Library and Information Science

AY 2014-2015 ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW SELF-STUDY

Reporting School/College: St. John’s College

Program Reviewed: Library and Information Science MS/MLS Q

Date Submitted to Department/DLIS Chair: January 5, 2015, revised September 28, 2015

Overview and Program Review Summary : Please summarize this program’s mission and its relationship to the vision and mission of St. John’s University, and the program’s School/College. Identify similar programs regionally and nationally and distinguish this program from them. In addition, summarize your findings as they relate to (1) program quality, (2) market growth potential, and (3) student learning. Also, summarize any significant changes, achievements (by faculty and students and the program itself), and plans for the future. Finally, based on the information gleaned from the data in the self-study, give an overall rating of the program’s Enrollment/Market

Potential by categorizing it as one of the following: (1) Enhance; (2) Maintain; (3) Reduce support, Phase out,

Consolidate, or Discontinue.

(Suggested limit 1 page)

Mission

The program’s mission is to serve the people and organizations of the New York metropolitan area and the wider community by:



Preparing and enabling outstanding librarians and other information professionals who will lead the profession forward in providing access to information where, when, and how people need and require it;



Researching and publishing about issues in the profession; and



Serving, particularly the underserved.

The faculty, staff, and administration are committed to this mission. This is completely consistent with the

University’s mission and guides the interpretation of the program goals and objectives.

Distinguish the program from the competition

St. John’s is in a very competitive market. There are four library schools – Pratt, Queens College, Long Island

University, and St. John’s – in the New York City area. Our distinctive mission sets us apart from both regional and national programs. St. John’s service-oriented mission aligns closely with the code of ethics of the American Library

Association. Our incorporation of Academic Service-Learning into the core and elective courses distinguishes our program as one which integrates community engagement and course objectives. We are distinguished by having a fully online program and the only program of the four to offer the Law Librarianship specialization online. Our laptop program provides entering students with the technology they need for both online and mixed-mode courses.

Program Quality

The program is accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), the accrediting body for Masters Degree programs in Library and Information Studies. The program attracts outstanding students. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including partners in New York law firms, vice presidents of financial firms, public relations professionals, and directors of information centers. In the 2013-2014 academic year, the average GPA of entering

LAS_LIS_LIB&INFO.SCI_MLS_Q Self-Study 1

students was 3.43 and 34% of entering students had advanced degrees (JD/MA/MS/MSED). The average GPA for students entering in Fall 2015 was 3.55.

Market Growth Potential

The market potential is promising. This is the information age. Information technology has made available trillions of pieces of information. They need to be collected, stored, preserved, organized, indexed (or meta-tagged), analyzed and made available online, and users, patrons, clients and customers need assistance in finding and using this information. This is the domain of library and information science. In addition to traditional librarian positions, new positions are opening in digital libraries, archives, information analysis, information management, competitive intelligence, records management, and marketing research. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment within the library science profession is projected to increase 7.4 percent between 2012 and 2022. The broader information professions are expected to increase in excess of 10%.

Student Learning

The program goals and learning outcomes are based on the eight core competencies of the discipline as established by the American Library Association (ALA), the accrediting body for Masters Degree programs in Library and

Information Studies. The program is 36 credits consisting of four core courses, one management course, seven elective courses, and an e-Portfolio. The four core courses and the electives are designed to cover one or more program goals. The course syllabi identify the program goal(s) corresponding to the course. Students submit an e-

Portfolio for the end-of-program assessment. In the e-Portfolio, students demonstrate their learning by writing reflective essays on evidence submitted from their coursework of satisfying each of the eight program goals.

Significant Changes, Achievements, and Plans



The program was re-accredited by the ALA’s Committee on Accreditation in 2011. The program is currently one of only two programs accredited without condition, of the four library schools in the New York City area.



The end-of-program assessment was changed in Spring 2013 to having students submit an e-portfolio.

Results thus far confirm the value of the e-portfolio as a measure for program assessment and for increasing the marketability of the students.



An increased emphasis on Academic Service-Learning (AS-L), particularly its incorporation into a core course, ensures that all students have an AS-L experience. The outcomes of the AS-L projects (51 projects thus far) have been integrated into the Hidden Heritage Collection’s blog

( www.hiddenheritagecollections.org

), providing access over the Internet to these archival collections.



