New Partnerships:

SOIS, UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, MAKERE UNIVERSITY IN KAMPALA, UGANDA

This fall, SOIS formed an exciting partnership with two universities: the East African School of Library and Information Science (EASLIS) at Makere University in Kampala, Uganda, and the School of Information Sciences (SIS) at the University of Tennessee, to build a platform for international collaboration. This unique union brings together three distinct library and information studies programs each with a particular emphasis on diversity, intercultural dialogue, and international literacies. The partnership will provide opportunities to infuse each program with intercultural and international experiences that span the teaching and research goals of each school. This joint effort will facilitate collaboration on three levels:

1. Research project partnerships that focus on international issues that span each school’s cultures and objectives.
2. Library and information science education, with opportunities to exchange academic staff and students, as well as opportunities to develop coordinated distance education initiatives.
3. Informed and professional service to each school’s communities and to the citizens of each school’s respective country, with opportunities for workshops on national and international issues that bring together the expertise of each partnering school.

Look for more information about this exciting new partnership in upcoming issues of the Ebuzz and SOIS Newsletter.

Dr. Tomas Lipinski, Dr. Elizabeth Buchanan, and Dr. Dick Kawooya work during the recent Conference on Ethics and Archives.

Diversity & Equity Committee

In December, the Diversity and Equity Committee met for the first time to discuss committee membership, goals and priorities, and the committee’s plan of work. Committee members include Linda Barajas, Student Services Coordinator, Dr. Laretta Henderson, Assistant Professor, Dr. Hur-Li Lee, Associate Professor and Committee Chair, Dr. Tomas Lipinski, Associate Professor, Twyla McGhee, Senior Advisor, Dr. Hope Olson, Professor and Associate Dean, and Dr. Dietmar Wolfram, Professor.

At the initial meeting, committee members discussed the goals and purpose of this newly formed group. Members decided that the committee will focus on the following areas (ordered by importance):

Define diversity.

Recruit students and faculty. The Committee will participate in two SOIS activities planned for next year: diversity day and diversity consultation.

Work on curriculum development with special emphasis on introducing diversity topics into the BSIR curriculum.

Generous Gift for MLIS Students
Arthur and Irene Burckel Scholarship
SOIS Scholarship Recipients

New Books by SOIS Faculty
WISE Faculty of the Year: Tom Lipinski

Ethics & Archives Conference
New International Partnerships
Diversity & Equity Committee
Student Story: Bogotá to Bulgaria

Faculty & Staff Updates