School of Information CTBAC

The School of Information CTBAC is composed of six to eight members – four to six students and two faculty members. One of the student member positions is reserved as a rotating Student Association for the School of Information officer spot, so that every CTBAC meeting has a SASI co-director in attendance.

The remaining three to five student positions are recruited by SASI officers through email solicitations to the entire School of Information student population. Interested students contact SASI officers via email and officers then determine whether in-person interviews are necessary. Contingent on student interest, at least one student member is or has been a teaching assistant employed by the School of Information and at least one student member is a Ph.D. student. The two faculty members are chosen by SASI with the input of the graduate advisor, dean and assistant dean.

Members are chosen early in the fall semester and serve for the full academic year. Members may serve a second year if they will be enrolled or employed at the University for that full academic year.

View the School of Information CTBAC’s Twitter account

Recommendations

School of Information CTBAC Tuition Increase Proposal Report

Based on student feedback from both a school-wide survey and a town hall meeting, the CTBAC unanimously recommended that tuition be raised 3.6 percent starting in fall of 2012. Noting that a tuition increase is not necessarily desirable, the CTBAC recommendation states that students find the budget cuts that would have to be made in the absence of a tuition increase much less desirable.

If there is a tuition increase, the CTBAC recommends that adjunct-taught classes – already identified as a prime target for cuts – should be saved wherever possible. The CTBAC’s proposal also notes that students are not entirely opposed to cutting some teaching assistantships. The proposal states that if teaching assistants are being paid but not utilized, then those positions should be either cut or the TAs reassigned to other professors who will derive some benefit from them.

Additionally, the CTBAC strongly recommends the School of Information “make a serious effort to revamp its awards process.” This effort should include “clear and direct communication about the various options for funding students’ iSchool education through loans, scholarships, graduate research assistantships.” According to the CTBAC, the second component of the effort should include a more “visible” and “honest” advertisement of available scholarships and School of Information assistantships.

The final part of the CTBAC’s proposal encourages the long-term idea of giving the School of Information “professional school status” which would allow the school to have more control over its tuition rate.

School of Information CTBAC Members

Michael Redding, chair of CTBAC
Graduate Student
School of Information
mike.redding@gmail.com
(713) 906-2007

Emily Couvillon
Graduate Student
School of Information
couvie822@yahoo.com
(318) 253-4920

Chloe Edwards
Graduate Student
School of Information
crhianedwards@gmail.com
(985) 768-0441

Sarah Papania
Graduate Student
School of Information
Director of SASI and Senate Representative
sarah@papania.org
(770) 401-8419

Dr. Lynn Westbrook
Associate Professor
School of Information
lynnwest@ischool.utexas.edu
(512) 232-7831

Unmil Karadkar
Lecturer
School of Information
unmil@mail.utexas.edu