Newsletter CIS Computer & Information Sciences Department 2011 - 2012 9th Issue A Word from CIS Chairperson Dr. Manal Farrag Computer & Information Sciences, Chairperson I feel very honored to write the introductory word for the 9th issue of the CIS Newsletter. As we are coming towards the end of a fruitful academic year 2012, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all my dear students, especially those who represented the CIS department and Prince Sultan University in many events and showed outstanding performance. Then, I would like to thank my respected colleagues in the Computer and Information Sciences Department for their hard work and dedication. Their great contributions in improving the department will help us in achieving a pioneering role in the area of education. Last but not least, I would like to thank the PSCW management, especially Dr. Noura Aba Al-Khail, Dean of College for Women, and Dr. Mariam Al-Oraifi, Vice Dean, Academic Affairs and Scientific Research for always supporting and encouraging me to add value to the CIS department. Inside Overview of the CCIS & CIS 3 Announcements 5 11 8 Technology Enhancements Visits Achievers of CIS CIS Clubs’ Activities Reference Information 12 17 22
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Newsletter
CIS
Computer & Information
Sciences Department
2011 - 2012 9th Issue
A Word from CIS Chairperson
Dr. Manal Farrag
Computer & Information Sciences,
Chairperson
I feel very honored to write the introductory word for the 9th issue of
the CIS Newsletter. As we are coming towards the end of a fruitful
academic year 2012, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all my
dear students, especially those who represented the CIS department and
Prince Sultan University in many events and showed outstanding
performance.
Then, I would like to thank my respected colleagues in the Computer
and Information Sciences Department for their hard work and
dedication. Their great contributions in improving the department will
help us in achieving a pioneering role in the area of education.
Last but not least, I would like to thank the PSCW management,
especially Dr. Noura Aba Al-Khail, Dean of College for Women, and Dr.
Mariam Al-Oraifi, Vice Dean, Academic Affairs and Scientific Research
for always supporting and encouraging me to add value to the CIS
department.
Inside
Overview of the CCIS & CIS
3
Announcements
5
11
8 Technology Enhancements
Visits
Achievers of CIS
CIS Clubs’ Activities
Reference Information
12
17
22
You Can Make a
Difference: Choose to Be
Positive
By: Dr. Manal Farrag
Computer & Information Sciences, Chairperson
You can choose to be either negative or positive in
your life. The CIS Department is targeting excellence
in education with high quality. Therefore, students
and faculty are encouraged to add value, share their
knowledge, and try to help wherever and whenever it
is possible. Competence, innovation, and success are
the three pillars of the CIS department. The rule that
the department is trying to follow is "if you can add
value, then be creative and start implementing your
ideas immediately".
Everyone is encouraged to be positive. A positive
attitude is contagious. Don't wait to catch it from
others, be a carrier and pass it on. When knowledge is
shared; it is not halved but doubled.
"A boat builder decided to retire to spend more time
with his family. His employer said that he would be
sad to see him go, and requested that he build one last
boat. The boat builder reluctantly agreed and rushed
to complete a six-birth cruiser to the luxury standard
specified. The workmanship was poor and the finish
was below standard. On the day the boat builder was
due to complete his work, his employer arrived. The
employer handed the key to the boat builder saying,
“This is my gift to you!” The boat builder was shocked.
He thought, "If I had known this was for me I would
have built the boat perfectly." Now he was not sure if
he even wanted this gift.”
We do the same in life. We sometimes do not give
ourselves, our families, and our work the best effort
and seem disappointed with our situation when we
realize we could have done it differently.
Life is so short. Let us help each other, students
and faculty, in spreading this atmosphere of acting
positively in life with Allah’s satisfaction as our
ultimate goal. We can achieve success if we change our
perspective by being the best that we can be while
bringing out the best in others.
CIS Newsletter 9th Issue: 2011 - 2012
2
Start with a smile and be optimistic and if you
think you don't make a difference in this world,
remember, one raindrop raises the ocean. There are
nine requisites for contented living:
HEALTH, enough to make work a pleasure;
WEALTH, enough to support your needs;
STRENGTH, enough to battle with difficulties and
forsake them; GRACE, enough to confess your sins
and overcome them; PATIENCE, enough to toil until
some good is accomplished; CHARITY, enough to see
the good in your neighbor; LOVE, enough to move you
to be useful and helpful to others; FAITH, enough to
make real the things of God; HOPE, enough to remove
anxious fears towards the future. - Johann Wolfgang
von Goethe
Last tip: “Put your heart, mind, and soul into even
your smallest acts. This is the secret of success”.
This has been a great year for the CIS
department and its newsletter. There have
been numerous projects and various
competitions, in which several of my
colleagues as well as myself participated. I
would like to take the chance to congratulate
all my colleagues who won. I also hope others
who didn’t win wouldn’t give up and try
harder next time. I am so proud to be part of
such community of positive thinking and
hardworking people. I would also like to
thank our faculty members who keep us
updated and informed as well as encourage
us to expand our knowledge and our expertise
by participating in distinguished events.
