stripped_responses.txt

Its embarrassing that the computer science department is shoved in a small corner, and its always so crowded and busy its horrible.  That being said, I absolutely love the community in CSEL. The ability to go in and find tons of different students working on the same thing youre working on and everyone being willing to help out everyone is awesome.   However, the space needs a big upgrade. CSEL is too small for how many people are using it. We dont have enough space, its hard to find CAs because theres too many people to differentiate from, and the furniture is broken and wearing out. CSEL feels like a dungeon. Compared to newer study spaces, like the basement of the renovated Robotics wing on the south west side of the EC, CSEL is lacking. It needs more televisions to connect your computer to, it needs better furniture (more supportive chairs), and could use a refresh of decor and artwork. Its just depressing in there.  The place is very cramped because the department size keeps increasing and students from other majors are also required to take computing classes. There is no space even to navigate the lobby as people set up camps there due to lack of space. Further the furniture situation is only worse. Most of the chairs are broken or are unusuable. The department must seriously consider expanding CSEL, moving to another location and renovating the furniture. The place looks kind of rundown in a way, all the furniture and tables are worn and beat up. It could totally use some new stuff. Also it can be difficult to find certain rooms for recitations and interview grading. I honestly avoid it because of how crowded it gets and it’s a lot quieter in my apartment. If I’m on campus and have a break in between classes it’s the first place I go. Also the name CSEL is fitting, cause it’s got the aesthetic of a dungeon. What happens in CSEL is great and the rooms have a lot of potential but I know lots of people spend tons of time in there and it is not a fun environment to be in. Broken couches and can’t find CA’s very well. It would be nice if there were more tables and chairs organized and every class had a designated table so students could always know where to find help.  Need whiteboard markers and ERASERS Way too cold in the room Windows would be game changing. Also air fresheners or something similar would be nice. I dont go into CSEL unless I absolutely have to. Its horrible. Incredibly cramped, nowhere near enough chairs, markers, outlets, etc. Not to mention it feels like a prison with the lack of windows, old broken furniture, and terrible fluroscent lighting.  There is no sunlight in the CSEL, it feels like a depressing dungeon and is awful for mental health when working on long assignments. Many chairs are missing wheels or broken, some couches are torn or are missing legs. Most outlets are on the ceiling so often times it feels like a jungle of charging cables hanging around the room (safety hazard). The tvs are useless. Theres not enough room for every CS major, but the csel is usually where any TAs hold office hours/grading interviews, and most of my peers in CS meet in the csel to do work so its almost always necessary to be in there. Its a shame that CS is the most rapidly growing engineering career and the tiny portion of the eccr dedicated to us is rundown and outdated. Please remodel it so we can have a more effective college education. It likely wont be finished before I graduate in 2020, but future CS students university-level resources. The condition of the equipment in CSEL is unacceptable. Get rid of the computers and couches—they are a waste of space. Replace all the existing chairs with ergonomic chairs. Add whiteboard surfaces to all walls. Ideally, relocate CSEL to a location with more space and windows. There is plenty of physical space, but it isnt used very well. The furniture is bulky and hard to reorganize -- many students use this area for group/team work, so it would be nice if the layout had more modular furniture, so you could easily add/remove seats or tables from arrangements. Also, the lighting isnt great -- obviously we cant get any natural light, but the changed that were made to the  basement offices and grad student area are wonderful! Can we get lighting like that? The open workspace is nice too, even if it is mostly cubicles.  CSEL is often extremely packed with little room to sit. Sometimes there are too many people for the TA/CA hours in that tiny space so its hard to work in. The wifi signal is also pretty terrible, which is strange seeing as its for COMPUTER SCIENCE. Overall, we need more space. Csel is an amazing resource but can sometimes get cramped and is difficult to navigate for new students. The couches and chairs are falling apart, and any time there is an exam in one of the popular CSCI classes (intro, data structures, etc.), the space becomes unusable due to the number of people seeking help from a CA.  Very useful space, just needs more room for better organization and maybe more hands on tools for students/small groups. (Like projectors or televisions)  All of the chairs are broken. It’s a sweaty windowless dungeon. It seems all CS facilities were a low effort, cheapest option after thought.  