The MA in Public History, which began in 2011, has resulted in relationships which strengthen both programs. St. John’s University’s Oral History Project is an ongoing project which records and archives the interviews of distinguished faculty, administrators and alumni, and involves students in both the MS LIS and

MA in Public History programs. We believe the new MA in Museum Administration will lead to similar collaborations. Both programs result from PHMAS, a collaborative initiative among DLIS of Library and

Information Science (DLIS), the Department of History, and the Department of Art and Design.




The Director, Assistant Director, and Secretary took the 2014 VSO. While the Director and Secretary were replaced, the Assistant Director was not. DLIS believes this loss impacts our ability to establish a more effective recruitment plan, to improve the service model for our online students, and to improve operations

(e.g. communications, advisement management, and ad hoc administrative problem-solving).



The planning priorities for the next year consist of 1) developing a marketing and recruitment strategy; 2) developing opportunities for academic service-learning (ASL), internships, independent study courses, applied projects, study abroad, and other high-impact practices; and 3) engaging the alumni as active participants in the steps for improving the program.

Overall Rating: Enhance

Comment: Despite being understaffed, enrollment of students entering in the Fall 2015 term (n=31) has increased

41% over the number of students entering in the Fall 2014 term (n=22). Opportunities are there to increase enrollment. With the right administrative staffing level, we could continue this growth rate. The addition of Dr.

Rajesh Singh will lead to new opportunities given his expertise in management and knowledge sharing, two directions of growth among library and information professionals.

STANDARD 1. The purpose of the program reflects and supports the strategic vision and mission of St.

John’s University, and the program’s School/College.

1a. What evidence can you provide that demonstrates that the program embodies the Catholic, Vincentian, and

Metropolitan identity of St. John’s University? www.stjohns.edu/about/out-mission .

(Suggested limit 1/3 page)

The Catholic and Vincentian missions of service to the underserved are at the heart of the library and information science profession. The profession’s values are consistent with Catholic values of compassion, respect and inclusiveness. The MS LIS program’s mission (page 1) aligns closely to the University’s mission.

Many of the values in the library science profession align with Vincentian traditions, including information access equality to bridge the digital divide, freedom of information, and a strong commitment to service; we emphasize these values in the curriculum and through co-curricular activities (e.g., symposia presentations on library services to the poor; diversity issues, and academic service-learning (AS-L) ).

In keeping with the Catholic tradition of embracing each individual’s responsibility for the world in which we live,

DLIS’s faculty members stress the service-oriented nature of the library profession by encouraging students to give back to their communities and to protect the rights of the underserved. DLIS offers courses such as Materials and

Services to Diverse Populations (LIS 222) and Social Justice in the Information Professions (LIS 283) to prepare students to meet their social responsibilities as information professionals in the 21st century.

Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) is integrated in the core course Organization of Information (LIS 203) and in three elective courses. Moreover, 51 student AS-L projects (so far) comprise the web site


www.hiddenheritagecollections.org

, providing Internet access to historical collections of the partner libraries, archives, and museums.

Faculty members have also taken efforts on an individual level to serve the Catholic community. Dr. Rioux serves as the Advisor on Information to the Holy See's Mission to the United Nations, and he has served as a Senior

Vincentian Research Fellow since 2007. Dr. Rioux co-lead a workshop entitled Social Justice in the LIS Classroom:

Making it Happen at the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Annual Conference in

January 2015. Dr. Angel is a member of the third cohort of the Vincentian Mission Institute.

DLIS also has a metropolitan mission. One of the program’s greatest strengths is its presence in the metropolitan area, which has the greatest collection in the world of libraries and information centers, and esteemed librarians and other information professionals. These institutions are host sites for both internships and AS-L projects. Class offerings further reflect the metropolitan character of the program. In Exploring New York Libraries (LIS 272) students take field trips to libraries and information centers in Manhattan. Both Digital Libraries (LIS 230) and

Social Justice in the Information Professions (LIS 283) stress the global information environment. Dr. Lee has developed a study abroad course in collaboration with the College of the West Indies (WI) in Jamaica WI, which will run in the Spring 2017 term.

1b. What evidence can you provide that demonstrates that the program embodies the University’s vision. www.stjohns.edu/about/out-mission/vision-statement . (Suggested limit 1/3 page)

The vision of quality education through innovative teaching, research and service resulting in rational, spirited inquiry are consistent with the emphasis DLIS faculty members place on the scholarly manner in which they engage students and their academic colleagues.

