Student and post-doc resources

Thank you for your interest in making the department a more inclusive and welcoming place! If you are a student or a postdoc, there are a number of ways you can get involved and pitch in. Some of them are listed below.

Everyone!

Graduate students

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Volunteer for CS&E’s New Graduate Student Welcome (email csgradmn@umn.edu if interested)

If you are interested in being a part of this cause, one of the ways to get involved is to be a part of the panel that will offer advice to the new students joining. New students are always looking for information to fit in and belong, and this will be a perfect opportunity for the students to learn from your knowledge and experience, while also breaking ice between the students.

Volunteer for CS&E’s Prospective PhD Student Visit Day (email csgradmn@umn.edu if interested)

Every year, you have the opportunity to connect with prospective PhD students who visit the department. Be a part of these events and create a welcoming and friendly environment for the new students who are interested in joining the department. There are a variety of volunteer roles to help make the experience excellent for prospective peers.

Volunteer at the CSE Career Fair and other recruiting events to be a student recruiter (email csgradmn@umn.edu if interested)

The department is always interested in adding more talented students like yourself! Volunteer at the Career Fair event on the other side of the table as a recruiter and speak to interested undergraduates and students from other departments to consider a Computer Science degree. The CSE Career Fair typically occurs during the third week of the semester. Our department also goes to a few other universities, like Carleton College, to recruit students. Student volunteers for these local trips could be a possibility as well.

Present a research poster at our department’s Research Showcase & Open House

Every other year in the fall our department hosts a Research Showcase & Open House. We always need graduate students to present their research during a poster show during this event. Details and volunteer requests are typically sent out to the graduate listserv at the beginning of the fall semester. Feel free to contact csgradmn@umn.edu if you would like to be more involved in the planning of this large event.

Opportunity to develop experience towards academic positions

Are you interested in developing your teaching skills while also being trained to acknowledge and embrace the differences a classroom can bring? Do you want to give yourself an edge over others when applying for academic positions? This opportunity may be just for you! Maria Gini and Shana Watters have received funding for a new program that allows for lower-division classes with smaller class sizes to be taught by Ph.D. students. Accepted student instructors will be provided additional training, mentoring, and curriculum development support throughout the semester by a faculty cohort mentor and will be fully funded at 50%. Please contact Shana Watters (watt0087@umn.edu) for any immediate questions.

Undergraduate students

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Volunteer to be on student panels for CLA and CSE Exploring majors events (email csciug@umn.edu if interested)

Every fall semester we host events for freshmen students to learn about our department, majors, and opportunities within computing. We need current students who are willing to share their experiences during a Q&A panel.

Volunteer to speak to students at CAPE’s annual Major/Minor Expo (email csciug@umn.edu if interested)

Every spring semester we host a table at CAPE's Major/Minor Expo where students can stop by and learn about our programs within the department. Students have really enjoyed talking to current students during this event. Join our advising team in staffing our table!

Sign up for our optional Undergraduate Mailer! (go to z.umn.edu/cscimail to subscribe)

Nearly every week we send students a mailer containing curated items including articles about computing, scholarship opportunities, internship and employment postings, and events on and off-campus. We also often highlight diversity, equity, and justice work being done in computing.

Apply to undergraduate departmental scholarships (CS&E Departmental Scholarships page)

We have many scholarships available to Computer Science and Data Science students from various generous donors. You can apply to multiple scholarships by completing one application!

Consider doing research as an undergraduate! (CS&E UG Research page)

Research labs are not just for graduate students. We have had undergraduate researchers in all of our research groups in Computer Science & Engineering. Students can earn credit to count towards their program or be paid as a student worker for these experiences.

More resources

Graduate School Diversity Office

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