Accreditation Briefing

Accreditation Briefing Site Visit – Monday & Tuesday, April 8-9, 2013

ALA and LIS Programs: Partners for Graduate Education of Librarians & Information Professionals • February 26, 2013, ILS submitted its Program Presentation (responding to each of the six Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library & Information Studies). The External Review Panel representing the American Library Association’s Committee on Accreditation will be on campus April 7-9, 2013 to meet with faculty, students, administration, and constituents.

What is it and why? • ALA Accreditation • PROGRAMS ARE ACCREDITED – in this case the Master of Library Science program -- • NOT SCHOOLS • NOT COLLEGES • NOT DEGREES

Professional, not regional • >ALA does specialized, professional accreditation. • This is not about regional accreditation. • ALA works with The Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors http://www.aspa-usa.org/

But most importantly • >Accreditation provides the constituents of an MLS program – students, prospective students, alumni, the general library community and users of libraries – some assurances about the preparation of librarians.

The Committee on Accreditation (COA) • Appointed by the ALA President-elect • Consists of different types of people, including members of the general “user” public • 4-year staggered terms • 12 members – 10 personal members of ALA; • -- 2 members of the public • Benefits from hard-working committee members who make an enormous commitment

ALA Office for Accreditation • ALA Staff, led by Karen O’Brien • Supports the Committee on Accreditation (COA) • Maintains documents • Schedules reviews • Publishes directories, newsletters, website on the topic of accreditation • Keeps up to date with accreditation issues in general

The Standards • First standards for LIS education – adopted in 1925 • Most recent standards – adopted by ALA Council in 1992 • Update to language & emphasis on outcomes – adopted January 2008; effective for reviews with fall 2010 visits; some programs (such as Southern) were early adopters

Six Major areas are addressed by six standards • I Mission, Goals and Objectives • II Curriculum • III Faculty • IV Students • V Administration & Financial Support • VI Physical Facilities & Resources

Qualitative not Quantitative • Emphasis on • Planning • Processes • Evaluation and Assessment • Contextual Environment and Consistency • Emphases are directed to the • ongoing status of a program

The Process • Continuous planning • Invitation to review • Appointment of External Review Panel (ERP) Chair • Appointment of ERP (6 members total) • Plan for Program Presentation developed • Development of Program Presentation & Delivery • Visit of ERP • Report of ERP • Meeting with COA, ERP Chair, Dean/Director • Decision time!

Categories of Accreditation • Pre-candidate • Candidate • Initial Accreditation • Continued Accreditation • Conditional Accreditation • Withdrawn Accreditation

Legalities and Other Issues • Very prescribed processes followed • Confidentiality protected • Appeals are allowed • Ethical conduct by all parties

Who is Involved • Faculty • Staff • Students • University administrators • Alumni • Employers • Friends of the School/Program

The ERP has Six Members • Chair: Elizabeth Aversa, Ph.D., University of Alabama • Members: • Richard AmRhein, CIO, Valparaiso University • Gail Dickinson, Associate Professor, Old Dominion University • Donna Dziedzic, Executive Director (retired), Naperville (IL) Public Library • June Lester, Professor Emerita, University of Oklahoma • Mary Elizabeth (Ma'lis) Wendt, Associate Director (retired), New York Public Library

What are our Program’s likely “issues” for COA? • Assessment and Planning (adoption of Tk20 for documentation of measurement of student learning outcomes) • Faculty Productivity (research and publication)

You Can Help in this Effort • Thank you, first, for taking an interest • Look at our program presentation report if you have the time. The document is available on the department website: http://www.southernct.edu/ils [Click on “2013 ALA Site Visit”]

How You Can Help • Participate • Site visit interviews are scheduled or will be scheduled for the visiting period • Plan to attend the gathering of the community on Sunday, April 7. The ERP Chair will brief those who attend: alumni, students, staff, and Southern officials in Adanti Student Center, Room 301. Time: 3-5 pm.

Official Schedule • Sunday, April 7, 2013, 3-5 pm Reception with members of the External Review Panel, students, alumni, practitioners, and other constituents, Adanti Student Center (ASC) 301 [breakout sessions from 4-5 pm to permit you to talk in smaller groups with ERP members] • Monday, April 8, 2013, 3:30-4:30 pm ERP members wish to meet with students working on the Special Project and Portfolio, Adanti Student Center (ASC) 303 • Monday, April 8, 2013, 5:30-6:30 pm Student Reception and Briefing with ERP members, Adanti Student Center (ASC) 303

Thank you for caring about our program • Arlene Bielefield, MLS, J.D. James Kusack, Ph.D. • Mary Brown, Ph.D. Yan Quan Liu, Ph.D. • Yunseon Choi, Ph.D. Elsie Okobi, MSLS, MSIS, Ed.D. • Chang Suk Kim, Ph.D. Josephine Sche, Ph.D. • Hak Joon Kim, Ph.D. Eino Sierpe, Ph.D. • The ILS Fulltime Faculty

Accreditation Briefing