Get Involved

When you’re a student in Computer Science, you never have to be alone; that is, unless you really want to, but we don’t recommend it. You will have more fun participating in one of the amazing organizations on campus or volunteering at a department or campus event.

Join a Student Group

Joining a student group on campus has many benefits. Student groups help you connect with other students on campus that share similar interests. Groups organize social events, manage fundraisers, create industry partnerships, and offer services to students. It's a great way to get involved and have a positive impact on your community.

The CSSS is a student run group that offers various services and events for Computer Science undergraduate students on campus. We encourage all students to purchase a membership!

What the CSSS offers:

  • Yearly memberships provide access to old exam files, locker sales, and discounted events.
  • A range of local events, such as Unix Bootcamp, LAN Parties, video game tournaments, board game nights, weekly lounge events, and much more!
  • Various food, snacks, and beverages for sale.
You could even become a member of the executive group. These roles include: President, Vice-President, Secretary, First to Fourth Year Representatives, Athletics Director, Social Director, and Member-at-large. Voting for these positions take place during the CSSS Annual General Meetings in September and November.

Office: Spinks 338
The collegiality of our department is reflected in the high level of graduate student involvement and influence in its operation. The Computer Science Graduate Course Council or the "CSGCC" for short, is the organization constructed and operated by our graduate students to act on their behalf. The Council acts as the Computer Science Graduate Student’s representatives to the University of Saskatchewan Graduate Student’s Association (GSA). It provides communication between the GSA and the graduate students in the department. The CSGCC also takes on the task of maintaining a certain level of communication between the Department of Computer Science and the graduate student body that resides in it. The CSGCC has non-voting representatives that attend Graduate Committee meetings and Faculty meetings.

In addition, the CSGCC receives some funding from the University-wide GSA to carry out its operations. In return, the CSGCC organizes social events for the Department, such as welcoming activities for new graduate students and social gatherings throughout the year. The social events organized by the CSGCC include different sporting activities, games and outings to be enjoyed by the graduate students, faculty and staff. Finally, the Council assists and advises new students moving to the University of Saskatchewan.

All graduate students within the Department of Computer Science are by default a member of the CSGCC. No membership application or fees are required. Positions on the executive include: President, Vice-President of Finance, Vice-President of Internal/Webmaster, Social Representative, MSc Representative, PhD Representative, and a Faculty and Staff Liaison.

The University of Saskatchewan Cyber Security Team (UofS CST) is the first educational cyber security group in the province of Saskatchewan.

They are committed to teaching students about what cyber security is, why it is needed, and how to get into the cyber security industry.

 

 

The UX Collective is a community of designers at Usask with the goal of connecting and educating students about product design. They host design workshops, speaker sessions, and UX/UI challenges, and help students with their portfolios. The group consists of students across various disciplines.

Connect with the UX Collective on Discord 

The University of Saskatchewan Esports Club (USEC) was founded in October of 2022 with the goal of providing a safe and inclusive environment for gamers of all levels to share their passion for esports and gaming.

Connect with USEC on Instagram or their LinkTree.

 

 

Computer Science on Campus

If you're looking to get more experience in Computer Science, you have come to the right spot. This is a one stop shop where students can browse different oportunities to get invoved within the Computer Science community on campus. The list is comprised of workshops, contests, student works, entrepreneurial initiatives, and graduation celebrations. Get the full Computer Science student experience and beef up your resume at the same time.

The University of Saskatchewan Programming Contest is a fun and local competition where student teams from local academic institutions and industry compete against each other in a friendly contest that is meant to test the competitor's skills in problem solving and programming. All skill levels are welcome to participate.

A Game Jam is an event where a diverse set of participants come together and develop a video game over the span of 48 hours. That’s right, just over a single weekend! You will be surprised at what you can do with a motivated team and a short amount of time. Participants prototype, design and create a video game in a short period of time. The condensed 48-hour time limit encourages creative thinking between participants with different backgrounds and skill sets. Game Jams result in small but innovative and experimental video games. Typically participants work in small teams, racing to produce a game with limited time and resources, but unlimited creativity.

Game Jams are about discovery, innovation, and creativity. Not everyone has a finished product at the end – one of your biggest takeaways is a valuable learning experience. What does the “jam” in “Game Jam” mean?: Jam is a reference to the musical jam sessions performed by bands and artists. Not to be confused with a traffic jam or a delicious spreadable fruit jelly. The biggest reason to join a Game Jam is to have fun. Either exploring a new gaming concept or practicing your artistic skills, you will have a blast learning and making new friends – all while developing and playing video games!

People with all skill levels and interests are welcome to participate in the Game Jam. During the past events, participants ranged from programmers, students, artists, game enthusiasts, and designers. The formula of gathering participants with all different backgrounds to work together will result in creating something fun and innovative. For those who are interested but might not have a lot of programming experience, we will be offering game development tutorials to get your skills up to speed.
Game Jam events usually offer workshops to familiarize participants with various game development environments, such as Processing, Unity and Unreal4. Game developers from the industry are invited to speak over the weekend, giving insight into their experience and careers in game development. Game Jams are usually organized by Game With US – a group of Human-Computer Interaction students who are passionate about game development. For announcements and more information about past and upcoming events, check out the Game Jam website. 

