Message from UCLA Wasserman Dean
Dear Friends of UCLA School of Education & Information Studies,
We are, to be sure, at a unique moment in history. As we slowly emerge from a health crisis—one that brought into stark relief the vast inequities in every social institution, from health care to education—we remain entrenched in a political climate that strains our democracy at every turn. None of these issues are new to the students, faculty, and staff in the School of Education & Information Studies. On the contrary, addressing them is at the heart of our work and has been for many years.
If you have looked around our website, you likely know that all of our endeavors are guided by a commitment to social justice. We pursue this goal by engaging in rigorous scholarship, advancing understanding around a broad range of issues tied to education and information studies, and developing future teachers, information professionals, institutional leaders, and scholars. In all of this, we are committed to growing diversity, equity, and inclusion across the school, as doing so enriches everything we do.
Our programs include an undergraduate major leading to a bachelor’s degree in Education and Social Transformation, as well as several undergraduate minors, including Information and Media Literacy, which spans the two departments. We offer 12 graduate programs, including at the master’s and doctoral levels along with 23 research centers between our two departments. Our faculty are global and national leaders in their fields as well as dedicated classroom teachers who treasure their time with students.
The Department of Education was recently ranked as the top education department among U.S. public institutions. While we are certainly proud of this ranking, we are even prouder of the work being done by members of our community. They are developing embedded ethnic studies and racial justice curriculum and pedagogy for preK–16 teachers, faculty, and education leaders statewide. They are informing leaders in higher education on college students’ experiences in distance learning environments. And they are advancing high-quality educational experiences for all learners, including those with dyslexia and other learning differences.
The Department of Information Studies is also among the top programs nationally. The experts within this department are doing groundbreaking work on the growing challenges to democracy in our 21st-century knowledge economy. Our leaders in archival science are expanding the practices of global community archives and highlighting the importance of collecting the history and memories of displaced and marginalized communities. In both departments, our alumni are deeply engaged in transformative work and contributing to societal change as professionals and scholars in schools, colleges and universities, libraries, and communities.
As our global, national, and local communities evolve at a breathtaking pace, the demand for insightful, skilled, culturally responsive educators and information professionals grows. Members of the School of Education & Information Studies community will meet this demand through our ongoing work, guided by a commitment to social justice and an ethic of caring.
I hope you will take the time to learn even more about us—what we do, how we do it, and why. And if you are not already part of our school’s community, I invite you to explore the myriad ways to become involved. Our work depends on the involvement of many voices. We look forward to including yours.
Warmly,
Tina
Christina A. Christie
Wasserman Dean of Education & Information Studies