To my colleagues who didn’t get a
chance to participate in much this year, I
strongly encourage you to do so. The feeling
of being recognized for your hard work is
simply exquisite, let alone how it will benefit
you in the future.
A Word from Student Editor
Lamis AbuSaleh
Overview of the CCIS & CIS Programs
CS Program Mission
Provide high quality, up-to-date
computing education to prepare top
quality graduates for the job market.
Contribute positively to the discipline
through solid, constructive research
and development.
Serve community needs.
Provide an educational environment
that promotes innovative thinking,
ethical behavior, and prepare students
for continued life-long learning.
IS Program Mission
Provide highly qualified graduates who
are capable of fulfilling IT careers in
business, industry, and government,
and capable of pursuing further
graduate studies in well-recognized
academic institutions.
This comes through providing students
with integrated technical and
theoretical knowledge and skills in
information technology, systems
development, and IS environment.
Provide students with an academic
environment committed to excellence
and innovation that contributes to
improving their intellectual and
communication capabilities and skills
and contribute to developing leadership,
professionalism, and life-long learning.
3
CIS Newsletter 9th Issue: 2011 - 2012
CS Career Opportunities IS Career Opportunities
4
5
The new revised IS curriculum would be implemented from September 2012. It has been designed with
the aim to give the IS student the necessary experience through real application, development, and practical
training.
IS Core and Elective Program Requirements (62 credits): IS Core Courses (36 credits), Business Courses
(15 Credits) & Communication Skills (2 Credits)
The credits for the core courses offered in the program has been revised from 21 to 36 and the new courses
included are Internet Technologies and Services, Visual Programming, Web Design & Programming,
Web-Based Systems Development & Information Systems Security.
The elective courses provide students with an opportunity to select one of the three specialized options
specified below. However, a student who chooses not to go for a specialized option can take any three elective
courses of the following list with a minimum total of 9 credit hours (i.e., General Systems Track).
General Systems Track
Specialized Systems Track
Option 1: Data and Knowledge Management.
Option 2: Web Applications Development.
Option 3: Systems Design and Development.
Announcements
Announcing the New Revised IS Curriculum
Starting from September 2012 new attractive focused BS programs with a good potential in KSA
will be offered.
BS in Computer Science (Digital Media)
BS in Information Systems (E-Commerce)
Because the proposed programs are focused versions of our existing CS & IS program, they still
maintain the main core that enable graduates to pursue classical careers and work in areas where any
traditional graduate can work. In addition, the graduates of the new programs will be more market-
ready and accordingly more suitable for specialized jobs. The graduates of these programs are also
expected to be innovative problem solvers and opportunity creators.
New Tracks in CCIS and CIS
6
Announcements
MUST TO DO for CIS Students
1. Attend the classes in the first week of semester as you are marked absent in week 1 if you skip the classes.
2. Attend the students’ orientation session in the start of each semester.
3. Carefully read and understand the DN policy.
4. Try to conduct all quizzes and major exams, as there is no makeup exams according to the new policy
(except for the cases mentioned below).
5. Convey your concern or problems to the department chair as she has an open door policy for all students.
Are you facing any problem?
Do you have certain expectations from CIS Department?
The CIS Department is in the process of achieving quality in the area of
“Teaching & Learning”.
Help us improve the quality of our program. We need new
ideas and suggestions. You can contribute in improving your
department. Students are advised to submit their written suggestions, ideas, and
One of the most interesting and original events that was organized
and successfully done by IEEE team was the Inter quiz Competition.
The event was held on February 29th, 2012, and was attended by
PSU/CW Dean Dr. Nora Aba Alkhail, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs
and Scientific Research Dr. Mariam Al Oraifi, CIS department’s
faculties, and PSU students. The participants were 20 computer
science and information systems students from different levels
(seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen) who were grouped in five
teams: Smash, Alphas, Cyber Crew, Coldplay, and PSU Brilliants.
The competition consisted of three rounds. The questions in each
round were based on general knowledge alongside technology aspects.
At the end of the event, the first three teams -Smash, Alphas, Cyber
Crew- who answered most questions correctly and earned most points
got medals, which were distributed by Dr. Nora. The team who won the
first place –Smash- won also the inter quiz trophy shown here.
Certificates of participation were distributed to all participants to
appreciate their enthusiasm and excitement.
The event got very positive
feedbacks as it was very
informative, exciting, and the
first of its kind. As Dr. Mariam
Al Oraifi said: “It was a good
team work from CIS faculty and
students. Well organized.
Reflective of the CIS hard work
and innovative attempts to
involve PSCW in their interests
and CIS endeavors.” IEEE club
is thinking of repeating this
successful experience and also it
plans to do similar competition
on a higher level between
universities in Saudi Arabia.
Inter Quiz Competition
21
For the first time in the world, a girls‐only video gaming convention will take place in Prince Sultan University’s college for women campus on the 11th and 12th of April. An event that is long anticipated from the population of female gamers aimed at advocating the culture of video game development and professional gaming, GCON as‐pires to inspire as many potential female developers in the region, paving way towards having a subtle game de‐velopment industry and a proper academia resourcing.
