Message from UCLA Wasserman Dean
Christina A. Christie
August 2024
Dear Friends of UCLA School of Education & Information Studies,
Since the mid-1990s, UCLA’s Departments of Education and Information Studies have been housed together within the same school, continuing each department’s long commitment to using teaching, scholarship, and service to dismantle systemic inequity and increase social justice. Indeed, in the School of Education & Information Studies (SEIS), we share the conviction that education and information are not just fields of study—rather, they human rights. The work done by our faculty, students, and staff is guided by a commitment to increasing social justice and to growing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and our collaboration and synergy give us a unique perspective on all that we do.
A shared commitment to these ideals has arguably never been more important than it is right now. We continue to face a sociopolitical climate that threatens our democracy and demands our attention. Educators and information professionals are grappling with questions about topics that range from free speech to the ethical use of artificial intelligence. As global and national leaders in their fields, our faculty not only engage in and influence local, national, and global conversations around these issues but also partner with SEIS students to push our understanding forward.
Our academic programs develop teachers, information professionals, institutional leaders, and scholar-educators. UCLA undergraduate students enroll in our bachelor’s degree program in education and social transformation or in one of our undergraduate minors, including one on information and media literacy that spans both departments. Our graduate students span 12 master’s and doctoral programs and are true partners in the work that takes place across 25 research centers.
Faculty in the Department of Education have developed comprehensive ethnic studies and racial justice curricula and pedagogy for preK–16 teachers, faculty, and education leaders statewide. Our scholars inform leaders in higher education on institutional change and college students’ beliefs and experiences. And they continue to advance high-quality educational experiences for all learners, including those with dyslexia and other learning differences.
The experts within the Department of Information Studies are doing essential work on the 21st-century knowledge economy, including by exploring the implications of AI technology for democracy and social justice. They are expanding the practices of global community archives and highlighting the importance of collecting the history and memories of displaced and marginalized communities. Alumni from both departments are deeply engaged in transformative work and making contributions to societal change as professionals and scholars in schools, colleges and universities, libraries, and communities.
I hope you will explore this website and learn more about what is happening in the SEIS community and the many ways to get involved. And if you find yourself with questions about the work we are doing, please reach out. We look forward to connecting with you very soon.
Warmly,
Tina
Christina A. Christie
Wasserman Dean of Education & Information Studies