The program is accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), the accrediting body for Masters Degree programs in Library and Information Science. Currently, the program is among only five of the seven MS programs in New York State to be accredited without condition, attesting to the rigor of the evaluation of the accreditation standards.

The program goals are based on the eight ALA Core Competencies. Students are required to submit an e-portfolio as the end-of-program assessment. Within the e-portfolio, students provide evidence from their coursework and written reflections on the evidence, demonstrating how each of the eight core competencies is satisfied within each student’s program of study.

Innovative teaching is demonstrated in the embedding of technology (presentation, collaborative work tools, web and database design, blogs, among others) in many of the program’s courses. The faculty uses the learning management system, Blackboard, to engage students in both online and blended courses. All full-time faculty (and most part-time faculty) are trained in distance learning pedagogy, and are highly-skilled in the application of

Blackboard’s tools to develop course web sites and manage online assessment.


Service is at the heart of the Library and Information Science professions. Service-oriented courses are throughout the program, and are an integral part of all program specializations. As previously mentioned (section 1a), AS-L pedagogy is used in both core and elective courses. Since core courses are required, this ensures that every student in the program has at least one AS-L learning experience.

Student research presentations have been part of DLIS’s semi-annual symposia series since its inception in the Fall

2011 term. The presentation formats have varied, including 15-minute oral, panel, poster, and ‘ignite’ (2-3 minute) presentations. In addition, students are encouraged to submit their work to regional conferences. Two students presented at the Metropolitan New York Library Council’s (METRO) annual conference in January 2015.

As far as being known worldwide for addressing issues of poverty and social justice, Dr. Kevin Rioux has been recognized as a leader in the field and, as previously mentioned (section 1a), co-lead a workshop on social justice at the ALISE conference in January 2015. He designed the course Social Justice in the Information Professions (LIS

283) which investigates related issues in a global context. In addition, these concerns permeate other courses in the program.

1c. What evidence can you provide that demonstrates that the program embodies the vision and mission of the program’s School/College? (Suggested limit 1/3 page)

The program’s dedication to student centered teaching, social diversity and a modern educational environment is evident throughout. Our coursework is challenging and rich with opportunities for students to engage in scholarly inquiry and creative expression while utilizing innovative technological resources for delivery.

The program is fully online. The core courses are offered both online and blended (online pedagogy with some face to face meetings). All full-time faculty (and most part-time) are certified to teach online. About 15% of the program’s students live outside the New York Metro area, concentrated primarily in upstate New York, New

England, the Chicago Area, and Florida. Whether online or blended, technology is embedded throughout the program in the form of presentation tools, blogging, wiki’s, web design, and database design tools, among others.

Most tools are either cloud-based applications, free downloads, or are available on the student laptops (all entering students receive a laptop – MacBook or Lenovo PC).

Courses are complimented with technology workshops. Dr. Angel has introduced workshops on e-Portfolios and

Digication (the technology platform used for e-portfolios) for all DLIS students and on other technologies specific to her courses. With the assistance of University Libraries, online access to the workshops is provided through

AdobeConnect. Digital artifacts are created for each workshop and posted on the DLIS blog ( http://sjudlis.com

) for students to access when needed.

Students are encouraged (and in some courses required) to present their research at DLIS’ semi-annual symposia or at the University’s Student Research Day each spring. Online access to symposia is provided through Webex, which is supported by the University’s Information Technology Department. In the Fall 2014 Symposium, digital artifacts


of the presentations were posted on YouTube. The symposia offer opportunities for students, faculty, alumni, and professionals in the field to network as well as share academic research.

To better support academic service-learning projects requiring the digitization of archival materials, a digitization lab was developed in 2012. The lab is located in an office in DLIS’s office suite on the Queens Campus. The lab is used by students in the core course Information Organization (LIS 203) and the elective courses Digital Libraries

(LIS 230) and Archival Representation (LIS 257). The lab had reached capacity with the increasing numbers of collections being processed. To alleviate this, DLIS implemented a digitization lab at the Oakdale Graduate Center in the all Fall 2014 term to handle the increased workload and to enable similar relationships with libraries, archives, and museums on Long Island. Approximately 40% of DLIS’ students are from Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Faculty research has enriched the curriculum. Dr. Rioux’s research on social justice in the information professions has impacted the program through a revised introductory core course (LIS 204) and a new elective course (LIS 283).