The event will sponsor a bundle of activities, commencing with a workshop hosting a group of sessions with a vari‐ety of topics (from introducing development on a 3D engine, to an ADHD in gaming insightful session). The event will include numerous gaming tournaments with different games (including the aim‐and‐shoot genre, racing and others), alongside a high quality exhibition from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and In‐Motion‐Club (a gym that imple‐ments Exergaming – exercise via gaming), all of the four will put out their latest technologies and games to the public. Moreover a variety of other activities exist, from a cosplay competition (costume competition aimed at the enthusiastic actresses) to a corner for artists to express their impressions of the event.
The idea of the event was seeded at the IEEE Student Branch under the supervision of Mrs. Salma Idris and Mrs. Hajira Rizwana, from there on three students took over the mission of flourishing the idea into a tangible out‐come. As the event is not preceded by any alike, it has received nothing but celebration and enthusiasm from
females in the region, and its organizers plan to have it annually.
CI S I nter Qui z Compet i t i on
One of the most interesting and original events that was
organized and successfully done by IEEE team is the Inter
quiz Competition. The event was held on February 29th,
2012, and was attended by PSU/CW Dean Dr. Nora Aba
Alkhail, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs and Scientific Re‐
search Dr. Mariam Al Oraifi, CIS department’s faculties,
and PSU students. The participants were 20 computer
science and information systems students from different
levels (seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen) who were grouped in
five teams: Smash, Alphas, Cyber Crew, Coldplay, and PSU Brilliants. The
competition consisted of three rounds. The questions in each round were
based on general knowledge alongside technology aspects. At the end of the
event, the first three teams ‐Smash, Alphas, Cyber Crew‐ who answered
most questions correctly and earned most points got medals which were
distributed by Dr. Nora. The team who won the first place –Smash‐ won also
the inter quiz trophy shown here. Certificates of participation were distrib‐
uted to all participants to appreciate their enthusiasm and excitement. The
event got very positive feedbacks as it was very informative, exiting, and
the first of its kind. As Dr. Mariam Al Oraifi said: “It was a good Team Work
from CIS Faculty and Students. Well organized. Reflective of the CIS Hard
Work and innovative attempts to involve PSCW in their interests and CIS
endeavors.” IEEE is thinking of repeating this successful experience and
also it plans to do similar competition on a higher level between universities
in Saudi Arabia.
First Prize Winners
Compe on Trophy
First Prize Winners
21
For the first time in the world, a girls‐only video gaming convention will take place in Prince Sultan University’s college for women campus on the 11th and 12th of April. An event that is long anticipated from the population of female gamers aimed at advocating the culture of video game development and professional gaming, GCON as‐pires to inspire as many potential female developers in the region, paving way towards having a subtle game de‐velopment industry and a proper academia resourcing.
The event will sponsor a bundle of activities, commencing with a workshop hosting a group of sessions with a vari‐ety of topics (from introducing development on a 3D engine, to an ADHD in gaming insightful session). The event will include numerous gaming tournaments with different games (including the aim‐and‐shoot genre, racing and others), alongside a high quality exhibition from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and In‐Motion‐Club (a gym that imple‐
ments Exergaming – exercise via gaming), all of the four will put out their latest technologies and games to the public. Moreover a variety of other activities exist, from a cosplay competition (costume competition aimed at the enthusiastic actresses) to a corner for artists to express their impressions of the event.
The idea of the event was seeded at the IEEE Student Branch under the supervision of Mrs. Salma Idris and Mrs. Hajira Rizwana, from there on three students took over the mission of flourishing the idea into a tangible out‐come. As the event is not preceded by any alike, it has received nothing but celebration and enthusiasm from
females in the region, and its organizers plan to have it annually.
CI S I nter Qui z Compet i t i on
One of the most interesting and original events that was
organized and successfully done by IEEE team is the Inter
quiz Competition. The event was held on February 29th,
2012, and was attended by PSU/CW Dean Dr. Nora Aba
Alkhail, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs and Scientific Re‐
search Dr. Mariam Al Oraifi, CIS department’s faculties,
and PSU students. The participants were 20 computer
science and information systems students from different
levels (seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen) who were grouped in
five teams: Smash, Alphas, Cyber Crew, Coldplay, and PSU Brilliants. The
competition consisted of three rounds. The questions in each round were
based on general knowledge alongside technology aspects. At the end of the
event, the first three teams ‐Smash, Alphas, Cyber Crew‐ who answered
most questions correctly and earned most points got medals which were
distributed by Dr. Nora. The team who won the first place –Smash‐ won also
the inter quiz trophy shown here. Certificates of participation were distrib‐
uted to all participants to appreciate their enthusiasm and excitement. The
event got very positive feedbacks as it was very informative, exiting, and
the first of its kind. As Dr. Mariam Al Oraifi said: “It was a good Team Work
from CIS Faculty and Students. Well organized. Reflective of the CIS Hard
Work and innovative attempts to involve PSCW in their interests and CIS
endeavors.” IEEE is thinking of repeating this successful experience and
also it plans to do similar competition on a higher level between universities