I think generally, Computer Science is a degree and Software Engineer is a job description. So many people get Computer Science degrees, then have a career as a Software Engineer.

Yes, there are Software Engineering degrees. But I think a minority of Software Engineers have a Software Engineering degree.

What this means in practice, is that Computer Science majors need to learn the engineering skills on the job or on their own after they graduate. Although some programs help students pick up some of those skills as part of the degree program.

Indeed, I think it's possible that the majority of people with degrees, have jobs that are not identical to their college major.

Certainly, most of us with unemployable majors. ;-)

Another phenomenon is employers applying the "engineer" title to any technical worker, such as designers, programmers, technicians, and so forth.

Part of it is that businesses evolve towards having caste systems. When this happens, then folks in the lower castes will try to rearrange their job titles to resemble the upper castes, or change jobs.

Anecdotal: University of Washington considers (considered?) them two separate degrees, holding CS as more theory and research-driven, and CE as more practice and career-driven.

I think it would apply if companies were hiring large number of computer scientists and using them to try to build usable software. I don't see many making that mistake. Most recognize that computer scientists belong in a research or academic setting.

Is this sentiment perhaps due to someone "practicing CS" on your engineering schedule? What's the real harm you're describing?

You and me both, friend. Except I normally get down-voted to oblivion for saying the opposite.

I guess depends on what valuable means. I imagine most comp scientists are less replaceable than most software engineers, so point for compsci.

The two are complimentary. Engineers can't do anything without the fundamental insights scientists provide. But scientists don't have the practical experience of writing end products that real users use.

Obviously this is a huge generalization but I think it's a useful way to think about it. And when I say scientist, I mean "Professor of CS" not "24 year old with a BS in CS".

Depends if you have a computer scientist doing a software engineers job