.

Despite the positive actions the University has taken for the Computer Science Department, it could have been more proactive in its approach. According to Kevin Jeffay, chair of the Computer Science Department, the University authorized the faculty hiring proposal only because the department had been “vociferously advocating for this for well over five years."

The University has responded to growing pains by getting back on the hiring plan. However, rather than responding to predictable pain inflicted on students and professors, UNC could have foreseen the growth and responded preemptively.

Jaye Cable, senior associate dean for natural sciences and mathematics, told the DTH in November that, “Because enrollment fluctuates, we can’t always predict where need is, but you cannot move faculty from one department to another just because you have an increase in one area and a decrease in another.”

But maybe this time we can predict where need is. After all, computer science enrollment numbers aren’t going down anytime soon.

opinion@dailytarheel.com