To our students, alumni, friends and supporters,
You may have seen Provost Bruno’s message to the campus today about reorganization discussions. The part of the proposal that involves us is to move LIS from the Information & Computer Sciences Department in the College of Natural Sciences to a new unit, tentatively called the School of Communication & Information Science, in the College of Social Sciences.
While details and timelines are not yet known, the LIS faculty and staff support this proposal in general terms, and both our current and prospective Deans support it as well. We’ve advocated for the staffing, support and autonomy necessary for us to maintain our status as an accredited LIS Program regardless of where we are administratively, and our voice has been heard–Dean Konan and President Lassner have each contacted us directly, and they’re specifically interested in the value we can bring to a new School.
We’re genuinely excited for the opportunities a new School could create for crossover classes in related social science areas, though our excitement is tempered a bit out of sensitivity to the uncertain situations of other folks. Still, we’re already seeing points of alignment between the College of Social Sciences and the social mission LIS has always had, and the CSS Dean’s experience supporting other accredited programs gives us confidence that we can maintain who we are, and still have room and support to grow.
We’ll keep you informed as discussions continue.
Thank you,
Rich Gazan
Library & Information Science Program Chair