In addition, his research has had a wider impact in the form of international and national conferences, most recently the ALISE conference (section 1b). Dr. Lee’s research on teen spaces in libraries and popular culture and the young adult have informed the revision of the courses in the youth services specialization. Dr. Angel’s research on information organization in archival materials has resulted in a revised core course (LIS 203) and new courses in archival representation (LIS 257) and museum informatics (LIS 258). Dr. Vorbach’s work in database modeling and web design has informed revisions of the Database Modeling and Design course (LIS 248), the Metadata for

Information Professionals course (LIS 237), and the Web Design course (LIS 238).

Standard 1. Additional comments. (Suggested limit 1 page)

Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) is integrated in the core course Organization of Information (LIS 203), and the elective courses Digital Libraries (LIS 230), Metadata (LIS237), and Archival Representation (LIS 257). Students in these classes work on collections in the archives of the Center for Migration Studies (Scalabrini Fathers archive), the

Paulist Fathers, and Marymount Manhattan College. A portion of the collection is digitized, described using metadata standards, and the digital artifact is ‘deposited’ in an online repository. DLIS received permission from the partner institutions to publish the digital artifacts on its Hidden Heritage Collection web site, www.hiddenheritagecollections.org

. The term ‘Hidden’ Heritage recognizes that the archival documents were virtually inaccessible and relatively unknown before being available online. After three semesters, 51 AS-L projects have been completed. While still in its early stages, the potential impact of the Hidden Heritage Collection web site as a learning platform and access point to primary sources is significant. This web site is an evolving information resource providing access to historical collections of our AS-L partner institutions. The AS-L projects themselves have evolved into an historical development of Catholicism within the United States and are interwoven with the ministry that the Paulist Fathers and Scalabrini Fathers provided for people displaced by wars and natural disasters.

DLIS is actively investigating ways in which workshops can compliment coursework. Workshops are available to online students through Webex or AdobeConnect. In addition, digital artifacts of each workshop are posted online permiting access on an as-needed basis. Three just-in-time technology workshops were offered this past year by Dr.

Angel to teach students how to navigate the digital environments which are integral to the program and the profession.


o The first workshop provided hands on training in the use of Digication. This workshop also covered elements of e-portfolio design. o The second workshop provided hands on training for new and continuing students in SJU technology tools like MySJU. o The third workshop was a just-in-time training session on how to use Dublin Core for cataloging digital objects. This workshop relates to the core course Organization of Information (LIS 203).

STANDARD 2. The program attracts, retains, and graduates high quality students.

2a. Undergraduate SAT and High School Average

NA

2b. Undergraduate 1 st

Year Retention Rate

NA

2c. Undergraduate 6 Year Graduation Rate

NA

2d. Graduate Standardized Test Scores

The GRE is not a criterion for admission to the program. Our students range in age from the twenties through the fifties. Research supports the fact that the GRE is a weak predictor of success in graduate programs, particularly for older students. The program attracts outstanding students. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including partners in New York law firms, vice presidents of financial firms, public relations professionals, and directors of information centers. In the 2013-2014 academic year, the average GPA (most recent degree, undergraduate or graduate degree) of the entering students was 3.43 and 34% of entering students had advanced degrees

(JD/MA/MS/MSED). The average GPA of entering students in the Fall 2015 term was 3.55.

2e. Please describe how the program compares with peer and aspirational institutions.


The program has high academic standards comparable or exceeding that of the other institutions offering MS LIS in the New York Metropolitan area. The program is accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), one of only two programs, of four in the New York City area, currently accredited without conditions. The program requires completion of an e-Portfolio as the end-of-program assessment. In their e-Portfolios, students write reflections on evidence submitted from their coursework of their learning the program goals and outcomes. The program goals are based on the eight core competencies established by the ALA. Only two (including St. John’s) of the four programs in the area require e-Portfolios, and ours is the only one based on the ALA core competencies.

The program is distinguished by the Catholic and Vincentian mission of St. John’s University. The mission permeates the program through specific courses such as Social Justice for the Information Professions (LIS 283), information ethics components in many courses, service-oriented nature of the program’s specializations, and

Academic Service-Learning experiences. Students engage in 12 hours of Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) in the


core course Information Organization (LIS 203). During the course of their AS-L work, students obtain practical experience in the organization of information within the digital environment. The AS-L component serves area nonprofit institutions, such as the Center for Migration Studies (the Scalabrini Fathers’ archive) and the Paulist Fathers’ archive, organizations that could otherwise not afford to digitize their collections. These collections document the stories of immigrants, and thus support the strategic vision and mission of serving underserved populations.

