Overview

Over the last few weeks, we have discussed issues related to the working and diversity. As evident in our class discussions, these topics are complex but important to consider.

For this second project, you are to work in groups of 2-4 on one of the following options:

1. Create a guide to the job interview process.

2. Watch and review Hidden Figures.

3. Write a letter to the editor regarding immigration.

Option 1: Job Interview Process

For the first option, you are to create a guide to the job interview process for Notre Dame Computer Science and Engineering students.

Some things to discuss or consider:

• When should students start preparing or planning for internship or job interviews?

• How should students prepare or plan for these interviews?

• What resources should students consider? Books? Career Services? Student groups?

• What extracurricular activities should students consider?

• How can students take advantage of networking and alumni relationships?

• How should students approach negotiations or contracts? Are there any pitfalls they should look out for?

• Anything else you wish you knew before you went through the whole process!

Your final artifact should be a document in PDF, a podcast (SoundCloud or Google Drive), or a YouTube or Vimeo video that discusses the topics above.

Once one group member has posted the guide to his or her blog, then each group member should create a reflection post that references the guide, and answers the following questions:

1. From your experience, what are the most important parts of the guide your group constructed? What do you know now that you wished you new earlier? What is the best advice or guidance you've received?

2. College traditionally has been viewed as a place of learning, not necessarily job training and yet students are spending more and more time preparing for the job interview process. Should colleges adjust their curriculum to face this reality?

   • If so, how would you change the ND CSE program to better prepare students for the workforce?

   • If not, discuss why you don't think changes are needed and how the ND CSE program already supports students.

Option 2: Hidden Figures

For the second option, you are to watch the movie Hidden Figures. After watching the film, provide a group review of the movie in a podcast or video that answers the following questions:

1. Describe what role gender and ethnicity played in the movie. What were the challenges or obstacles faced by the Hidden Figures?

2. Discuss how privilege and societal expectations contributed to these challenges.

3. Discuss the strategies and approaches the Hidden Figures tried to overcome these challenges and whether or not they were successful.

4. What was the final message or theme of the movie? What insight into the challenges of diversity in STEM did the movie provide?

5. Finally, what was your overall impression of the movie? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Your final artifact should be a podcast (SoundCloud or Google Drive) or a YouTube or Vimeo video that discusses the topics above.

Once one group member has posted this artifact to his or her blog, then each group member should create a reflection post that references the artifact, and answers the following questions:

1. Why is it challenging for women and minorities to break into STEM fields? What sort of obstacles do they face? Is this a problem that needs to be addressed or an inevitable reality we should accept?

2. How important are the stories we tell and the way we portray certain groups of people? Growing up, what stories or stereotypes influenced the way you viewed STEM? Were these positive or negative and what impact did they have on you?

Option 3: Immigration

Currently, issues regarding immigration and H-1B visas are all over the news. For instance, here are some articles that have been released since we discussed this issue in class:

• A moderate American Dream

• Realizing Lady Liberty’s dream

• Getting paid to break the law

• DACA parents become flashpoint in negotiations

• 2nd Federal Court Blocks Trump From Rescinding DACA

• Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins on DACA: ‘Pray that our leaders will end the cruel uncertainty’

• Days before SCOTUS meets on DACA petition, new injunction complicates debate

• Study: DACA increased immigrants’ education, labor force participation, and productivity

• New DACA Proposal Doesn’t Promote Key GOP Interests

For this option, you are to do one of the following:

• Write a letter to editor to either the Observer or a newspaper such as South Bend Tribune advocating a position on the issue of immigration (DACA or H-1B visas).

• Write a letter to your government representatives advocating a position on the issue of immigration (DACA or H-1B visas).

After you post your artifact to a group member's blog (and submit it to the appropriate party), each person should write a personal reflection that addresses the following questions:

1. If the technology industry is a meritocracy, then should it matter where employees come from? Should companies be free to hire the best regardless of national origin?

2. Do companies have a moral or ethical obligation to their home country (ie. "America first")? Should nations prioritize the needs of corporations over individual citizens?

Submission

Your project is due at noon on February 24, 2018. Individual reflections should be posted to each student's blog, while the group artifact should be put on a student's blog or a storage site such as Google Drive.

To submit your project, one group member should fill out the following form