Call for Papers

CUSEC 2005: Canadian Undergraduate Software Engineering Conference

"Thinking Outside the Cubicle"
Ottawa, Canada
January 14-16, 2005

Software development is far from an isolated, individual process. Engineers collaborate with project managers, designers, writers, marketers and other engineers to produce solutions to problems with ever-growing complexity. In fact, some methodologies actively encourage programmers to work in pairs to reduce defect rates and to guide the evolution of a project.

Undergraduate students have been taught how to think for themselves; now it is time to teach them how to think together. CUSEC is a student-run conference promoting the Software Engineering field. Since 2002, CUSEC has attracted up to 400 engineering and computer science students per year to Montreal. This year, Carleton University's Software Engineering students are hosting CUSEC in Ottawa, Ontario.

We are seeking proposals for papers, presentations and tutorials addressing the theme of teamwork in Software Engineering. Most of our attendees are undergraduate students with a wide variety of professional and educational experience, from fresh-faced first year students to fourth year students about to graduate with four co-op placements behind them. Our presenters have ranged from professors and industry mentors, to graduate students, researchers and fellow undergraduates. Topics that might be covered include the following:

• Lightweight and heavyweight software processes
• Pair programming
• Source code management and revision control
• Recognizing and implementing best practices
• Collaboration in a distributed environment
• Knowledge management
• Patterns as a common language
• Managing and communicating requirements
• Interpersonal and psychological issues

We are accepting proposals for academic presentations, paper presentations and tutorials. In all cases, please mail an extended abstract (500 words) in text or PDF format to presentations@cusec.ca by Monday, November 15, 2004.

Academic Presentation
Length: 45 minutes
Academic presentations concentrate on the theoretical aspects of Software Engineering. Such presentations are mostly given by graduate students, professors and research groups. They are similar to university lectures.

Paper Presentation
Length: 30 minutes Paper presentations concentrate on a research area within Software Engineering, presenting results and conclusions. A paper presentation is backed by a paper which is published in our proceedings.

Tutorial
Length: 90 minutes
Tutorials bring together theory and practice, featuring an interactive, hands-on approach. Presenters have the opportunity to show attendees a process or methodology complete with examples and discussion.

Important dates:

Abstract submission: Monday, November 15, 2004
Notice of acceptance: Monday, December 6, 2004
Final paper submission: Monday, January 3, 2005 (paper presentations only)

For more information, please contact presentations@cusec.ca or visit our website at http://www.cusec.ca/. We encourage you to subscribe to the periodic newsletter on our website. Thanks for your participation.

Michael Smith
Director of Presentations, CUSEC 2005