University of South Carolina

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Mission
The University of South Carolina School of Information Science’s mission reflects our commitment to encouraging excellence in research and teaching; creating leaders committed to diversity and public service; promoting creativity; and encouraging the development of innovative practices that contribute to the creation of knowledge, advance cultural heritage stewardship, and improve our understanding of the important roles that libraries, information, and technology play in an empowered global society. The School’s responsibility to the State of South Carolina also lies at the heart of this mission, as does the broader intention to enhance literacy and promote social equity around the world.

Vision and Values

From this vantage point, we envision a world in which information, knowledge, access to knowledge, literacy, and the ability to manage complex data are keys to both personal development and success in commerce, government, politics, and education. We strive to be recognized for excellence in teaching and learning, international research, and our commitment to imagining and influencing the future. We encourage and support scholarship, leadership, service, diversity, and outreach within an innovative and accessible program distinguished by collegial support, mentoring, and inclusion. We value research that advances theory and leads to best practices; and we believe that diversity, equality, inclusion, and equity stand at the core of our mission, for without these, we cannot educate, innovate, learn, or grow. Nor can we effectively address the needs of the libraries, information centers, cultural heritage institutions, and communities who look to us for thoughtful academic leadership.

Goals and Perspectives
Towards these ends we work to create an environment in which students and faculty thrive and develop the knowledge and skills required to become leaders in a world characterized by rapid technological change and increasing interdependence. We pursue opportunities to build and strengthen relationships with regional and international organizations and world-class institutions. We share in the development of the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to preserve the past, manage the present, and design the future. We support the advancement of thriving disciplines and interdisciplinary excellence, and we work to develop innovative and flexible solutions that connect people, knowledge, and technology.