New scholarship supports Bachelor of Information students interested in public service

Jul 31, 2025

Three people standing in front of Convocation Hall with the CN Tower in the background. Two are parents, one is wearing a graduation gown. — *Karla Weys with her parents at her 1990 convocation ceremony. Weys’s generous donation will encourage Bachelor of Information students leaning toward careers in government and the nonprofit sector.*

If the Bachelor of Information (BI) program had existed when Karla Weys was beginning her university studies back in the eighties, she is certain she would have applied. And now, with the benefit of hindsight and a long successful career working in government, Weys thinks a bachelor’s program in her field is more important than ever, especially for students contemplating a future in public service or nonprofit organizations.

That’s why Weys, who retired as Assistant Director, Information Management for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in 2021, decided to fund a new scholarship for BI students at the Faculty of Information. The Karla M. Weys Nonprofit and Public Service Award, endowed late last year as a result of her generous $50,000 gift, will encourage, promote and recognize undergraduate students demonstrating commitment to these vital sectors.

Steering graduates to key sectors

During her decades in government – including roles at Export Development Canada and Indigenous Services Canada as well the CRTC – Weys witnessed the profound shift from print to digital. She knows firsthand the critical role information management plays in public service and is convinced BI graduates have vital skills that are highly in demand.

“The business of government is information,” says Weys, who sees many similarities between government and the nonprofit sector. “I hope we can steer people with the right skill set into public service and nonprofits.”

Faculty of Information Dean Javed Mostafa often hears from employers about how valued information graduates are in the nonprofit and government sectors, especially now with artificial intelligence making a profound impact. “The timing of Karla Weys’s gift couldn’t be better,” said Mostafa. “The BI program will be expanding in the very near future and this award will have a significant and growing impact.”

Inspired by a peer

Weys was inspired to give back by a friend who established a scholarship for women’s soccer at U of T’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Working as a page for the Ottawa Public Library while in High School, Weys knew early on that she wanted to go to library school, but there were no Bachelor programs in the field at the time so she did her undergrad in psychology at the University of Ottawa before getting her Master of Library Science degree at U of T in 1990. “I definitely would have opted for something like the Bachelor of Information,” she says.

Weys is impressed by how the BI program combines critical thinking about information sources with practical management skills. In an age saturated with information, where algorithms can shape what people see, Weys stresses the importance of learning how to critically evaluate information and its sources. And, as a highly experienced public servant, she knows the importance of having the management and technical skills required to implement programs and policies.

The business of government is information. I hope we can steer people with the right skill set into public service and nonprofits.

With the BI program set to become a full-fledged four-year program starting in 2027 (It’s currently a two-year program that accepts students who have completed their first two years of study in other programs), Weys hopes to see it thrive as more BI students graduate and join the work force, acting as “implanted ambassadors” for effective information management.

The business of government is information. I hope we can steer people with the right skill set into public service and nonprofits.

Eligibility for the new award is based on demonstrated service through work-integrated learning, relevant coursework, employment, or volunteering in the public or non-profit sectors, provided students have completed specific credit requirements in the BI program.