MENU

School of Computing Science

The School of Computing Science is a world-class destination for current and future computer scientists.

We believe computer science education should be inclusive and supportive of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic background. In order to increase faculty diversity, the School of Computing Science is planning to increase efforts in hiring and retaining female tenure-track faculty. In order to support diversity and inclusion in student communities, the School of Computing Science has formed a CS Diversity Committee.

The Computing Science Diversity Committee is a focus group comprised of computing science faculty and staff, working to increase diversity and inclusion in the computing science community generally, and especially within the SFU School of Computing Science's student community. The long-term strategic goals of this committee include:

  • Increasing the percentage of women and indigenous students enrolled in SFU CS
  • Ensure retention of women and indigenous students in SFU CS

To ensure diversity and inclusion for students, the diversity committee designs and monitors the change of admission and continuation requirements, support activities and outreach activities. The following is a brief introduction of such activities.

Support Groups

Associations which foster relations for current students and advacement groups

Outreach

Activities and initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion to the community

Workshops

Sessions designed to introduce students to new opportunities and learning forums

Data & Tracking

Utilizing data to improve university processes towards diversity & inclusion

Support Groups

Within the School of Computing Science student support groups are established for peer-to-peer connections, as well as development opportunities.

Women in Computing Science (WiCS)

Women in Computing Science (WiCS) is a student-led society that aims to empower women in computing science by providing opportunities to build lasting connections with other women in tech and by supporting each other as we progress through our time at SFU.

There are four main goals include:

  • Promoting women in computing science
  • Supporting women throughout their studies
  • Building networks
  • Challenging biases faced by women in STEAM

In pursuit of these goals, this group organises professional networking events, technical workshops, outreach programs, and social activities.  

Learn more

Outreach

As a collaborative effort, the School of Computing Science works closely with various groups to connect with the community and promote diversity. Some of these initiatives include:

TryCatch

TryCatch is a one-day event in the Fall for high school girls in grades eight to twelve, with the objective of helping them develop an interest in Computing Science and the technology field.

Invent the Future

Invent the Future is a summer enrichment program dedicated to bringing AI expertise, community, and mentorship to youth. The program works to increase diversity and inclusion.

Learn More

Computing Teaching Toolkit

This free toolkit provides an engaging set of exercises and tools for high school teachers to teach Introduction to Computer Science and Programming.

Learn more

Diversity Committee Webinar

As a part of a project supported by the Student Experience Initiative and the School of Computing Science, the Computing Science Diversity Committee is holding a webinar series on topics of equity, diversity, inclusion and justice in the field of computer science. o attend our webinars, please contact cs-diversity-chair@sfu.ca for registration and the Zoom link.

CS Diversity Project Presentations

This event is an initiative for current students in computing to showcase their projects which are focused on advancing Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Justice in Computing Science Research and Professional Practices.

Workshops

Explore Computing Science Research Workshop

This three-day workshop is designed to introduce you to computer science research, connect you to research groups and resources, and answer your questions about computer science research as a career path. It is an opportunity to explore the world of Computer Science Research in a short period and meet experts from academia and industry.  

During the workshop you will:

  • Hear from academic and industry experts
  • Practice computer science research through a small data-driven research problem
  • Discuss research pathways in academia and industry
  • Explore graduate studies and admissions processes
  • Learn about financial resources to support your research journey
  • Connect to Simon Fraser University Computer Science Research Professors interested in hiring graduate students

Apply here

Data & Tracking

To further support diversity, the School of Computing Science monitors student & faculty experiences and uses data to improve university processes towards diversity and inclusion.

Statistics and Data

Computing Science Diversity Committee is committed to a data-driven approach towards measuring the results of its activities towards improving Diversity and Inclusion in our school. These dashboards provides historical reporting on a set of metrics to monitor progress in diversity, equity and inclusion.

Improving Diversity & Inclusion on Campus

Using a data-drive approach, the school advocates for improvements in university processes which have impacts on:

  • Admissions
  • Transfers
  • Continuation in studies
  • Curriculum development
  • Awards & scholarships

View CS Diversity Award