SIGCSE and diversity: Some success and a challengeAMBER SET TLE
IRELAND ACM SIGCSE CHAPTER LAUNCH
DECEMBER 11, 2019
ACM and its SIGs
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)Since 1947
37 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in total
Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques
(SIGGRAPH)Since 1969
Human-Computer Interaction (SIGCHI)
Since 1982
Computer Science Education (SIGCSE)
Since 1968
SIGCSE
SIGCSE Board
Conferences
Conference volunteers
Volunteers for affiliated events
Volunteers for other SIGCSE
events/activities
My roles: • SIGCSE Board since
2010• At-large• Treasurer• Chair• Past chair
• ITiCSE conference committee in 2013
• Currently on ITiCSEsteering committee
Third-largest SIG with ~2700 members
Members from nearly 100 countries
SIGCSE Conferences
Symposium
• Since 1970• North
America• Largest by far
(nearly 2000)
ITiCSE
• Since 1996• Europe• With ACM-
Europe and Informatics Europe
CompEd
• Since 2019• Every other
year• Underserved
areas
ICER
• Since 2005• North
America –Europe –Oceania
• Research only
Other SIGCSE activitiesGrants
• Special Projects
• Travel Grant• Speaker’s
Fund
Chapters
• Australasia• China• India• Ireland• Jataí (Brazil)• NWMSU (USA)• UK
Publications
• SIGCSE Bulletin
• ACM Inroads• Several
listservs• Social media
accounts
Other events
• Doctoral consortia
• Department Chairs Roundtable
• New Educators’ Workshop
ACM and its SIGs
ACMSIGs (through the
SIG Governing Board)
SIG chair
SIG Board SIG volunteers
Measuring success
Size
• Membership• Conference
attendance• Readership
Financial
• Membership• Conference
attendance• Digital Library
Societal
• Political• Educational• Public opinion• Environmental
Diversity
• Membership• Conference
attendance• Volunteer
population
Types of diversityCultural
Racial
Age
Sex/gender
Disability
Geography
Socioeconomic status
SIGCSE and diversity
• Membership• Elected
Boards• Awards• Conference
chairs
Success: Gender
• Membership• Elected
Boards• Awards• Conference
attendance
Challenge: Geography
SIGCSE and gender: Some numbersSIG Male Female Not specified Size
SIGACCESS 58.33% 37.28% 37.28% 228
SIGACT 85.39% 7.08% 7.53% 1116
SIGARCH 80.77% 8.93% 10.30% 1321
SIGCAS 66.77% 26.65% 6.58% 319
SIGCHI 50.24% 24.83% 24.92% 3471
SIGCSE 57.53% 25.29% 17.18% 2724
SIGDOC 53.97% 38.89% 7.14% 126
SIGGRAPH 53.02% 8.89% 37.19% 7209
SIGMIS 70.31% 19.53% 10.16% 290
SIGITE 66.56% 24.83% 8.61% 302
SIGUCCS 56.82% 34.82% 8.36% 359
SIGCSE and gender: Some numbersSIGCSE Board (since 1997)
Years Female Male
2019 - 2022 4 4
2016 - 2019 7 1
2013 - 2016 7 1
2010 - 2013 5 3
2007 - 2010 5 3
2004 - 2007 5 3
2001 - 2004 5 3
1999 - 2001 4 4
1997 - 1999 4 4
All 46 (64%) 26 (36%)
SIGCSE and gender: Some numbersSIGCSE conference chairs
Conference Male Female Years
Symposium 21 (51%) 20 (49%) 1997 -2020
ITiCSE 27 (66%) 14 (34%) 1996 -2020
ICER 20 (74%) 7 (26%) 2005 -2020
CompEd 1 (50%) 1 (50%) 2019
SIGCSE awards (since 1997)
Award Male Female
Contribution to Computer
Science Education
20 (80%) 5 (20%)
Lifetime Service to Computer
Science Education
Community
24 (62%) 9 (38%)
SIGCSE and gender: Summary
Successes•Membership•Board representation•Symposium leadership
Challenges•Awards•Research community leadership
SIGCSE and gender: Strategies
Policies/practices• Male/female co-chair pairs for Symposium• All candidates for a particular Board position of the
same gender
Action
• Nomination of female candidates for Board positions• Nomination of female candidates for awards• Nomination of female candidates for conference
