The School of Information and the College of Natural Sciences announced plans to consolidate the computer science, statistics and data science, and information degree programs into one school, according to a Nov. 18 email sent to community members from both institutions.
CNS Dean David Vanden Bout and Soo Young Rieh, the interim dean of the School of Information, wrote in the email that the school will be proposed to the UT System Board of Regents for approval and will be established within CNS.
“The planned school would provide one consolidated center of excellence that connects three singularly world-class parts, positioning UT both to optimize its impact across complementary areas of scholarship and research in a school, while also retaining levels of departmental autonomy that have helped fuel successes for decades,” the deans wrote in the email.
Details about the proposal are still being worked out, but there is a “strong commitment” to keeping “current academic credentials” for current and prospective students alike, although it is unclear how degrees will change, the deans wrote. They also noted the consolidation comes during a time when artificial intelligence technology is evolving and changing daily activities.
A CNS spokesperson declined to comment further on the consolidation. The School of Information did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Informatics senior Angeline Aloysius said she is unsure about what the proposal will do, and leadership from both schools should better communicate about what it means for students’ academic futures.
“We don’t know if maybe they do have answers and they’re just not sharing it yet,” Aloysius said. “It would have been nice to have students on board to get student input on things that are going to impact our degree plans and our college experience.”
Stacy Jorgensen, a public health assistant professor of instruction who has taught classes in the School of Information, said she worries about the future of both schools’ capabilities. Although she would like to receive more information about the proposal, Jorgensen said she also sees promise in the consolidation, as it can provide more learning opportunities for public health students within CNS.
“I would love to see our students more knowledgeable about data,” Jorgensen said. “I just hope that there’s enough support for the increase in students that we’re going to get over (at CNS) and how the support system that they already have within the School of Information, how that’s going to be integrated into CNS.”
Aloysius said although the consolidation could provide more resources to the School of Information, she worries it could take away from the small, close-knit community that helps establish professional connections.
“The relationships I’ve built with professors would not have been possible without it being smaller classes,” Aloysius said. “With smaller class sizes, the professor had a lot of time to get to know the students. … It’s kind of hard to preserve when class sizes do get larger.”