Strategic Priorities 2026
As the I School enters its second century, we’ve collaboratively identified the priorities that will guide our work over the next decade — priorities grounded in our vision of being a bellwether in the information age, an indicator of where the field is headed next. These seven priorities and their supporting actions emerged directly from workshops, interviews, and consultations with our faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
Read the full Strategic Priorities 2026 Plan (PDF)
We live in a fast-changing academic space, and it is impossible to predict everything that will bring opportunities and challenges in the coming decade. The following seven priorities are a framework that sets the scope and direction of our efforts but does not close off the possibility of additions or adjustments as our field and higher education more broadly respond to a changing information world.
Priority 1: Invest in faculty and research
Faculty are the heart of any university, and our research, teaching, and public service missions all depend on them. We plan to pursue new philanthropically-funded faculty positions, grow our Bellwether Postdoctoral Scholars program, and deepen our research partnerships with peer institutions around the world.
Priority 2: Evaluate existing degrees and explore new degree offerings
Students bring vitality and energy to the I School and remain some of our most vocal advocates once they become alumni. We plan to reassess our current degree programs to keep them competitive and relevant, and explore the feasibility of a new undergraduate degree.
Priority 3: Increase real-world capstone, clinic, and client-based student learning opportunities
Expanding opportunities for students to work on real-world, client-based projects was one of the most enthusiastically supported ideas to come out of our planning process. Building on the success of programs like our Cybersecurity Clinic — a model now adopted by 60 clinics in 8 countries — we will explore growing our network of community and industry partners willing to host student projects.
Priority 4: Implement school-wide themes
Every other year, we will explicitly identify themes of broad interest in the I School to guide our lectures, events, messaging, and community programming — a way to bring focus and shared conversation to a particular topic without crowding out the ideas that emerge organically.
Priority 5: Develop explicit sensing and forecasting functions
As a school built on the study of information and data, we will turn that expertise inward — building better tools to gather, analyze, and act on our own data, from enrollment trends to funding opportunities, so we can make more informed, more proactive decisions.
Priority 6: Pursue emergent opportunities
The world of information is changing faster than ever, and the I School has thrived for a century by pursuing new opportunities as they emerge. We will stand up working groups to understand how AI is reshaping the student experience, and build more flexible funding, including the I School Bellwether Strategic Priorities Fund, so we can respond quickly to what comes next.
Priority 7: Expand strategic communications
Doing great work isn’t enough — we also need to communicate it clearly and consistently. We will invest in research communications, modernizing our website, and giving every member of our community the tools to help tell the I School’s story.
These priorities are a framework for the next decade, not a complete catalogue.
Read the full Strategic Priorities 2026 Plan, including seventeen supporting actions (PDF)
For responses, comments, or questions, email strategy@ischool.berkeley.edu.