Industry Affiliates Council

The Industry Affiliates Council (IAC) is chartered to promote greater interaction between the Department of Computer Science & Engineering and our industry partners.

The Council meets regularly each year, providing a forum to hear industry trends and to explore the opportunities that grow out of the department’s education and research activities. Council members are invited to be active in promoting computer science through efforts to broaden the field, reach out to underrepresented groups, and promote and advance the economic impact of education and research.

Membership benefits

There are many reasons to be a member of the IAC, including:

  • Exclusive recruitment events - IAC members will receive an invitation to participate in a special career fair, held the day before the college career fair. This provides members an opportunity to interact with some of our best students ahead of other employers. Members are also given first priority to volunteer for other engagement opportunities, such as mentoring programming contents, judging poster sessions, and having a booth at the Welcome to the Major event.
  • Opportunity to engage with students - IAC members will have the chance to support student and outreach activities that promote the field of computer science, including involvement with student groups (including Women in Computing, ACM, and ACM-W), participation in Computer Science Education Week or the MinneWIC conference, or sponsorship of talks, lunches, and student travel (i.e. ACM IBM International Computer Programming Contest).
  • Member recognition and publicity - IAC members are listed on the department’s website and featured at IAC-supported events. The council and its members will also be highlighted in the online and print editions of the department's biannual Soundbyte newsletter as well as throughout the year on the department's social media channels.
  • Invitations to research talks - Representatives have the opportunity to listen to faculty research talks at regular IAC meetings,as well as having the change to attend other department lectures, including the CS&E Colloquia, the Cray Distinguished Lecture Series, and the Carlis Memorial Lecture Series.
  • Inclusion in Research Showcase - Member companies will be featured as supporters of the department's Research Showcase (held every two years). This includes recognition on the event website, in the program, and in other promotional materials. In addition, members are able to present to CS&E students and faculty during the poster and demonstration session.
  • Networking with department and industry leaders - All members will be invited to attend two meetings each academic year (one each at the end of fall and spring semesters) with department leadership and other council members.

Membership fees

Membership in the Industry Affiliates Council requires an annual payment of $10,000.

These funds will be used to support student activities, scholarships and fellowships, outreach activities, and research to enable CS&E to better fulfill its mission and support the next generation of computer scientists.

Current members

  • 3M
  • Best Buy
  • CH Robinson
  • Cat Digital
  • General Mills
  • Medtronic
  • Target
  • Unisys

Related links

Interested in joining the IAC?

Fill out the online application today.

Questions?

For questions about membership, benefits, or other ways to engage with the department, please email csciadmin@umn.edu.