IUPUI Campus Bulletin 2010-2012

Welcome to the IU School of Informatics/New Media Program/Health Information Systems!

Moore's Law says that computing power doubles every 18 months. Regardless of whether that law is literally correct, it illustrates the rapid changes in information technology that will continue for the foreseeable future. The School of Informatics prepares students to meet the continuing demand for information technology professionals who know how to grow and adapt to this environment of rapid technological change.

Informatics is focused on the best applications of technologies and emphasizes the social and psychological aspects of information technology. Some have called informatics "technology with a human face." Informatics prepares professionals to use information technology to solve problems in a variety of settings. The degrees emphasize the development of new uses for technologies, always keeping in mind the needs of people and the best and most appropriate uses for technology.

Informatics students have:

• a technical understanding of how computing systems and programs operate
• an ability to adapt/assess and apply new trends in information technology (IT)
• well-developed problem-solving skills
• experience working on a team, such as those formed for the senior capstone experience
• well-developed communications skills to clearly convey solutions and observations to others
• an understanding of social and ethical principles as they relate to IT issues
• the ability to create 3-D animations to help explain surgery to patients
• accelerated drug discovery through information technology
• developed computer applications to manage disaster relief
• explored human interactions with computers, mobile devices, and robots

Informatics is all of this - and so much more. Harnessing the power and possibility of technology, Informatics turns data and information into knowledge that people can use every day. In the world of information and technology, it's the bridge to all things useful. Informatics is the future.

Degrees from the School of Informatics are unique because they involve students in learning how information technology relates to a traditional discipline in the sciences, liberal arts, or professions. Students of Informatics learn to solve real problems that directly impact our lives and the lives of those around us. They use their technology and problem solving skills to make a difference in the world. For students interested in a career with infinite potential, Informatics stands out as a strong, flexible and dynamic field of study.

The undergraduate curriculum looks at information technology from a balanced perspective. It includes a technical core in the areas of mathematical foundations, distributed information, human-computer interaction, social/organization informatics, and new media. In addition to knowledge of core informatics and of informatics in the context of a traditional discipline, students must take a set of general-education courses to ensure that they can communicate clearly in both written and spoken English, read effectively, and reason quantitatively. They must be able to raise and rationally debate ethical concerns suggested by information technologies and their interactions with other people. Students also must have some knowledge of the world and its peoples, and their cultural, artistic, and scientific achievements. To this end, the general-education requirement exposes students to the arts and humanities, social and historical studies, and the natural sciences.

The school offers a Bachelor of Science in Informatics degree, specialized professional master's degrees, a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs in New Media, a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Administration, and a certificate in Medical Coding. Informatics research is conducted at the Informatics Research Institute, which provides expanded educational opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Informatics Research Institute

Research and theory in informatics move rapidly to application and development. The faculty teaching in the School of Informatics participate in research activities and new applications of technology. As a result, faculty can transmit state-of-the-art knowledge to their students. Indiana University is capitalizing on this great research strength in informatics with the formation of the Informatics Research Institute (IRI). IRI conducts research in areas of emphases shared with the School of Informatics, including: fundamental research in human-computer interaction; fundamental research in capturing, managing, analyzing, and explaining information and making it available for its myriad uses; and expanding research into policy and socioeconomic issues arising from information technology.

Undergraduate Programs

The School of Informatics offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Informatics, a Bachelor of Science degree in Media Arts and Science, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Information Administration.

The very nature of these degrees, with the changing technologies and applications, requires that the content of each degree be continuously assessed and revised. Therefore, the faculty of the School of Informatics will periodically review and revise the curricula to ensure that students are prepared to meet contemporary workplace and intellectual demands. Please contact the School of Informatics office, or refer to our Web site at www.informatics.iupui.edu, to confirm current program requirements.

Probationary Admission

Individuals who do not qualify for a direct admission or whose college grade point average is lower than 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (C) may petition the school for probationary admission. Special consideration is given to adult learners and students returning after five or more years. Petitions are available from the Informatics Student Services Office, phone (317) 278-4636.

Deadline to petition for the fall semester: July 15
Deadline to petition for spring semester: November 15
Deadline to petition for summer session: April 15

At the discretion of the dean, the School of Informatics may admit on a probationary basis those students who do not meet the minimum requirements for direct admission. To be considered for probationary admission, students must be in the upper two-thirds of their high school graduating class and have combined SAT I math and verbal (critical reading) scores of at least 650. Such students are counseled through the Informatics Student Services Office and remain on probation until they have successfully raised their cumulative grade point average to 2.0 (C) and satisfied any other limitations set. Students admitted on probationary status become eligible for dismissal if they fail to achieve a minimum GPA of 2.3 during each semester until they have reached a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 (C). Students who do not achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) after two semesters, or 24 credit hours, will be dismissed.

Academic Regulations

Absences

From Final Examinations Students are required to adhere to the policies regarding final examinations as published in the Schedule of Classes.

