The School of Informatics and Computing and the School of Art + Design have been renamed to reflect new degree programs.
The School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering and the School of Art, Architecture + Design launched their new names for the 2017-2018 school year in response to their added degree programs: an engineering degree and a master of architecture degree.
While the master of architecture degree program will not begin until the fall of 2018, the engineering program launched last year, making this this second year of the program but the first that it is showcased in the school’s name.
Erik Stolterman, senior executive associate dean of the School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, said the addition of engineering in the name shows the world that IU has the program, the first time it has ever been featured on the Bloomington campus.
“Engineering really adds a new dimension to the school,” Stolterman said, “Not only that, but the campus.”
According to a Aug. 29 press release, the addition of the program fits into Indiana business leaders’ plans to increase the amount of state residents with postgraduate degrees in STEM-related fields.
“This was an initiative from President McRobbie,” Stolterman said.
Stolterman said there was a push for the program from industry and society in southwest Indiana to have a place to study engineering in this part of the state.
"The establishment of the Intelligent Systems Engineering program was a milestone in the development of our school both on campus and in the state, and the addition of engineering to our name illustrates the importance of the program to our future,” said Raj Acharya, dean of the School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, in the press release.
Stolterman said the addition of the program allows engineering students to work with students across campus, such as in chemistry and other natural sciences.
“We do have a lot of people who work on research and education that is working with engineering,” Stolterman said.
However, Stolterman said more and more non-engineering majors are taking some of the courses in the new program.
“We can see that it’s already growing in the second year,” Stolterman said.
Stolterman said the addition of the degree is most obvious within the School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering because in fields like computer science and informatics, it is important to be able to collaborate with people in engineering.
“It’s natural,” Stolterman said.
Senior Aiyun Xu, a computer science major, said she thinks the name change will give students more clarity as to what the School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering is, as many people are still confused about what informatics entails.
“I think if people hear the name, they will have more of an idea of what our school is,” Xu said.
