Senate Document Number 2702S

Date of Senate Approval 02/14/02

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC 25:   Computer Science: New courses titles and descriptions for CSCI 244, 344, 444.

Effective date: Fall 2002

1. Add title and description for new course CSCI 244

CSCI 244 Internet Client-Side Technology (3)
An intermediate class extending the fundamentals of web page design. Topics include advanced HTML and XML, the document object model (DOM), dynamic web pages, and style sheets. Prerequisites: CSCI 107. Fall.

Impact Statement: See impact statement for CSCI 344.

Rationale: See rationale for CSCI 344.

2. Add title and description for new course CSCI 344

CSCI 344 Internet Server-Side Technology (3)
An advanced class in the use of servers in web applications. Topics include active server pages, database integration, and web site management. Prerequisites: CSCI 244. Spring.

Impact Statement: Presently, the Department of Computer Science has only been authorized to fill one of its vacancies. Consequently, we are having some difficulties in staffing our courses. However, the topics covered by CSCI 244 and 344 will have a major impact of the careers of our graduates. Consequently, we are willing to commit to offering these courses even if it means postponing other upper-level CSCI offerings.

Walt Turner has expertise in this area and will be the natural candidate to teach these courses. In the Fall 2001 semester he taught a one-semester special topics course in Web Technologies that sampled these topics. Fifty-one students enrolled in Web Technologies before its sections were oversubscribed. We know there will be a constant demand for these offerings.

Rationale: CSCI 244 and 344 are a new two-semester sequence in Internet technology. The first course (244) concentrates on the "front-end" of web applications. This is where students study the user interface. The second course (344) focuses on the "back-end". Here students learn about the databases and servers required to support the user interface.

Clearly the Internet has become a significant part of our modern life and the Computer Science department at UNCA must prepare its students to become designers and implementers of Internet applications. Presently, we have no courses that focus solely on Internet application design. These courses will fill that void.

The Multimedia Arts and Sciences program is also submitting a proposal to allow CSCI 244 as an alternate to CSCI 201, Introduction to Programming, in its major requirements. The Department of Computer Science strongly supports this proposal. Both CSCI 201 and 244 emphasize programming and, consequently, will introduce the MMAS students the fundamentals of program development. Adding CSCI 244 gives the MMAS students the option of satisfying this requirement with a more web-oriented course.

The Multimedia Arts and Science program will also allow CSCI 344 to be used in its six credit hour Interactive Design option, one of the major's four emphasis areas. Adding CSCI 344 to the option will provide MMAS students with a good survey course in "back-end" web application designs and also make it easier for students to double major in CSCI and MMAS.

3. Add title and description for new course CSCI 444

CSCI 444 Issues in Electronic Commerce (3)
Issues surrounding computer networks and their use for electronic commerce. Topics include legal and ethical considerations, privacy, security, technology tradeoffs, outsourcing, digital signatures, digital watermarking, and web architectures. Prerequisites: Computer Science Majors: Senior Standing; Other Majors: Permission of Instructor. See Department Chair.

Impact Statement: This course will be an elective course in Computer Science that will be offered as other faculty staffing demands permit. A small number of other majors will be admitted to each class to provide balance to the discussions of issues.

Rationale: The Internet and its associated intranet technology are being used in every facet of business. Associated with such usage are a host of issues that students need to understand.