leadership
Awareness • Election of female candidates over male candidates for Board positions
SIGCSE and geography: Some numbersACM professional membership by continent
Continent # %
North America 39614 55.47
North American (w/o
USA)3076 4.31
Asia 16086 22.52
Europe 12031 16.85
Oceania 1609 2.25
South America 1534 2.15
Africa 542 0.76
SIGCSE membership by continent
Continent %
North America 84
North America (w/o USA) 3
Asia 4
Europe 10
Oceania ~1
South America ~1
Africa < 1
SIGCSE and geography: Some numbersAverage SIGCSE membership 2010 - 2018
Country # %
USA 2110.7 80.87
Canada 73.3 2.81
United Kingdom 53.1 2.03
Australia 41.4 1.59
Germany 28.6 1.09
Japan 21.6 0.83
Spain 17.4 0.67
Sweden 17.4 0.67
New Zealand 12.8 0.49
Israel 12.2 0.47
Average SIGCSE membership 2010 - 2018
Country # %
India 11.7 0.45
Netherlands 10.3 0.40
Finland 10.2 0.39
China 9.3 0.36
Italy 9.1 0.35
Switzerland 9.0 0.34
Mexico 8.3 0.32
Ireland 7.6 0.29
Norway 7.0 0.27
South Africa 7.0 0.27
SIGCSE and geography: Some numbersSIGCSE Board (since 1997)
Years USA Outside USA
2019 - 2022 7 1
2016 - 2019 6 2
2013 - 2016 7 1
2010 - 2013 8 0
2007 - 2010 7 1
2004 - 2007 6 2
2001 - 2004 7 1
1999 - 2001 7 1
1997 - 1999 7 1
All 62 (86%) 10 (14%)
SIGCSE and geography: Some numbersSIGCSE Awards (since 1997)
Award USA Outside USA
Contribution to Computer Science Education 17 (68%) 8 (32%)
Lifetime Service to ComputerScience Education Community 20 (83%) 4 (17%)
SIGCSE Conferences
Symposium
• Since 1970• North
America• Largest by far
(nearly 2000)
ITiCSE
• Since 1996• Europe• With ACM-
Europe and Informatics Europe
CompEd
• Since 2019• Every other
year• Underserved
areas
ICER
• Since 2005• North
America –Europe –Australasia
• Research only
SIGCSE and geography: Some numbersSymposium attendance by continent, 2010 - 2018
SIGCSE and geography: Some numbersSymposium attendance excluding the USA, 2010 - 2018
SIGCSE and geography: Some numbersAll Symposium publications 2010 - 2018
Country % of contributions
USA 86.8
Canada 3.1
UK 1.4
Australia 1.1
All other countries 7.6
SIGCSE and geography: Some numbersAll Symposium papers 2010 - 2018
Country % of contributions
USA 79.1
Canada 4.7
UK 2.3
Finland 1.8
Australia 1.7
New Zealand 1.3
Germany 1.1
Brazil 1.1
All other countries 7.0
Non-paper Symposium publications 2010 - 2018
Country % of contributions
USA 92.90
Canada 1.90
All other countries 5.20
SIGCSE and geography: Summary
Successes
• Award for Contributions to Computer Science Education
• Board representation (informal practice helps)
Challenges
• Membership• Board representation• Conference attendance• Symposium leadership
SIGCSE and geography: Strategies
Policies/practices• All candidates for a particular Board position from
outside the USA• Rubrics for grants that prioritize geography
Action
• Nomination of non-USA candidates for Board positions
• Conferences held outside North America• Nomination of non-USA candidates for Symposium
leadership
SIGCSE and geography: What can we do better?How many of you are SIGCSE members?◦ Why?◦ Why not?
How many of you have attended the SIGCSE Technical Symposium?◦ Why?◦ Why not?
What would raise SIGCSE’s profile in Europe?
What would raise SIGCSE’s profile in Ireland?
ThanksMy thanks to my collaborators on the Symposium participation project◦ Brett Becker◦ Andrew Luxton-Reilly◦ Briana Morrison◦ Cary Laxer
Congratulations on the new SIGCSE chapter!
Contact me anytime with ideas, questions, etc.◦ [email protected]◦ @settle_amber◦ Facebook: Amber Settle◦ http://facweb.cdm.depaul.edu/asettle/