计算机科学 & 资讯科技署历史
A journey through the history of the department, from the beginnings with the Math Department to our current-day presence as part of the university.
出身卑微
The 计算机科学 and 信息技术 department began not as a complete department, but as one class in 1970 that was a part of the Math department. 教 博士. George Brotherton, Students learned Fortran IV and worked with the IBM 1401 使用打孔卡. This computer was revolutionary in the business world for being 最早能存储程序的机器之一. (电脑历史博物馆). 不过，它一次只能运行一个程序. 这导致学生只能得到 几次尝试运行他们的程序. 1401使用打孔卡，编号卡 with holes that the computer could read and interpret as instructions. 一张打孔卡 was one line of code, so a programmer would quickly end up with a box full of different 卡片. One of the bigger challenges the early students faced was making sure that their punch 卡片 did not get out of order, if one was to drop their box of 卡片 他们将有一个漫长的夜晚等待着他们.
This initial course was a success, and led to a growth of computer science focused 数学系开设的课程. 1975/76年，第一个辅修计算机 science was added, followed soon in 1979 by the first official computer science major: “计算机科学与信息系统”. 这个项目的第一批毕业生是 在1980年冬季学期. 当时计算机技术正在迅速发展 point, and punch 卡片 were quickly becoming a thing of the past. 最后一堂课 是1981年的IBM汇编班.
With 技术 rapidly growing, the school's hardware had to grow with it. 这是 in the form of the VAX11/780, a 32 bit computer made by Digital Equipment Corporation, 或12月 (ComputerHistory.org). The 32-bit computer had 11 terminals hooked up to it in the classroom, allowing 多个学生在各自的终端上工作. 250kb的机器 能容纳100个用户吗. 在这台机器上工作看起来会很相似 to a DOS prompt, with just a basic keyboard and text on the monitor. 每次按键 had to actually go to the VAX for processing, and then the character would appear 在学生屏幕上. 即使只有250千字节的内存，这台机器 more than capable of handling all the student's needs at the time.
As 技术 moved on, The lab moved to using TRS-80's by the Tandy Corporation for 一次. These were upgraded to IBM 386 computers through a partnership with Dell Corporation 由田纳西州校董会组织. 这些电脑有终端仿真，而且 VAX基本是用它们来教的.
The advent of the IBM PC led to yet another upgrade in the late 1990s. 有多个 PCs made it easier for each student to complete work on a confined set of hardware 这并没有处理任何其他相互冲突的工作. 电脑室进行了调整 to work with this new setup, with one printer for every two PCs. Ms. 史密斯菲尔德, then-lab manager, notes that it wasn't uncommon for students to have to ask the person sitting next to them if it was ok to switch the printer to their PC using a physical 打开打印机.
The open lab had interesting 技术 aside from just the IBM PC's. 分类 as an open lab, they had to have Macintosh machines, leading to a few Mac's being 在实验室的一个区域. 其中一台机器上挂着一个基本的扫描仪， 这是任何一个好的计算机实验室都应该有的. 有一台基本的点阵打印机 was then upgraded to the multiple printers for ever two PC's as previously described. Eventually, this was upgraded to one laser printer hooked to every PC through a network, 就像今天一样.
These advancements in computing meant that the courses had to keep up with the new 技术. Some things were able to stay similar, such as with teaching VAX Basic 即使是在IBM 386机器上. 其他事情，比如使用打孔卡，很快就被淘汰了 当他们变得多余的时候. 编程的基础总是植根于 same ideas of logic, so thankfully there didn't need to be a complete overhaul of 每年的课程. Even so, constantly keeping up with computing trends and overseeing all the Math needs of the university was much for one department to handle, as would 很快就会在2003年出现.
在成长的烦恼中前进
2003年，计算机科学发生了两项重大发展. 第一个重大发展 was the addition of two new concentrations: Internet and Web Technology and Database 政府. The second major development was a split of computer science from the math department, creating the 计算机科学系 and 信息技术. Dr. 迈尔斯被任命为主席. 这次分裂是由当时的总统雪莉·霍普推动的， 谁也帮助该部门获得牵引力并蓬勃发展. Dr. 迈尔斯博士. Vandergriff, Ms. 史密斯菲尔德博士. 贝特曼 是系里最初的教授吗.
这个部门设在克拉克斯顿大楼. 一共有5个办公室， 我的办公室是数学套房的一部分. Dr. 迈尔斯有一个单独的办公室作为主席. There were 2 classrooms, one teaching lab room, and an open computer lab. 最初, the networking lab was just in the back of the teaching lab, but was eventually moved 在克莱门特礼堂下面感谢. Li. 然而，这个新的网络室， 它是少数几个有倾斜地板的房间之一. 总的来说， little space for the growing department, especially with regards to areas for the 学生工作. Graduate students recounted laying in the stairwell and doing their 编程.
Even with a tight area to work with, the department kept growing. 2013年秋天 department got their first Master's Degree program, and a new Networking concentration 2014年新增. 随着业务量的增长，这个部门需要更多的空间. 所以, 梅纳德数学与计算机科学大楼诞生了.
继续向上，进入梅纳德
On August 24, 2011, university president Timothy Hall announced that there would be 一座新的数学和计算机科学大楼. 这个600万美元的项目得到了支付 entirely with University funds, a feat possible because this new building would also house the school's data center, allowing funds from the physical plant to be used 精心打造校园里的新成员 (The All State). Physical Construction on the building began in August 2012, and was completed in 2013年底 (The All State). The department moved into the new building in January 2014, and they have been there 自.
Many tools used in the computer science industry focus on Microsoft-based tools, such 如IDE Visual Studio和Microsoft SQL. 这带来了向windows系统的转变 系统. Joseph Elarde于2014年秋季接任实验室总经理. The department still uses Microsoft Windows as their main operating system working 戴尔一体机. 该部门一直在使用Windows 7，直到2017年秋天 升级到Windows 10.
The academic side of the department saw many advances 自 the transition into Maynard. A minor in Information Assurance and Security was added in Fall 2015, becoming a full 2017年秋季集中. 该系新增了首个计算机硕士学位 科学与定量方法，2016年.
The department has certainly come a long way 自 it's inception as a simple Fortran IV打孔卡课程. 它已经扩展到许多领域，如互联网和网络， networking, and security, expanding so much to require a new building to be built 为数学系和整个系准备的. 有了这么多进步 made and the growing need for new computer scientists, the future is bright for the department of 计算机科学 and 信息技术 at Austin Peay.