Benefits of a CS0 course in liberal arts colleges

Many computer science programs begin their major courses with a course in programming. If the department offers a service course for students not majoring in computer science it is often an applications course that encourages the belief that computer science is knowing how to use a computer skillfully. Courses that provide a broad view of the field of computer science are rare in Midwest small liberal arts colleges. This paper opens an old debate [4, 6] and argues that we do a disservice to computer science majors and non-majors alike by separating the two groups in this way. We make the point that we should offer introductory courses that are appropriate for all students regardless of their intended major. In addition to the arguments that have been proffered in the past, which are well documented in section 7.2 of Computing Curricula 2001 (CC2001) [4], this paper concentrates on two arguments: That doing so can help to attract more students to the discipline, and that a well thought-out broad introductory course can benefit majors and non-majors alike.