Additionally, we are one of only two library schools in the area offering a fully online program. In recent years the demand for online masters programs in library and information science has been increasing.

The laptop program also distinguishes the MS program from area programs. New students have a choice between a

MacBook Pro or a Lenovo PC. Upon graduation, the laptop is theirs to keep. The laptop program was offered to

DLIS in exchange for the loss of our computer lab in the renovation of St. Augustine Hall several years ago.

2f. If applicable, describe the program’s student performance over the past five years on licensure or professional certification exams relative to regional and national standards. (Suggested limit 1/4 page)

As information professionals do not have licensure or professional certification exams, this is not applicable.

2g. Number of majors and minors enrolled over the past five years.

See table below. The relatively large enrollment in the Fall 2010 term was the result of an Institute for Museum and

Library Studies (IMLS) grant. DLIS has been unsuccessful with two IMLS grant proposals submitted since the last grant, but is continuing its efforts, exploring these and other grant opportunities.

Fall

Number of

Students

MS

ADVCRT

Fall 2010

133

3

Fall 2011

75

4

Fall 2012

67

2

Fall 2013

64

0

Fall 2014

65

1

Total 136 79

Source: Office of Institutional Research, St. John’s University

69 64 66


2h. Number of degrees granted during the past five years.

See table below. As noted above, the relatively large number of degrees awarded in 10/11 was due to the increased enrollment from the IMLS grant.

Degrees

Granted

MS

09/10

60

10/11

86

Academic Year

11/12

32

12/13

35

13/14

24


The table below displays conferred degrees data for comparable degrees at local and national institutions based on data retrieved from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) web site, using the Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) Code of 25-Library Science.

2009-

2010

2010-

2011

2011-

2012

Local 340 345 319

National 7,448 7,727 7,441


1

Local institutions consist of Adelphi University, Columbia University, CUNY Queens College, Fordham

University, Hofstra University, Iona College, Long Isalnd University, Manhattan College, New York

University, Pace University, Seton Hall University, Stony Brook University, and Wagner College.

Comments : Based on the data in 2g and 2h, how do these trends compare to institutional, regional and national patterns? (Suggested limit 1/2 page)

The program had a significant increase in enrollment from 2008 through 2011 due to the funding of 80 academic scholarships from two IMLS grants. Since 2011 the enrollment has been stable between 64 and 75. This is consistent with national trends where institutions have been experiencing stable or decreasing enrollments. The program lacks a marketing and recruitment plan. The development of a marketing and recruitment plan is a high priority in the 2015-

2016 academic year. The plan will describe a systematic process for increasing the number of inquiries, increasing the number of applications, and the rate at which accepted students become registered.

2i. What mechanisms are in place to monitor students’ progress toward degree? And, to what extent is there a collaborative effort to provide quality advising and support services to students? (Suggested limit 1/4 page)

Students entering the program are advised initially by the Director. Each semester, prior to registration, students meet with their faculty advisor. Students select their faculty advisor based on their career interest. The program has seven areas of specialization to assist students in developing programs of study consistent with their career goals.


These areas are public librarianship, academic librarianship, special librarianship, public/youth services, archives, law librarianship, and school librarianship. In addition to the full-time faculty, two part-time coordinators with expertise in law librarianship and school librarianship respectively, advise students in these two areas. Students are not required to select a specialization and often develop programs of study customized for interests in more than one area. Advisement is one way the faculty maintain close relationships with the students. Students are encouraged to consult their advisors on an as-needed basis. Since the program is online, advisement appointments utilize a range of modes, e.g. in person, by phone, or Skype.

DLIS administration monitors the advisement process. DLIS posts course offerings in advance of registration and communicates the important dates for the advisement period and registration. Michael Crossfox, DLIS’ administrative assistant in Queens, tracks the advisement process and assists the faculty in preparing advisement reports for each advisee.

The advisement policy is communicated to students through DLIS blog http://sjudlis.com/resources/advisement/ .

2j. If available, provide information on the success of graduates in this program as it relates to employment or attending graduate school. (Suggested limit 1/4 page)

Program graduates are highly successful at finding employment and/or furthering their education. In 2013, the most recent year available, 92.3% are either employed and/or furthering their education. The table below shows the job/furthering education outcomes since 2011. The high population in 2011 reflects the fact that 2011 was the last year of the IMLS grant.

