New School of Communication and Information launches in fall 2022

The College of Social Sciences welcomes UH Mānoa majors in five merged academic units

Five academic units from three different colleges at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are combining this fall to establish the School of Communication and Information (SCI) within the College of Social Sciences (CSS). The units, which have related yet distinct approaches to communication and information, are:

• The Communication (COM) program, formerly in the School of Communications in CSS.

• The Communicology (COMG) program, formerly in the College of Arts, Languages and Letters.

• The Journalism (JOUR) program, formerly in the School of Communications in CSS.

• The Library and Information Science (LIS) program, formerly in the Department of Information and Computer Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences.

• The Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, formerly in the Public Policy Center in CSS.

“This faculty-driven reorganization effort brings together units from across campus to leverage synergies and interdisciplinary opportunities for students interested in these fields,” said CSS Dean Denise Eby Konan. “It will allow them to explore the complexities of communication in one school to meet personal, relational, professional and community needs.” 

For example, students may want to major in JOUR to report on war. Now in SCI, they could also discover how to help others find and evaluate information on reports of war through courses in LIS. Alternatively, in COMG courses, students could learn how language is used to mobilize and marginalize people during times of war and how social identity processes contribute to conflict between groups.

“We’re breaking down any previously perceived silos of learning to have a more integrated, broader and richer curriculum for students,” said Konan. “This will increase course crossover options by gathering faculty in related specialties, will strengthen the student experience and provide greater access to shared resources.”

Consultation of individuals and groups impacted by the proposed reorganization occurred from fall 2020 to fall 2021. The faculty-led working group reorganization team shared information and met with various units and constituencies across campus, set up a website for announcements and feedback, and held a series of town hall meetings. Faculty, staff and students have expressed enthusiastic support for the new school.

SCI is fundamentally concerned with the study of communication, including the creation and flow of information among people and communities, through media and technologies, and across time and cultures. The new school will help students to acquire the knowledge, skills and ethical perspectives to create, gather, analyze and share information. SCI graduates will have the tools and perspectives to solve problems by combining multiple approaches within the realm of communication and information. 

For more, see this UH News story.