UK College Joins Elite iSchools Organization

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 9, 2011) — The University of Kentucky's College of Communications and Information Studies has joined an elite group of colleges and universities recognized for their dedication to advancing the information field in the twenty-first century.

The iSchools organization announced recently the addition of the College. With this addition, there are now 31 iSchools in eight nations, with programs that focus on the relationships between information, technology and people.

Criteria for being recognized as an iSchool include substantial sponsored research activity, engagement in the training of future researchers — usually through an active, research-oriented doctoral program — and a commitment to progress in the information field.

"The College of Communications and Information Studies joins a prestigious and elite group with its designation as an iSchool,” said Dan O’Hair, dean of the College. “This honor recognizes our commitment to advancing the information field by harnessing new technologies and educating our students for the twenty-first century.”

The iSchools organization was founded in 2005 as a worldwide collective of information schools dedicated to advancing the information field in the twenty-first century. The iSchools are, according to the organization, schools, colleges, and departments either newly created or evolving from programs formerly focused on specific tracks such as information technology, library science, informatics, and information science. The iSchools organization also conducts research in harnessing the power of information and technology.