At certain times, CSEL is super crowded. As such, tutors are forced to move around and use various methods of telling students where they are. Such ways include, writing the office hours on the whiteboard, using little flags that are almost impossible to read, using paper signs, or try going to places that are less packed. Unfortunately, because of this last fact, many students have had difficulty finding the help they need. The lack of room also makes any sort of studying in this area next to impossible. Given this, I only study there if necessary. Furthermore, the lighting and atmosphere is very poor. We have poor broken furniture mixed in with a few good pieces of furniture, our microwave lives on the floor, some of the computers dont work properly, and it just such a small space that all the furniture takes up most of the room. Also, with the lack of space and poor ventilation, you can feel the sweat and the poor air quality. Additionally, this semester, our heating and air conditioning is very broken. CSEL is either freezing or a total sauna. Given all these things, CSEL is in need of some improvements. There’s never any room . Half the chairs and tables are broken. Always crowded especially in the front hall where CSCI 1300 kids meet. Awful asthetics, there is absolutely no sun light anywhere. There’s no ac in the back room where upper class man students usually go to work. Needs to be more organized and spaced out so upper classmen working on their classes are a little more separate from freshman working on more basic courses. For being one of the larger majors on campus we feel like computer science students get ignored by the campus and deserve more attention and resources  It’s really difficult to find cas and tas especially when you don’t know what they look like. It would be really awesome to have a daily schedule with pictures on one of the TVs or monitors in csel to show each classes ca/ta schedule that day maybe with a small picture of them  Its also known as the dark dungeon of EC.  The way that you find tutors and CAs/TAs is miserable. I have taught as a CA for three semesters, and its completely up to the teachers to agree to a creative solution to assist students in finding you (like Chris Ketelsons Cat in the Hat...hats). There needs to be more seats and tables in CSEL, as how things are now, it cannot support a large group of people (so much so that there is overflow into two subsequent rooms down the hallway- all of which are far less conducive to a productive work environment). CSEL does have an abundance of outlets, however, which seems appropriate for the space ( and that is very nice).   More seats and tables would make that area a win (but it will not make it seem like less of a dungeon without windows/renovations). It’s a decent space but not for the volume of students that go there. It’s also hard to find your CA, teachers have tried to help that by giving them vests, hats, or yellow signs which are helpful. If that computer lab could be made part of CSEL and just have more tables that would be such a nice expansion. Because right now nobody ever uses the computer lab unless it’s for a specific class but not for public use. Part of the experience is fighting the furniture while fighting your code.  Terrible to find the TA or CAs if you dont know them or what they look like. Haven’t been there at all  Small room in a small wing, trying to be used by many people.  The concrete visible in the hall and the damaged furniture dont help with how it looks.  Difficult to find space, and since its totally open it gets loud quick. CSEL never has enough seating for students, and the area is extremely cramped. There’s no windows so it feels like a dungeon, and makes me want to avoid the area although I can find valuable help there. You can never establish TA/LAs with the rest because they sit in random areas and half of them don’t have signs saying what class they’re for. It’s always extremely loud to the point that I can’t hear the LAs and CAs that I’m sitting next to. CSEL is a great concept. I love the idea of the Comp. Sci. students coming together and being collaborative, but it needs major renovation. I put I only spend 1-2 hours a week in there (and that is maximum) because The space is so cramped and miserable. Things are falling apart in there (couches, tables, outlets, etc.) and I think that needs to be fixed at a minimum. I am a 4th year student, so even if CSEL is re-done I dont imagine Id get to use it, but I want this it redone for younger and incoming students. I put a 2 on the amount of resources because there is generally enough stuff (could be more), but they are all unreachable. White boards in 112 are blocked by TA/CA help sessions and the giant one in CSEL is so dirty it is hard to even write on. Ive sat on the floor numerous times to listen to an Assistant go over a homework problem. Space is really the biggest issue. The department is growing, but there is not space for all of us in those two rooms. Perhaps tear down the middle conference and class room to make one big updated space? Please please update CSEL in some way... Its really not a fun place to study and collaborate, which is the whole point. Most of the furniture is garbage. There arent enough chairs or tables. The old disgusting couches need to go. The whiteboards near the entrance need to be fixed. The microwave should be replaced and/or moved to the counter in the TA csel area. It would be nice if there were pull down extension cords like they have in the idea forge for plugs. It feels dangerous to have power bricks hanging in the air only by the friction of the plug in the outlet. If the walls of eces 112 could be knocked down and made csel into one giant room that would be best. People tend not to use the classroom with the computers because the computers are broken so often. I have worked as a Course Assistant for various CS classes since Spring of 2017, and I think a major issue is that all the different parts of CSEL are not always clearly marked. I think it might help students—especially newer ones—find where tutors and CAs are more easily if there were large signs that said both the official room number and also maybe some of the common colloquial terms that people use. (e.g., the big room).  It also might be helpful if there could be a way for CAs to reserve tables or something for their office hours. It isnt necessarily practical to hold office hours in non-CSEL locations, since many students want to get help with multiple classes at once, and it can be a hassle for everyone when a CA cant hold office hours where they said they would because students not there for office hours are hogging all of the tables. During normal hours its fine, but at maximum capacity theres not nearly enough space. People are often lining the floors in the hall. I dont really know about any of this.  