There are plenty of ways to be involved in the CS department, and we hope that all students interested in computing will decide to participate!

Keep up to date on social events: get on our mailing list!

The department sponsors social activities throughout the year. They vary from year to year, but they often include weekly “CS at the Tavern” gatherings; annual social events for intro students, prospective majors, or new majors; pumpkin carving contest, bowling; a senior dinner; an end-of-the-year picnic; and others. Announcements about these events are posted to the CS majors google group/email list and the CS interest google group/email list. Note: CS majors are automatically added to the CS majors group and students taking our Introductory and Data Structure courses are automatically added to the CS interest group.

If you wish to join our CS interest list you can either:

The Carleton Sentinel is our regular department newsletter. It contains information about job and internship opportunities, department news, and other information for our students. Receive the Sentinel via email by contacting Marla Viergutz to be “kept in the loop” or join our CS Interest group.

Get involved with our student groups

The CS department has two active student groups:

  • Hack4Impact is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates software tools for local nonprofits that need them. We’re a team of developers, designers, activists, and humanitarians who seek to use technology for social impact. To learn more, contact carleton@hack4impact.org, visit our website, or visit our Instagram.
  • Lovelace’s mission is to increase gender diversity in computer science and technology within both the Carleton and Northfield communities. Lovelace members aim to accomplish this through creating supportive and inclusive environments that facilitate effective and fun learning. To learn more, contact the Lovelace board, visit the Lovelace Facebook page, or subscribe to the Lovelace mailing list.

Get involved in CS Department research

Many faculty members in the department have ongoing research projects, and regularly put out calls for students to get involved. To be kept aware of new opportunities as they arise, make sure to sign up for the CS interest list and the Sentinel (see above). For a sampling of current and ongoing research projects, see our research opportunities page.

Come to weekly CS Bits and Bytes

Every week during the term, we hold a department get-together. At CS Bits and Bytes we often have speakers discussing areas of interest, whether it be research experiences, job experiences, or otherwise. Sometimes the speakers are external; sometimes they are Carleton faculty or students, and sometimes there’s no speaker at all and we just visit with each other! Majors automatically get emails about CS Bits and Bytes; if you aren’t a major, join the CS interest group (see above) to be kept up to date about events.

Work for the CS Department

Many of our students work for the department during the school year or summer in various capacities. Opportunities including serving as course staff, prefects (teaching assistants), and assistant system administrators. We are always in need of good students for these positions! For more information about working as a course staff or prefect, contact Marla Viergutz. For more information about working as an assistant system administrator, contact Mike Tie. Complete the application to work as a Course Staff Member or Prefect for 2024–2025. Apply by Friday, April 12, 2024.

Volunteer as a Student Departmental Adviser

Each year, we choose a couple of our senior majors to serve as Student Departmental Advisers (SDAs). SDAs typically serve two important roles within the department. First, they answer questions from other students in the department regarding academic matters such as courses, prerequisites, requirements, registration procedures, and so on. Second, our SDAs are the student social organizers in the department; for example, they organize regular evening get-together events and coordinate t-shirt designs. SDAs are typically selected during the spring before senior year. If you’re a junior, please contact Marla Viergutz if you are interested in being considered for this.