April 11, 2003

Dear Graduating Senior:

Before long all your hard work toward a bachelor of science degree in Computer Science from Kent State University will become a reality. The Department of Computer Science has been delighted to have you as one of its students and wishes you success in your future endeavors and career. We are sure that your experience at Kent State will be to your benefit and that compared to many universities across the country, you are among the best.

One way of measuring your accomplishments is conducted by the university’s Office of Academic Assessment. This office of the university is responsible for assessing the academic achievement of majors in their areas of study. In cooperation with the various departments at Kent State University, the Office of Academic Assessment administers the Major Field Test developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to assess the academic achievements of students in their chosen disciplines. The Department of Computer Science is proud to be an integral part of this assessment process as it is to the advantage to its graduating seniors. The test compares the scores earned by one graduating class to previous ones, as well as comparing scores to those earned by students at other universities. The score you earn can also become part of your résumé. The test also helps the Department of Computer Science to demonstrate the success of its students and to attract outstanding students and faculty to the department. The more outstanding the reputation of our department, the better are your chances for exceptional career possibilities. Companies and organizations are always looking for first-rate employees from highly regarded schools.

There are no specific guidelines set forth by ETS to prepare you for the written test – it is solely a yardstick of your accomplishments in the field of computer science. It will measure your mastery of concepts, principles, and knowledge over the course of your computer-science studies at Kent State. You may not use books, calculators, or other test-taking aids during the test.

This academic year the Major Field Test in Computer Science will be given to graduating computer science majors on Friday, April 25 from 3:15 to 5:30 pm. The test will be administered in Room 228 of the Mathematics and Computer Science Building. The department looks forward to seeing you there.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. Once again, congratulations on your accomplishments and the best of luck of to you on a promising career.

Yours sincerely,

C. C. Lu, Curriculum Coordinator