Data Justice
Information, analytics and computing for social change
Introduction
Data Justice (DJ) provides students an opportunity to interrogate the biases that are built into information collection, design, and analysis. Students explore how specific values are coded into datasets, algorithms, AI-driven systems, machine learning models, and other sociotechnical systems. They gain advanced data-related skills that will serve them in a wide variety of careers that aim to make the world a better place through information.
By the conclusion of the program, students will be able to:
- Employ justice-centered approaches to equitable computer and data sciences;
- Analyze how cultural values, power, and privilege are encoded into technologies;
- Critique the sociopolitical values of data structure and algorithmic design;
- Analyze ways that computing and data science have been used as a catalyst for positive social change; and
- Develop a computing identity that intersects with personal identity factors.
DJ Scholars enters its second academic year in 2025-26. The program is sponsored by the University of Maryland’s College of Information, a top-ranked research and teaching college in the field of information science.
In the College of Information, faculty, staff, students, and partners are expanding the frontiers of how information and technology are accessed and used in a rapidly evolving world. We are combining principles of information science with cutting-edge technology to foster access to information, improve information interfaces, and expand how information is used in an evolving world.
Throughout all of our endeavors, the College of Information is committed to utilizing information and technology for good – to connect communities, empower individuals, and create opportunities.
Colloquium and Lecture Topics
- How do you use information?
- What is the info you need to change the world?
- What has produced the digital divide?
- How are digital identities different from personal identities?
- How can we achieve information justice?
The Data Justice program will be an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students interested in information science, computer science, the social sciences, journalism, business, policy, and more.
Other Learning Opportunities
In addition to colloquium and supporting courses, DJ students will choose three 1-credit electives from a group of courses focused on building technical computing and data science skills. Course titles include:
- Making Twitter Bots
- Solving Puzzles and Riddles with Computation
- Comic Books and Machine Learning
- Emergent Experiences through Technology
Off-campus excursions to information-related sites, such as the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and the Agricultural Library in Beltsville, MD, will foster community and encourage examination of information in the community (in physical location, cyberspace, and institutions created for the management and best use of information).
Curriculum Overview
Data Justice is an 15-credit program that includes a required course on algorithmic bias (INST204S); a series of colloquium courses on the topics of the digital divide, digital identities, and information justice; a set of supporting courses drawn from the College of Information’s 100- and 200-level courses on relevant current issues; a set of short supporting courses focused on technical computing and data science skills; and a practicum (CPDJ240 Service Learning) in which students will undertake a project with a community partner related to data justice.
The following table represents a typical two-year curriculum, but individual schedules will vary. Details about courses and requirements can be found on the Data Justice Citation Checklist.
| SEMESTER | COURSE | CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | CPDJ 100: Colloquium I | 1 credit |
| INST204S: Designing Fair Systems (DSHS, SCIS) | 3 credits | |
| Semester 2 | CPDJ 101: Colloquium II | 1 credit |
| Semester 3 | CPDJ 200: Colloquium III | 1 credit |
| Semester 1, 2, 3, or 4 | INST 388: Maker Movement INST 388: Maker Movement INST 388: Maker Movement |
1 credit 1 credit 1 credit |
| Semester 1, 2, 3, or 4 | Supporting Course (var. Gen Ed) | 3 credits |
| Semester 4 | CPDJ 240: Service-Learning Practicum | 3 credits |
Sponsoring College
Office Address
1101 Centreville
Office Phone
TBD
Faculty
News and Notes, Etc.
College Park Scholars Updates Organizational Mark
As a follow-up to its 25th anniversary year, College Park Scholars has updated its organizational mark. The updated design ties together the sun symbol, a clipart sun swirl that has informally represented the organization throughout its quarter-century history, with a design that was used in celebration of its 25th anniversary year during 2019–2020. The result is a modern “sunburst” that signifies:
The Sophomore Scholars Experience This Fall
Sophomore Scholars students received the following message from College Park Scholars on July 9: Dear students; I hope this email finds you and your loved ones safe and well, and finding ways to enjoy summer. It’s been a roller coaster of a year so far, and I am sure you’ve experienced some uncertainty over what fall semester might look like on top of it all. Over the past several weeks, College Park Scholars faculty and staff have been meeting regularly to address exactly that question, with a group dedicated specifically to the sophomore experience. We want our sophomore Scholars to receive the care and educational experience you deserve.
What Students Can Expect From Scholars This Fall
Incoming Scholars students received the following message from College Park Scholars yesterday evening: Dear students, I hope your summer has gotten off to a good start, and you’re eagerly planning for fall as a University of Maryland (UMD) student. We in College Park Scholars are equally excited to welcome you in August! By now you should have received a message about UMD’s fall semester, as well as your on-campus housing situation if you were planning on living in the residence halls. I wanted to share with you some initial information on what College Park Scholars is doing to help make your first semester with us as fun and enriching as possible.
A Message to Our Students: Black Lives Do Matter
Rising sophomore Scholars students, as well as Scholars alumni who are rising juniors and seniors, received the following message today from College Park Scholars: Dear students,
Checking in During the Pandemic
With the spring session now being conducted entirely remotely, College Park Scholars sent the following message to students yesterday to see how they were coping and to let them know what faculty and staff were working on behind the scenes:
COVID-19 Anxiety: Scholars Faculty is Here for Students
Scholars students received the following message today from Dr. Marilee Lindemann, executive director of College Park Scholars: Dear students, I know the past few days have been a lot to take. You’ve undoubtedly experienced a range of emotions in a very short span of time, as rumors have spread about the campus response to the coronavirus. I’m sure you feel like you have a lot of questions and not enough answers. Maybe the only thing you know for sure now is that you feel uncertain and anxious. This is a new and unsettling situation for all of us. It is also a rapidly evolving situation, which has added to the difficulty of communicating about it in a way that works for everyone.