School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) mission, vision and history

Our mission

We aim to conduct world-leading research and are committed to delivering the highest quality online education in the areas of computing and information systems.

We are dedicated to academic excellence and committed to building and sustaining a mutually supportive learning community. This is characterized by caring and respectful relationships within the school among our staff, students and with external stakeholders.

Our vision

The School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) will continue to grow to become one of the most significant and acclaimed higher education computing departments in the world, innovating in both research and online learning.

Learning through the School of Computing and Information Systems is always personal, adaptive, and flexible. In today’s complex world, our courses and programs adjust and cater to the growing number of students from around the globe with individual needs and diverse backgrounds. We adapt with an ever-increasing diversity of high-quality, innovative, and cutting-edge programs, courses, technologies, and pedagogies.

Our students continue to enjoy ever-greater freedom of choice over the place, time, pace, and content of their learning. They continue to be among the most employable and rapidly progressing individuals in the computing sector. Our teaching will continue to both inform and be informed by partners in industry as well as research.

We continue to be internationally respected for our research excellence, attracting high quality faculty and research staff who are at the forefront of their fields. SCIS will be academically eminent, and globally renowned for its advanced learning, its advanced pedagogies, and its advanced learning technologies.

Our history

The origins of SCIS programs date back to 1991—explore our timeline below:

Updated May 22, 2025 by Digital & Web Operations (web_services@athabascau.ca)