Every September, to kick off a new academic year, the Computer Science Student Society (CSSS) organizes a Linux Bootcamp for students to refresh their technical skills. The day starts with a beginner Linux session, followed by an intermediate and advanced session. Students will have an opportunity to meet the new CSSS Execs, enjoy a pizza lunch, tour the Department and get their CSSS memberships.

Listen to the September announcements for more information.

Students can gain valuable and relevant work expereince during their studies at the University of Saskatchewan. The Department offers a range of possible employment opportunities, including Tutorial Assistant and Marker positions for classes every term, summer research opportunities, and more. Details on how to get hired during school, are available on our recruitment page.

The Computer Science Career Fair is held each January. It is a great opportunity for students to network with industry representatives and hear about opportunities from companies across Saskachewan. This event is organized by the Department of Computer Science.

Every Spring, The CSSS and the Department of Computer Science hold a banquet to celebrate our graduating students and all the accomplishments our faculty, staff, and students have achieved during the academic year. The evening includes a dinner, speeches, awards, entertainment, and a surprise or two. Everyone is welcome to attend the banquet, including all students, faculty, staff, researchers, family, friends, alumni, and special guests.

For more information on the Computer Science Spring Banquet, listen to the announcements or contact the Computer Science main office.

Organized by Saskatoon's tech incubator Co.Labs, Co.Hack is a weekend-long hackathon typically held in the fall. The goal is to build a tech startup over the weekend. Your team will pitch your idea to judges at the end of the weekend for the chance to win big cash prizees. This is also a great opportunity for students to get a taste of entrepreneurship and build skills working in a team.

EcoHack is organized by USask's Office of Sustainability. It is an immersive multi-day experience where innovators, tinkerers, and makers from various degree programs collaborate using a rapid-iteration design model to generate viable solutions to a problem of their choosing, that fits within the sustainability theme. 

These solutions can take many forms: a marketing plan, an innovative business idea, software development, a physical product idea, etc. The varied solutions from multiple industries/disciplines highlight the intersectional nature of environment and sustainability challenges. 

 

Med.Hack(+) is an event designed to solve problems in healthcare through the use of technology. Brainstorm ideas, form teams, and prototype solutions to real-life issues over the course of 48 hours, guided by local mentors in health, technology, and business.

Computer Science Off Campus

The Computer Science community does not simply end at the edge of the campus. Saskatoon has an exciting and eventful technology community. Conferences, hackathons, workshops, clubs, and dinners are just the tip of the iceberg. By getting involved with off campus groups, students will have the opportunity to network and learn from the industry experts.

BarCamp is an international network of user-generated conferences. BarCamps are open, participatory events whose content is provided by participants.

At BarCamp, there are no spectators, only participants. Attendees should prepare a demo, a session, or help with one, or otherwise volunteer / contribute in some way to support the event. All presentations are scheduled the day they happen. BarCamp participants help to select the topics they want to see and talk about. Anyone is welcome at BarCamp. Attendance is usually diverse and includes software engineers, web developers and designers, application and game developers, marketers, entrepreneurs, students and artists.

Canada Learning Code is a Canada wide not-for-profit organization providing women, men, and kids the opportunity to learn beginner-friendly computer programming and other technical skills though hands-on workshops. They design the workshops where everyone feels comfortable learning computer programming in a social and collaborative way. You can sign up to attend future workshops as a learner, or you can volunteer as a mentor to assist with learners.
Saskatoon TechWorks Inc. is a makerspace (or hackerspace) that is focused on science, technology, culture, mechanics and the digital arts. They offer a space where people with diverse backgrounds can socialize, collaborate and learn. Through shared resources, knowledge and ideas they strive to create an atmosphere that promotes community and learning.

They also fulfill our role as a community resource by hosting workshops on electronics, programming, crafts, and any other skills that members (or guests) are willing to share.
Experience the valley tech scene in Saskatoon at Vendasta's Ideas on Tap. Every month, Vendasta hosts a series of industry speakers to talk about the latest trends, topics, and technologies. Everyone is welcome to attend or to give a presentation.
Google Summer of Code is a global, online program focused on bringing new contributors into open source software development. GSoC Contributors work with an open source organization on a 12+ week programming project under the guidance of mentors.

Volunteering in the Department

We need volunteers to help with a number of outreach events designed to generate interest in Computer Science with elementary, high school, and university students.

We are always on the lookout for volunteers to lead workshops, assist with workshops, give presentations, or help with setup and take down. The following are a few annual events where we need great volunteers like yourself:

  • Digitized
  • Computer Science Summer Camps
  • K-12 Workshops
For more information on how to volunteer, please email our Outreach Coordinator.