#1 What is CDIS?
The School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences launched in September 2019 as a new division within the College of Letters & Science. It is a collaboration of three longstanding, highly regarded L&S units: the departments of Computer Sciences and Statistics and the Information School (iSchool). It aims to be a preeminent center for discovery, learning and engagement related to computing, data and information. Research, education and outreach will enhance computing, data and information literacy on campus and beyond, as well as enrich society and tackle societal challenges. The mission and vision of the school can be found here.
Tech entrepreneur and UW-Madison graduate Tom Erickson is the school’s founding director. Kristin Eschenfelder, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor and former director of the iSchool, is CDIS associate director.
There is no change to the leadership and autonomous governance structures of the three units. Each continues to have a chairperson elected by their faculty. The divisional structure is flexible to enhance collaboration and synergies in teaching and research among the three units and across the college and university, while preserving their independence and areas of excellence outside of that collaboration, to the benefit of all of their students, faculty and staff.
#2 Why was CDIS created?
By combining Computer Sciences, the Information School and Statistics into a new division, we are able to develop stronger core offerings and create many interdisciplinary programs leveraging computer, data and information sciences across campus, not only in the sciences, but also where computing and data science intersect with the social sciences and humanities. Examples of some of these intersections are in the areas of human-computer interaction, cybersecurity and social justice.
The combination of these three areas creates a powerhouse that enhances UW-Madison’s existing strengths, deepens interdisciplinary and cross-campus collaborations, and helps invigorate engagement with communities around the state.
Computing and data have become pervasive in all aspects of our society. Competencies in information technology and computational data analyses are becoming as necessary as reading, writing, and arithmetic – for economic advancement, full engagement in civic life and democratic participation. UW-Madison seeks to extend these literacies and competencies by attracting a broader array of students to engage with computer, data and information sciences.
#3 How will the new school better serve students?
CDIS will expand access to students across campus to computer, data and information science courses, by creating new joint degrees, certificates and classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These will be accessible to both core majors and to students in other majors. In addition, the school will develop courses that can be used by other majors as computer, data or information literacy courses within existing majors both inside and outside the College of Letters & Science. The goal is to educate thousands of students each year in entry-level computer, data and information science courses. Advanced courses will also be developed in conjunction with other departments. The three departments have a wide range of complementary expertise on different forms of instruction that support the vision of broad impact on the UW-Madison student population.
The expansion of computing and data science resources in CDIS will also enable researchers and educators outside of the school to incorporate key elements of computing and data science in their programs. This will open up a vast array of new opportunities for discovery as well as preparation of students for the workforce.
#4 What are the academic and degree programs offered in the school?
All current academic and degree programs administered by its three independent units – Computer Sciences, the Information School and Statistics – will continue as is and will continue to be governed exclusively by the individual home department or school.
CDIS is working to develop new majors, certificates, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in collaboration with campus partners, beginning with proposals for a planned undergraduate program in data science and a master’s in information studies.
#5 What unique advantages does UW-Madison’s new school offer, compared to other universities?
The breadth of excellence at UW-Madison gives CDIS a unique opportunity to establish collaborative educational and research programs across a vast array of disciplines, from medicine to the arts, veterinary science to education, and the life sciences to engineering. Virtually none of the other top programs in computer science are part of a university with the extensive breadth of UW-Madison.
Out of the universities whose computer sciences, library and information studies, and statistics programs are ranked in the top 15 nationally, Wisconsin is one of only two that has brought Computer Sciences, Statistics and the Information School together. The relative strength of the three units at UW-Madison as measured by U.S. News rankings is unmatched.
#6 How are the three departments stronger together, as part of the new school?
- More resources allow for more course offerings
- Collaboration is fostered between the three member departments, but also across campus and with industry partners
- More opportunities allow for more innovative ideas and creative solutions
In short: Computing, information and data sciences are being used extensively by an ever-widening range of disciplines. The world needs more scholars who can communicate the influences and possibilities of these new techniques and be cognizant of broader societal impacts. By pairing in-depth learning of technical concepts and advanced analytical techniques with liberal arts coursework that covers the arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences, we are ensuring that the reach of computing is as wide and well understood as possible.
#7 How will the new school serve and benefit the people of Wisconsin?
Business and Job Creation
The computer, data and information sciences are increasingly central to Wisconsin’s economy. They are transforming existing economic sectors and creating new ones through business and job creation.
Expanding the computing agenda at UW-Madison contributes to the development of technology-related industries in the state, strengthens the burgeoning Upper Midwest startup ecosystem, and helps grow Wisconsin into the technology hub of the Upper Midwest. The school will extensively partner with established businesses statewide in collaborative research, professional degree programs, and broader knowledge exchange.
US regions with top computer, data and information science programs tend to have strong tech economies. UW-Madison’s programs and technology development efforts augment and support one another by partnering in R&D and workforce development and creating dynamic cultural environments that attract the best talent.
Educating the Public
Expanding the computing agenda at UW-Madison will foster a wider distribution of the computer, data and information literacies important to preparing citizens to engage with their communities and participate in our democracy. Understanding many social and political issues now requires an understanding of some aspects of computing and data, and developing solutions for social and political challenges requires a balance of literacies including those in computing, data and information. The new school aims to increase the breadth of students on the UW-Madison campus who have at least basic level literacies in these areas, regardless of major.
Public Service & Outreach
A key pillar of the school’s strategy is to provide public outreach and collaborate on social programs and continuing education across a broad swatch of sectors. The new school is also committed to creating several online and summer program offerings, designed to reach Wisconsin residents who want to expand their capabilities in computer, data and information sciences.
#8 How does the new school reflect the Wisconsin Idea?
The Wisconsin Idea broadly states that the benefits of the university shall extend to the boundaries of the state, and beyond. The Wisconsin Computing Idea expands on the Wisconsin Idea and holds that computing is critical to our university and our state, that UW-Madison takes decisive and bold actions to lead the computing revolution and that advances in computing on this campus benefit all corners of our great state and far beyond.
#9 Does the school offer any new research areas or bring further investment in existing areas?
CDIS seeks to foster research in several overlapping areas:
- Artificial intelligence/machine learning
- The social and ethical aspects of computing and data sciences
- Human-computer interaction (design)
- Cybersecurity
The school is also a partner in the creation of the American Family Insurance Data Science Institute, which spans data science research across campus as an integral part of the overall UW-Madison strategy to invest in these areas.
#10 How is the school related to the new American Family Insurance Data Science Institute?
CDIS maintains a close relationship with the American Family Insurance Data Science Institute. The Interim Director, Brian Yandell, serves on the Statistics faculty. The institute is housed under the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education.
The mission of the American Family Insurance Data Science Institute is to perform cutting-edge research in the fundamentals of data science and to catalyze the translation of this research into practice to advance scientific discovery in collaboration with researchers across campus and beyond. The institute and the new school will engage synergistically in ways that amplify the impact of data science through leadership, innovation, talent development and knowledge/technology transfer.