MS Library and Information Science

2013

2012

2011

Population Response

Rate

35 50.0%

31

84

61.3%

66.7%

Placement

Rate

92.3%

94.7%

76.9%

Source: University Career Services, St. John’s University

Employed

84.6%

78.9%

66.1%

Employed and

Furthering Education

7.7%

5.3%

7.1%

Furthering

Education

0.0%

10.5%

3.7%

Seeking

Employment

7.7%

5.3%

23.1%


2k.

Please comment on the students’ competencies in the program. Support your response using data provided below and any other data available. (Suggested limit 1/3 page)

The students’ competencies in the program are evidenced by the high cumulative GPA. As the charts show, MS LIS students compare favorably to graduate students in St. John’s College in general.



Standard 2.

Additional comments: (Suggested limit 1 page)

With respect to student competencies two additional aspects of the program require mention: 1) the e-portfolio, the program’s end-of program assessment, and 2) student involvement in research.

1) Since the Spring 2013 term, students have been required to submit an e-Portfolio in which they reflect on evidence provided from their coursework that they have the eight program goals. The chart below shows the performance of students on the e-Portfolio. Students failing to pass (a grade less than 80%) are advised by the Director.

E-Portfolio Assessment

Summer 2014

Spring 2014

Fall 2013

Population

7

12

6

Pass rate

100%

91.7%

100%

Avg (of passing portfolios)

93.6%

90.7%

94.3%

Avg (all portfolios)

-

86.5%

-

Spring 2013 22 100% 93.14 -

2) DLIS symposia series, since its inception in the Fall 2011 term, has been a showcase for student research, in addition to having presentations by national recognized keynote speakers, and information professionals in the community. In Fall 2013, poster presentations were added to include more student projects – 15 projects were presented. In Spring 2014, the poster presentations grew to 30. In the Fall 2014 Symposium, a student

‘ignite’ session was added where student presenters had 2-3 minutes to deliver the key points on their projects.

Students are encouraged submit their work to regional conferences. This past year three students have been successful. One student was accepted at 2014 Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO) Annual

Conference and two were accepted for the 2015 METRO Conference held in January.

STANDARD 3. The program engages in ongoing systematic planning that is aligned with the University and

School/College planning, direction, and priorities.

The faculty meets monthly to review DLIS strategy, discuss tactics and priorities, and plan events. At the May meeting, the faculty revise the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) document. There is an annual all-day meeting in September which reviews the proposed strategic plan and the assessment report for the previous academic year.


3a.

How does your program’s strategic goal/objectives link to your School/College plan and the University’s strategic plan? http://www.stjohns.edu/about/leadership/strategic-planning

The program’s strategic goals align well with that of the University’s strategic plan (Mission, Student Engagement, and Global Education) and the St. John’s College Plan.

Mission

The St. John’s College strategic goals with regards to mission emphasizes an increase in the adoption of Academic

Service-Learning in courses, closer collaboration with the Vincentian Center for Church and Society to assist with its mission, and providing expertise to the broader Church community.

DLIS strategic goals include incorporating the mission throughout every aspect of DLIS, addressing the information needs of underserved populations, and leveraging our proximity to New York City’s world-renown libraries and information centers and engage them in mission-related education, service, and research. DLIS has taken concrete steps in achieving these objectives. Dr. Rioux serves as an Advisor on Information to the Holy See's Mission to the

United Nations, and he also serves as a Senior Vincentian Fellow. Dr. Rioux co-lead a workshop entitled Social

Justice in the LIS Classroom: Making it Happen at the Association for Library and Information Science Education

(ALISE) Annual Conference in January 2015. Dr. Angel is a member of cohort three of the Vincentian Mission

Institute and presented a paper at the American Catholic Historical Association Conference in January 2015. The new courses, Archival Representation (LIS 257) and Museum Informatics (LIS 258) collaborate with New York City libraries, museums, and archives in Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) projects and field trips. Several courses focus specifically on serving the underserved – including Planning and Delivering Information Literacy Programs

(LIS 221), Materials and Services to Diverse Populations (LIS 222), and Social Justice in the Information

Professions (LIS 283). The core course Organization of Information (LIS 203) has an AS-L component ensuring that every student in the program has at least one AS-L experience. Prestigious libraries and information centers in New

York City are host to valuable internship experiences and their information professionals are speakers at DLIS

Symposia.

