Fall 2007 - Faculty of Information - University of Toronto

Dean’s Message
Half
way! As of this year, FIS is midway through its
ambitious six-year Academic Plan (2004-
2010). Of 14 major goals and priorities in the Plan, all are
either complete or underway. It has been an intense
period of profound transition. I am proud of the students,
staff, faculty, and alumni/ae who have supported this
renewal of the Faculty, and contributed so much to
making it happen.
Changes continue apace. On June 15, 2007, FIS
celebrated its first Museum Studies graduation, as
members of the Class of 2007 received their Master's of
Museum Studies degrees. Earlier in the spring, at the
Steam Whistle Brewing Gallery in Toronto's famous
Roundhouse, these students mounted an amazing
"Bottoms Up!" exhibit, examining the interplay between
alcohol and our socio-political history. It is thrilling to
have Museum Studies as part of FIS. To read more on the
program’s first year, please see pages 10 and 11.
Faculty expansion and renewal continues as a top priority.
By the time you read this, there may be even more
exciting announcements (check our website!). Other
transitions are more emotionally mixed. We are sad that
Paulette Rothbauer and Nadine Wathen, for independent
personal reasons, are returning to the University of
Western Ontario. While professorial flow into and out of
a Faculty is a sign of intellectual health, Paulette and
Nadine will both be sorely missed. We are taking their
move as an opportunity to redouble our efforts to
strengthen both physical and digitally-mediated
collaboration among all (now) eight Canadian Library
and Information Studies programs. We also anticipate
more recruitment and expansion next year, en route to
doubling the size of the Faculty and increasing our
coverage of the broad range of information fields.
Expansion has space implications: we are bursting at the
seams! We are actively exploring long-term possibilities
that accommodate our plans and ambitions. Meanwhile
we have obtained a floor of a newly-leased building on
the St. Michael's campus, so FIS now has two homes:
"FIS East," at 90 Wellesley St. West (former home of the
Sisters of St. Joseph), and "FIS West," at 140 St. George.
While it will be challenging for the Faculty to be
distributed across two locations, even for a few years, we
are taking it as a chance to rethink the use of all our space,
to make it more vigorous and integrating.
Three final comments. First, it has been wonderful to
have Steve Hockema, Jens-Erik Mai, David Phillips,
Siobhan Stevenson, and Nadine Wathen as new faculty
members this past year. I especially want to thank Jens-
Erik for his superlative service as Vice-Dean. He is
energetic, humane, and far-sighted—a gift to us all.
Second, our website has a new look. If you haven't
stopped by recently, be sure to check it out
(http://www.fis.utoronto.ca). Third, hard as it is to
believe, 2007-08 is the final year in my term as Dean. I
am not thinking of moving; Jill and I are happy in
Toronto, and plan to be at FIS and U of T for many years.
Ultimately, however, I believe the best way for me to
contribute is intellectual, through research and teaching.
So FIS will be searching for a new Dean to lead an
energized Faculty on its visionary long-term plan. But it
is not yet time for good-byes! There are still many things
I want to do. I am looking forward to a wonderful and
productive year.
Brian Cantwell Smith
informed | september 2007 3