Were CS majors, we need places to put our laptops and plug them in. Couches are nice sure, but not for working on them. Is it a lounge or a lab to work in? I’ve never used CSEL before! Probably the worst place to study/go to office hours. Environment is just terrible I used the space one semester for a class a few years ago.  Get some markers for the whiteboard and tie them to something so people dont steal them As one of the largest majors on campus we should be able to have an environment that is better Just to let you know, Ive never been in the room so probably disregard everything above While I am grateful that CSEL even exists, my biggest issue is how incredibly cold it is inside CSEL.  I am a disabled veteran and when I go in there, I feel my hands cramp up with arthritis.   It needs improvements. The study space is terrible as well as the lighting and it is not on par with the rest of the engineering center.  The Woz Lab is a storage room. I rest my case All of the furniture is broken and terribly maintained. Also there is usually trash laying around all the time. Also, there are not enough outlets. Nobody ever uses any of the workstations. Especially in the classroom attached to CSEL with all of the workstations, I have literally never seen anyone using them.  Its too packed, cant tell the difference between students and ta/la CSEL is, frankly, a place I avoid going at all costs. Its stuffy, cramped, and there are so many other good study spots in or near the engineering center. I wish CSEL was nicer, because its really centralized for all my CS friends.  Too crowded and sometimes its difficult to find the ta/la in CSEL.  The CSEL is the best place to work on HW because 90% of the time you go there and with out any planning other people from your class are already there and you can work together. It gets a little cramped during like peak hours but honestly its usually fine. CSEL feels like a dump and the school just shoves all the csci students into a corner hallway even though were the fastest growing major. Ive spent a lot of time there working with cas and friends, but CSEL is a soul sucking place to be. I answered as I use CSEL now, I used to study there a lot more, but found that there were much better study areas on campus, and, since I dont have any classes this semester where office hours are in CSEL, I avoid it.  At least last spring, when I was in CSEL more often, I found a lot of the chairs were broken, the office hours I went to had a ton of people there (the poor CAs), and in general was loud/crowded and overwhelming to try and study in. Cluttered and not big enough for a major that just keeps growing and growing.  CSEL suffers from the problem of inconsistent usage. If every day in CSEL saw roughly the same number of students, then the space available and the navigation thereof would be not as bad, although still probably insufficient. However, on days when its really slammed (the end of the week, when homeworks are due) navigating and finding space is a shitshow.  Some of the resources are plentiful (whiteboard space is fine since its not used excessively, theres enough outlets to go around) but there is a dearth of others (theres never any markers or erasers, and the ones that are there go missing in short order; when CSEL is packed, theres not enough chairs to go around.) I think the space is definitely too small for the amount of people there. There are not enough tables for anyone and I don’t think couches are the best seating. We need more desk space. In addition because there are so many people and no designated place for TA/CAs no one can find the help they are looking for.  Chairs are broken. Make established locations for specific classes.  We need better air circulation, lighting, furniture, computers that work, signs for tutors, space, and windows would be nice.  There arent a whole lot of outlets compared to the amount of students that are in there at peak times. Although thats not a big issue because most students have laptops. The furniture is not particularly great because every seat should have some sort of table, but there are couches without tables and that promotes really bad posture when working on a laptop. More space would be amazing because it gets stuffy and smelly when there are a lot of people in there. I havent actually used CSEL for anything in a while, so maybe its different now, but those were some reasons why I didnt like going there. I barely know what the CSEL is and don’t know how to utilize it or what it offers CSEL is terrible!!!!!!! It would be nice if there was more space and if it was a bit more organized. It was fine last year, but I feel like more and more people are using it this year, and there is usually very little space. It might also be nice if some people held office hours in other parts of the engineering center. CSEL is literally so bad, for the amount of students there are the place is garbage. The place is old, it smells, everything is destroyed.  