Mission Statement

In harmony with the mission of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a major urban research institute, the School of Information Studies strives to make significant contributions towards extending and enhancing the quality of information services and the promotion of information and technological literacy to a diverse society. The School of Information Studies is committed to excellence in instruction, research, and service.

Goals

Goal 1. To prepare professionals who are able to provide leadership and adapt to change in a technological an knowledge-based environment for careers in libraries, school media centers, information systems, and related areas, according to accepted professional standards.

Strategies:
1.1 Review the content and need for all courses on a regular basis to keep the curriculum up to date.

1.2 Provide students with a conceptual framework for managing change.

1.3 Introduce ethical issues to students as part of the curriculum.

1.4 Assist students in career planning and placement.

1.5 Encourage students to take active roles in student governance and in professional organizations. | top |

Goal 2. To enrich the library and information science profession through recruitment of students with strong academic skills from diverse cultural, geographic, and subject backgrounds.

Strategies:

2.1 Encourage a dynamic environment that fosters academic and cultural diversity.

2.2 Recruit students from within and outside of metropolitan Milwaukee.

2.3 Promote involvement with minority organizations and associations. | top |

Goal 3. To enable undergraduate students to achieve qualifications to pursue careers in the information professions through the provision of degree and certificate programs.

Strategies:

3.1 Increase enrollment in the BS degree program major and minor in Information Resources, with appropriate added resources.

3.2 Increase enrollment in undergraduate service courses offered to the general UWM community (e.g. 150 Introduction to Information Resources on the Internet, 210 Foundations of University Library Research).

3.3 Maintain enrollment in the undergraduate certificate program.

3.4 Investigate opportunities for curricular cooperation with other academic units. | top |

Goal 4. To enable students to develop specializations in the information professions at the graduate level through the provision of single and dual degree programs.

Strategies:

4.1 Make SOIS MLIS courses available in distance-independent formats to help meet the demand for MLIS courses in geographic areas where no such programs exist.

4.2 Continue to investigate new dual degree programs.

4.3 Increase the number of students enrolled in dual degree programs.

4.4 Maintain a SOIS liaison for each dual degree program.

4.5 Increase the number of students participating in school media license programs.

4.6 Participate in and initiate development of innovative and interdisciplinary programs to help meet the growing demand for information professionals for an increasingly knowledge-based society. | top |

Goal 5. To promote a research orientation through participation in the Doctor of Philosophy degree program.

Strategies:

5.1 Develop a SOIS disciplinary Ph.D. program.

5.2 Increase the number of SOIS minor and major doctoral advisors.

5.3 Ensure that all students graduate within the allotted time period.

5.4 Increase the number of students in the SOIS Educational and Media Technology specialization of the Urban Education Ph.D. program. | top |

Goal 6. To contribute to the international knowledge base of library and information science through research and publication.

Strategies:

6.1 Have faculty members publish scholarly works by refereed sources every year.

6.2 Have faculty members participate in professional and scholarly conference presentations.

6.3 Have faculty members participate in intra- and extramural funding opportunities through the submission of research or instructional proposals to funding agencies. | top |

Goal 7. To facilitate the development, provision, and evaluation of library and information services through consultation to individual organizations and leadership in professional associations locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally.

Strategies:

7.1 Promote faculty and staff involvement in professional and scholarly organizations.

7.2 Increase faculty participation in community and professional projects.

7.3 Maintain faculty member participation as referees for professional and scholarly publication sources and granting agencies, reviewers of books or software, and editors. | top |

Goal 8. To offer opportunities for professionals and the wider community to update their skills and knowledge through advanced and continuing education courses, workshops, and programs offered nationally and internationally.

Strategies:

8.1 Offer continuing education courses of interest to information professionals on a regular basis.

8.2 Offer workshops and programs to promote and update information and technology literacy skills.

8.3 Offer programs or courses for national or international audiences.| top |

Adopted by the SOIS Faculty Council, December 15, 1995; Revised and approved October 29, 1999 by SOIS Faculty Council; Revised and approved April 19, 2002, May 16, 2003.