Purposeful Pathways (Spring ‘24)#

During the semester, you must attend two events that are designated as Purposeful Pathways events for Computer Science.

A list of such events will be provided to you, and you may ask for approval of additional events not on the list.

You are required to write a 1-2 page reflection on each event.

Each reflection must include:

  • Key insights from the event

  • What you learned about yourself

  • How you will apply what you learned

If you declared your major after August 1, 2023, then, as a graduation requirement for Computer Science or Information Technology, you are required to attend at least two events from each of the three categories:

  1. Career Exploration

  2. Professional Preparation

  3. Networking & Employer Engagement

AND

Required to attend and reflect upon two activities for each of the following courses:

  • All 300-level electives (CSC-332 and CSC-348 this semester)

  • CSC-475 or CSC-502

  • CSC-122

Implementation of this requirement will be through standardized, graded requirements in individual courses.

This will allow IT majors will ultimately participate in a minimum of six activities, while CS majors will ultimately participate in 10, during their time at Furman.

Schedule of Experiences for this semester:

January#

  • Capgemini Trip – Career Exploration
    Friday, January 12, 12:30-9:00pm
    Columbia, SC

  • Early Access: My Experience in the Video Game Industry – Networking & Employer Engagement Speaker: Noelle Warner ‘19
    Wednesday, January 17, 6:00-7:00pm
    Patrick Lecture Hall (Plyler 126)

  • Career Skills for CS, Math, and Data Analytics: Pursuing Professional Opportunities – Professional Preparation
    Wednesday, January 24, 5:30-6:30pm
    Jennifer McHan Good Collab (Riley 106)

  • 2024 Summer Internship Fellowship Info Sessions – Career Exploration
    January 17, 18, 23, 24: Wednesday, January 17 from 12:30-1:30pm (Watkins Room North)
    Wednesday, January 24 from 12:30-1:30pm (Watkins Room North)
    Register Here

  • Cothran Center Conversations Dinner – Professional Preparation Speakers: Franklin Ellis and Buket Oztas
    Thursday, January 25, 5:30-7:00pm
    Hartness Pavilion
    Sign up here: https://furman.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9NZLIL7WLvYX6aa

February#

  • Funded Opportunities and Experiences in Computer Science – Career Exploration
    Wednesday, February 28, 12:30-1:30pm
    Jennifer McHan Good Collab (Riley 106)

  • Dinner with a Din: Navigating Your Black Identity in the Workplace – Networking & Employer Engagement
    Wednesday, February 28, 6:00 – 8:00pm
    Greenville Restaurant TBD
    (Limited to 8 students; pre-registration required on Handshake)

March#

  • How Good is Furman University? A Data Scientist Looks at College Rankings – Professional Preparation Data Science Visiting Scholar Lecture Series (General audience lecture)
    Speaker: Dr. Steven Skiena, Stony Brook University
    Thursday, March 14, 6:00-7:00pm
    Patrick Lecture Hall (Plyler 126)

(Informal reception (with food!) at 5:30pm)

  • Word and Graph Embeddings for Machine Learning – Professional Preparation Data Science Visiting Scholar Lecture Series (major-specific lecture)
    Speaker: Dr. Steven Skiena, Stony Brook University
    Friday, March 15, 12:30-1:30
    Jennifer McHan Good Collab (Riley 106)

(Free Lunch will be provided. RSVP here )

  • Leveraging CliftonStrengths for CS and IT Interviews will be held in the Good Collab (Riley 106) on March 20th at 12:30 PM. A short description of the event is as follows:

Worried about upcoming interviews? Interested in developing strategies to overcome mental blocks and manage stress? This workshop will equip you with the language and tools to present your best self through the lens of your unique talent DNA - your top 5 CliftonStrengths. By understanding how you most naturally absorb and analyze information through your strengths, you can develop a specialized toolkit to handle new situations, think through tough problems, and convey the behaviors that make you a unique and qualified applicant. An understanding of what you are most naturally good at will allow you to leverage those innate talents in any situation thrown your way, including the search for a job, internship, or graduate program. Please review your top 5 CliftonStrengths for Students report at https://login.gallup.com/ in advance of this workshop. This workshop is open to any major who has previously completed the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment.

Please note that you must have access to your CliftonStrengths for Students report, taken during your 1st and 2nd year Pathways course.

Lunch will be provided. If you plan to attend, please RSVP here ASAP: https://calendly.com/proftreu/cliftonstrengths-for-cs-and-it

April#

  • Paladin Pitch Competition – Professional Preparation
    Thursday, April 11, 4:00 – 5:30pm (Watkins Room, Trone Student Center)
    For additional information, click here

  • Furman Engaged – Networking & Employer Engagement Friday, April 12, 9:00am-4:30pm Furman Campus

  • Computer Science Powerpoint Night – Professional Preparation Tuesday, April 16, 6-7:30pm Jennifer McHan Good Collab (Riley 106)

Individually Scheduled Experiences#

With prior approval of the professor, activities such as informational interviews (Professional Preparation) and career assessments (Career Exploration) scheduled by the student directly may also qualify for the Purposeful Pathways requirement.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES MAY BE ADDED TO THIS SCHEDULE THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER.

CHECK IT REGULARLY.