Presentation to the
SLIS Community on
Accreditation Planning
Dr. Kimberly B. Kelley
Dean, SLIS
February 11, 2008
Topics for This Evening’s
Forum
 Status of SLIS progress on achieving
compliance with the American Library
Association Standards
 Discussion of SLIS Progress To Date
 Proposed next steps to achieve
accreditation in March, 2009
 Q&A
Some Terminology
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Committee on Accreditation
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Office of Accreditation, American Library Association (ALA)
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The body responsible for deciding on whether a program receives
accreditation every seven years
The office that is the liaison between the Committee on Accreditation
(COA) and the programs
The Program Presentation
The Evaluation Review Panel
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#Guidelines)
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COA 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
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Standards with Areas for
Improvement for SLIS
 Standard I: Mission, Goals and
Objectives
 Standard II: Faculty
 Standard III: Curriculum
 Standard VI: Physical Resources and
Facilities
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ALA-COA 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:
Mission, Goals and Objectives
 SLIS is undergoing a comprehensive planning
process including:
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Developed new values, vision, mission, and goals
and objectives for the master’s program
Devising a working plan for longer-term planning in
CUA-SLIS (three year plan)
Established an Advisory Committee for SLIS
Created a Web page to share progress/gain
feedback from constituents
(http://slis.cua.edu/about/Accreditation)
Preparing Exit, Alumni, and Employer surveys to
ensure comprehensive stakeholder input.
Developing a technology strategic plan.
ALA-COA Concerns Standard
II: Curriculum
 The School must develop a “curriculum…based
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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,
Include the School’s constituencies in all
planning activities
Progress on Standard II:
Curriculum
 Re-established curriculum committee for the School
 Reviewing four core courses course objectives and
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content based on revised program goals and objectives.
Reviewing/refreshing/revising SLIS “tracks”
Reactivated the Technology Committee for the School.
Technology survey underway to ensure curriculum is
“responsive” and to help make improvements
Continuing to develop the SLIS Information Commons
Reviewing and updating advising
procedures/materials/process
Systematic plan to include all constituencies in curriculum
changes/updates (as they occur)
Reviewing core courses to ensure appropriate
technologies are covered.
ALA-COA Concerns Standard
III: Faculty
 “The technology component is particularly inadequate. A
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comprehensive approach is needed to rectify this
situation.”
Write program objectives that provide a frame of
reference and then determine if faculty can accomplish
the program objectives and have the specialized
knowledge to cover the program content.
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:
Faculty
 Four new faculty hired (all have strong
technology skills) – all faculty of School working
in concert to improve technology infrastructure
and curriculum offerings
 Developing expertise in technology planning
 Two more faculty are being recruited
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Technology skills to enhance teaching & learning
Add to current faculty strengths – solidify support
for curriculum
 Hiring is also to address the COA expressed
concern related to “diversity” and “number”
Progress on Standard III:
Faculty
 Upgrading technology infrastructure ($94K
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infusion of support from CUA)
Technology committee addressing issues for on
and off campus faculty support with the
university’s IT operation
Hired two support personnel for off-site
locations (LoC and VA)
Reviewing core courses to ensure appropriate
technologies are covered.
Clarifying scope of tracks with heavy
technology component
Standards IV: Students and V:
Administration and Financial
Support
 COA did not express concerns with
these two standards.
 Working on developing the Program
Presentation to ensure SLIS 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
 Systematic upgrades to Marist Hall classrooms,
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part of the campus-wide upgrade initiative
Upgrades to the Information Commons in
Marist Hall
Upgrades to the other SLIS computer
laboratory facilities under review
Technology Committee’s strategic planning
process provides framework for continual
evaluation, planning, and upgrades for SLIS
Marist upgraded to be completely wireless
accessible
Progress on Standard VI:
Facilities
 Marist is not fully ADA compliant. Cost-
prohibitive to upgrade the building
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Classes for disabled students held in other, ADA
compliant buildings
Information Commons and the first floor of Marist
Hall are ADA compliant
Examining other facilities for housing SLIS on
campus (longer term)
Establishing a working group on facilities to
recommend a long term plan
Strong movement to blended and alternative
formats to lessen reliance on Marist Hall
Next Steps
 Complete planning process including developing the
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three-year Working Plan for SLIS.
Finish curricular review of the four core courses in light of
the new goals and objectives for the program.
Continue to upgrade the technology infrastructure and
facilities.
Continue and complete as much of the hiring process as
feasible.
Finish the Program Presentation due in January, 2009
Visit by the Evaluation Review Panel (ERP) March 23/24,
2009.
Continue development of SLIS Accreditation Website.
Continue updates in the Dean’s Dialogue (blog)
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http://thedeansdialogue.blogspot.com/
Questions or
Suggestions?
Thank you