It is very crowded all the time and it is frequently next to impossible to find the TA/CA you are looking for. Needs more routine cleaning. Computers are old, printer not really working, air condition not good, should spend more money for engineering students CSEL is a really beneficial space for the CS department here at CU, however it is often cramped, disorganized, and dirty. I would like to see some effort towards renovating the space; specific ideas include: getting new whiteboards/dry erase markers, replacing seating as needed (would be nicer if things were consistent), rethinking layout of CSEL to better use the space (this includes possibly removing preexisting furniture), improving existing computer workstations/ensuring functionality, adding *significantly* more ethernet/power outlets (no more cords dangling from the ceiling!), setting up online reservation system for existing private workspaces, setting up dedicated cleaning schedule/service, improving CSEL online service (i.e. improve CS student access to personal websites, improve CSEL website, etc). I would be interested in helping with this - dysa4004@colorado.edu. having some of the tutors/TAs in the other room on the other side of the computer lab is frustrating. It would be easier to find them if CSEL was a single room, or better divided as a defined work space and a defined TA space. CSEL is like a dungeon: there is no natural light, the few chairs we have are nearly broken, and there is not nearly enough space for the amount of people in there. Speaking as someone who has been both a TA and a student seeking help, it is almost impossible to get your own space to work. This makes it difficult for students to find their TAs, which discourages them from coming to office hours. There were many times where I had a large number of students sitting on the floor because there was no other place for them (and no chairs). The atmosphere is completely uninviting to newcomers and beginners, who often need the most help. With a better space, a lot more students would be willing to come seek help, thus improving their performance and the success of the program as a whole. 50% of the office chairs are broken in some way. It would also be ideal to get some more space. Also, it is rather... cold in there. The couches are in decent shape. Also, I recommend removing the desktop computers, as they are unused. I think CSEL is an awesome resource, but it can definitely get crowded. This does make it more difficult to find CAs/TAs or even find a seat or spot at a table sometimes. It would be nice to have more whiteboards. Either by removing TVs (which no one uses) or adding the roll-around free standing ones. The couches are a waste of space and falling apart. I feel that it would be much nicer to just have rows of tables where people could collaborate easier as well as have room to write in a notebook. I only used it freshmen year, and man was it a rough year. Its not that theres actually a lack of space, theres a lack of perceived space. similar to how the entrances were re-designed/lighted, this space could use some help.  Its usually really hard to actually find the person you are looking for, especially in the beginning of the semester when you dont know what they look like. Also, sometimes it seems more like a social space which can make it hard to focus.  I only used the CSEL when I needed to go to office hours for a computer science class. I dont love the feel of any of the spaces in the Engineering building, I much prefer working in ATLAS. CSEL : Workspaces :: Sewage : Oceans To be honest CSEL is kind of depressing, it is definitely super valuable as a resource for csci help but that just means that I am going to spend hours per week in a place with no windows and harsh lighting. Being able to see outside is a really big deal for productivity for me. Every time I go into CSEL it is very busy and cramped. I cant find a spot to work and it is impossible to find the CA or TA I was looking for.  I try to avoid CSEL as much as I can.  Even when I was a CA, I refused to hold my office hours anywhere near there.  I held them in the idea forge because it was a far more open and positive place to work.    CSEL has a very negative and toxic atmosphere.  Part of that is a demographic issue within computer science beyond the scope of this questionnaire.  However, there is a clear demographic difference between the people I see in CSEL and those that I encounter in my courses as a whole.  Because CSEL is such a dreary place, there are two main groups of people that spend time there.  The first are CAs/TAs holding hours and the people that go to them for help.  That group of people is fine.  It is sometimes difficult to find a space near your CA/TA but that can be solved by redoing the floor plan or just moving to an entirely new space.  The other group is the problem.    It often feels as though the rest of the people that are in CSEL are those that like being there.  These people are very intense and passionate about the work that they do.  That isnt an inherently bad thing.  The problem is that computer science has struggled to be an accepting place for minorities.  As CS students, we also seem to be a few years behind the curve when it comes to social interactions.  The combination of these factors causes a problem.  CSEL is not a good place.  Most people that are not incredibly intense try to avoid it.  The more intense people in CS are, the more often they are toxic and unaccepting of others.  This causes CSEL to be a cesspool of negativity which creates a poor work environment and reflects poorly on the major as a whole.  I cant completely fault the room for the time that I saw some guy yelling at a freshman girl for not knowing how many bits a char needs in memory while implying that women are worse at CS than men.  On the other hand, overt aggression and sexism of that nature does not occur with nearly as much frequency outside of this space.  While it still exists, the room somehow manages to make it worse.  The idea of CSEL isnt intrinsically flawed.  Computer science is a massive field full of completely unrelated problems to solve and required skillsets.  One of the best aspects of it is that people can have wildly different strengths yet still work together to help one another.  Even though they have different strengths and interests, they still can both be great computer scientists.  That creates incredible opportunity for people to learn from and about others.  Having a space where CS students can work collectively and help each other is not an intrinsically bad idea.  Unfortunately, its current iteration is. Feels like a prison, theres no natural light. All the chairs and couches are broken, theres not enough charging outlets