2nd Presentation to the
School of Library and
Information Science
(SLIS) Community on
Accreditation Planning
Dr. Kimberly B. Kelley
Dean, SLIS
September 25, 2008
Topics for This Evening’s
Forum
 Status of SLIS progress on achieving
compliance with the American Library
Association (ALA) Standards
 Status on the ALA Program Presentation
 Next steps to achieve accreditation in
March, 2009
 Q&A
Some Terminology






Committee on Accreditation
Office of Accreditation, American Library Association (ALA)
The Program Presentation
The Evaluation Review Panel (ERP)
The Evaluation Review Report
Conditional Accreditation
is “a status assigned to a program that must make changes to
comply with the 1992 Standards for Accreditation of Master’s
Programs in Library and Information Studies to enable
accreditation beyond the date specified by the Committee on
Accreditation (COA). Please note that these programs are fully
accredited under the Standards.” (verbatim, ALA Web site):
http://www.ala.org/accreditation/lisdrib/lisdirectory.cfm#Guidelin
es)
3
ALA Standards (there are six)
 Standard I: Mission, goals and objectives
 Standard II: Curriculum
 Standard III: Faculty
 Standard IV: Students
 Standard V: Administration and Financial
Support
 Standard VI: Physical Resources and
Facilities
4
Mandatory Improvement Areas
for SLIS:
 Standard I: Mission, Goals and
Objectives
 Standard II: Curriculum
 Standard III: Faculty
 Standard VI: Physical Resources and
Facilities
5
ALA Concerns for Standard I:
Mission, Goals and Objectives
 Rewrite the mission, goals and
objectives to “form the essential frame of
reference for evaluation” of the entire
program,
 Give special attention to writing program
objectives “in terms of educational
results to be achieved” and,
 Include the School’s constituencies in all
planning activities.
Progress on Standard I:
 SLIS continues comprehensive planning including:






Developed new values, vision, mission, and goals and
objectives for the master’s program
Developed a SLIS Working Plan for longer-term
planning in CUA-SLIS (three year plan)
Regular feedback/collaboration with the SLIS Advisory
Committee
Accreditation Web page to share progress/gain
feedback from constituents
(http://slis.cua.edu/about/Accreditation)
Student, Alumni, and Employer surveys completed to
ensure comprehensive stakeholder feedback and,
Developed a technology strategic plan.
ALA-COA Concerns
Standard II: Curriculum
 The School must develop a “curriculum…based




on goals and objectives” that “evolves in
response to a systematic planning process”,
Ensure that the School “responds to the needs
of a rapidly changing technological and global
society”,
“Construct coherent programs of study”,
Strengthen the technical component of the
program and,
Include the School’s constituencies in all
planning activities.
Progress on
Standard II:
 Re-established Curriculum Committee for the School
 Reviewing four core courses course objectives and content







areas.
Reviewing core courses to ensure appropriate technologies are
covered.
Reviewing/refreshing/revising SLIS “tracks” and concentrations
Reactivated the Technology Committee for the School.
Technology enhancements to ensure curriculum is “responsive”
Implemented new technology enhancements in Marist
Reviewing and updating advising procedures/materials/process
Systematic plan to include all constituencies in curriculum
changes/updates
ALA-COA Concerns
Standard III: Faculty
 Assure the Committee that the faculty are
“sufficient in number and in diversity to carry out
the major share of the teaching, research and
service activities required for a program
wherever and however it is delivered.”
 Allay the concern of the Committee that the
faculty does not have the experience to
“demonstrate skill in academic planning and
evaluation.”
 Include the School’s constituencies in all
planning activities.
Progress on
Standard III:
 Four new faculty hired
 Increased expertise in technology
planning
 Two more faculty are being recruited
 Hiring is also to address the COA
expressed concern related to “diversity”
and “number”
Progress on
Standard III: Faculty
 Upgrading technology infrastructure for
SLIS ($93K infusion of support from
CUA)
 Faculty support with the university’s IT
operation
 Hired two support personnel for off-site
locations to support SLIS faculty (LoC
and VA)
Standard IV: Students and
Standard V: Administration and
Financial Support
 COA did not express concerns with
these two standards.
 Program Presentation will continue to
meet the COA standards.
ALA-COA Concerns Standard
VI: Facilities
 The School must demonstrate that the physical
facilities “provide a functional environment for
students and faculty”,
 The School must explain more clearly why it is
non-ADA compliant,
 The School must demonstrate how the
Information Commons contributes to the
technical knowledge of the students,
 The School must include its constituencies in all
planning activities.
Progress on
Standard VI: Facilities
 Upgrades to Marist Hall



Classrooms
Information Commons
Computer Lab
 Technology Committee’s strategic
planning process
 Marist fully wireless
Progress on Standard VI:
 Marist is not fully ADA compliant. Cost-
prohibitive to upgrade the building
 Therefore:



Classes held in other, ADA compliant buildings
 Information Commons and the first floor of Marist
Hall Classrooms are ADA compliant
 Strong movement to alternative formats to lessen
reliance on Marist Hall
Examining other facilities for SLIS (longer term)
School facilities committee
Next Steps
 Finish curricular review of the four core courses
 Continue to make strategic upgrades for
technology infrastructure
 Finish the Program Presentation draft due in
November, 2008 to COA
 Prepare for visit by the Evaluation Review
Panel (ERP) March 23/24, 2009
 To keep apprised:




Visit SLIS Accreditation Web site:
http://slis.cua.edu/about/Accreditation/
Read updates in the Dean’s Dialogue (blog):
http://thedeansdialogue.blogspot.com/
Questions?
Thank you