New degree program focuses on strategic information management.

The University of Maryland's College of Information Studies (CLIS) is preparing to offer an innovative new management degree program: the Master of Information Management (MIM). The degree is a companion to the college's long-standing Master of Library Science degree. The degree proposal has been approved by the university and is awaiting final approval from the state, which is expected in February. Students are being recruited for the first entering class, which will begin studies this fall.

According to Roberta Shaffer, program coordinator for the MIM degree, "Students will benefit from an unrivaled confluence of advantages offered by a management degree that focuses on information and is housed at an excellent college at the heart of a major research university and located near many of the world's most critical information resources and centers. The opportunities are simply without bounds."

The new degree's initial focus will be on strategic information management. Designation of this initial theme was influenced by ARMA International's emphasis on strategic information management and articles in The Information Management Journal and other publications on the evolving role of information management in institutions, explains CLIS Interim Dean Bruce W. Dearstyne.

"We believe the new program will produce information professionals who understand the technology, have insights into institutional strategic needs, and will be able to ensure that the right information is available to the right people in the right format at the right time. It should be an excellent degree for the records/information management professionals of the future" Dearstyne says.

The MIM degree reflects the need for professionals who are adept at working within organizations to improve the systematic creation, access, and use of information to further the organization's strategic goals and competitive advantages. It is intended to produce people with knowledge, skills, and abilities that are suited to the needs of business, government at all levels, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and entrepreneurial endeavors. The new degree will address the growing and unique information management needs of e-business, e-commerce, and e-government.

Students who pursue the MIM degree are expected to emerge with the ability to

* analyze organizational environments, strategic information problems, and client requirements

* add value by evaluating, analyzing...