From Scheduled Classes Illness or equivalent distress is the only acceptable excuse for absence from class. Other absences must be explained to the satisfaction of the instructor, who will decide whether omitted work may be made up.

Credit for Correspondence Courses

With prior approval, the School of Informatics will accept a maximum of two courses (6 credit hours total) by correspondence study to count toward the degree requirements. Only general elective courses may be taken by correspondence. Distance learning courses and courses conducted online are not considered correspondence courses and, therefore, do not have a credit hour limit associated with them.

Degree Application

Candidates for graduation must file an application with the school by March 1 for December graduation and October 1 for May, June, or August graduation. Credits for all course work, except that of the current semester, must be recorded on the candidate's Indiana University transcript at least one month prior to the date of graduation.

Statute of Limitations

Candidates for the bachelor's degree in informatics have the right to complete the degree requirements specified by the bulletin in effect at the time they entered Indiana University, provided that the required courses are available and that no more than eight calendar years have elapsed since the date of entry.

Grading Policies

The School of Informatics follows the official grading system of Indiana University described in the front of this Bulletin.

 Pass/Fail Option

Undergraduate students in the School of Informatics may elect to take a maximum of 12 credit hours total under the Pass/Fail option. The procedure for declaring this option may be found in the Schedule of Classes. Special regulations affecting the Pass/Fail option for School of Informatics students are as follows:

1. Only one course per semester or one course per summer session may be taken under the Pass/Fail option.
2. School of Informatics students may not take any informatics course Pass/Fail. In addition, the Pass/Fail option may not be used for any course that satisfies an admission or general education electives requirement or for any course in the student's cognate area. Only university elective courses may be taken on a Pass/Fail basis.
3. A grade of P is not counted in the grade point average; a grade of F is included. Grades of P cannot be changed to any other letter grade.
4. Pass/Fail forms are available in the School of Informatics office.

 FX Option

FX denotes an undergraduate level course originally failed and subsequently retaken. The School of Informatics will calculate FX grades as grades of F for internal purposes and degree requirements. This calculation will apply to all categories of academic standing (good standing, probation, and dismissal), class rank, and all grade point average requirements in the degree, including cumulative, semester, and major concentrations.

A student may use the FX option for purposes of the university transcript. An undergraduate student who has repeated a course previously failed may request to have only the second grade in that course counted in the student's grade point average as entered on the student's transcript. A student may exercise this FX option for no more than three courses, totaling no more than 10 credit hours. A student may use the FX option on the transcript only once for a given course. Requests for approval of FX courses should be made in consultation with the student's advisor.

Withdrawals

A grade of W (Withdrawn) is given automatically to the student who withdraws from courses during the automatic withdrawal period as specified in the Schedule of Classes. After the automatic withdrawal period a student may withdraw only with the permission of the dean. This approval is given only for urgent reasons related to extended illness or equivalent distress. The desire to avoid a low grade is not an acceptable reason for withdrawal from a course.

Upon notification from the IUPUI registrar's office that a student has accumulated eight (8) or more Ws, the School of Informatics will send a letter of concern to the student, requesting an explanation. This notification will likewise remind students that their record of withdrawals from courses may jeopardize financial aid. Students with 10 W's may be regarded as not making the "reasonable academic progress" required to maintain eligibility for financial aid, and lack of such progress constitutes grounds for denying further financial aid.

Academic Standing

A student is in good academic standing for an Indiana University bachelor's degree when his or her semester grade point average is a minimum of 2.0 (C) for the last semester's course work and when his or her cumulative grade point average is at least 2.0 (C). Students must be in good academic standing to graduate.

Academic Probation

Students will be placed on academic probation if their cumulative or semester grade point average (semester grade index) is below 2.0. After one semester on probation, students who fail to return to good academic standing will be placed on critical probation. At the discretion of the dean, these students can be dismissed. If a student is given the opportunity to enroll under critical probation, the School of Informatics will establish strict conditions that must be met before that student will be allowed to register for future classes.

Dismissal

Students can be dismissed if they fail to return to good academic standing after one semester on critical probation. Students may also be dismissed if, in the opinion of the dean, they are not making satisfactory progress toward their degree.

Students eligible for dismissal will be notified in writing that they have been dismissed and will be withdrawn from classes for which they have registered.

Readmission

Dismissed students must petition the dean of the School of Informatics for readmission. A Petition for Readmission form must be filed by July 15 for fall, November 15 for spring, and April 15 for summer readmission. A student who has been dismissed for the second time is eligible to return to school only after being out of school for one regular semester and having petitioned successfully. A third dismissal is final. Dismissed students whose petitions are denied will not be allowed to register.

Informatics Degree Programs

Prior to each semester's enrollment, a faculty member or an academic advisor provides academic counseling for each student in the School of Informatics. Although academic counseling is intended to provide effective guidance, students are responsible for planning their own programs and for meeting the following degree requirements for graduation. Students are advised to read bulletin descriptions of all courses selected, paying careful attention to conditions concerning awarding of credit.