Student Engagement

St. John’s College strategic goals for student engagement include student advisement, faculty recognition for student engagement, collaborating with the Career Center to increase internships, student retention and graduate rates, enhance interdisciplinary programs and minors, improved monitoring of graduate students with incomplete grades, and personalizing the recruitment process.

DLIS strategic goals align well with the College’s goals and include an increased emphasis on career-oriented experiences in the form of AS-L projects and internships, increased opportunities for professional engagement, the application of e-Portfolios for demonstrating achievement of program goals and outcomes, faculty meeting with instructional designers in Online Learning Services (OLS) to improve teaching, increased emphasis on student participation in regional and national professional organizations, and improvement of communications to students.

As previously mentioned DLIS has made significant steps in terms of AS-L experiences and internships. In Fall

2011, the semi-annual symposia series was started. The symposia provide venues for student research in the form of


oral and poster presentations. The symposia feature presentations by faculty and outside experts which expose students to the important issues and trends in the profession. Students are encouraged to submit their research to local conferences and two are presenting at the METRO conference in January 2015. Student communications have improved with the introduction of the weekly digest and blog ( http://sjudlis.com

) in the Fall 2014 term. The weekly digest organizes announcements each week in terms of events, internships, jobs, awards, and scholarships. Detailed information on these opportunities is provided in the blog which also is a source for program information. E-

Portfolios were introduced in the Spring 2013 term, replacing the comprehensive exam as the end-of-program assessment. Students demonstrate in their e-Portfolios that they have satisfied the eight program goals of the MS

LIS. In addition, their e-Portfolios document their work for job interviews with employers.

Global Education

St. John’s College strategic goals emphasize study abroad programs, international graduate programs, and new graduate programs which combine studying in New York and study at St. John’s Paris or Rome Campuses.

DLIS has developed two study abroad course designs. The first was a combined program with Simmons College for summer courses at St. John’s Rome Campus. Logistical issues (on the St. John’s side with the co-teaching model) could not be resolved, and DLIS students were unable to participate. The second course, a cultural immersion program in Jamaica, failed to enroll enough students to run the first time. DLIS intends to try a new approach in promoting the cultural immersion course in Jamaica, and will run the course again in the Spring 2017 term.

Dr. Rioux’s global teaching and research projects have enriched the program in informal yet significant ways. These include his teaching with the Center for Global Development of Social Justice, his keynote address at the Social

Justice in Education Conference in Goa, India in 2013, and his most recent research project, which involved the touring of villages in the Brazilian Amazon to investigate forced labor practices.

DLIS has developed relationships with the Center for Migration Studies (Scalabrini Fathers’ archives) in New York

City and the Paulist Fathers in New York City and Washington, D.C. which have global implications. Students engaged in AS-L projects and internships at these sites are working with archival materials which relate to global migration, immigration, assisting those suffering from natural disasters (e.g. San Francisco earthquake of 1906), and serving the poor. DLIS is working to build relationships to more non-profit institutions which support its mission and will provide students with field experiences which integrate social justice and the information professions.

3b. What is the evidence of monitoring the external and internal environments, specifically what are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the program? How were they identified? What actions have been taken in response to these findings? What characteristics of the program suggest a competitive edge against other programs regionally and nationally?

As an ALA-accredited program DLIS is required to submit a statistical report annually and a narrative report biennially. The statistical report consists of aggregate data on faculty, students, curriculum, and continuing education. The data from the statistical reports of all library schools is available online to all ALISE members. We


use this data to monitor the tuition, course offerings, and activities of the four competing library schools in this area as well as LIS programs around the country. The biennial narrative report is a two-year update on each of the six accreditation standards – 1) Mission, Goals, and Objectives; 2) Curriculum; 3) Faculty; 4) Students; 5)

Administration and Financial Support; and 6) Physical Resources and Facilities. The narrative report helps DLIS monitor our progress with respect to each standard. The ALA returns a review of the narrative report identifying areas of concern. The last review, from the 2013 narrative report, did not identify any weaknesses.

The Director’s participation at the annual American Library Association (ALA) Conference and the Association for

Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) conference provides important feedback from discussions with the deans/directors of library school programs at the national level. Participation on the ALISE Deans’ and

Directors’ listserv and in the Library Journal’s annual placement and salary survey of graduating classes is very helpful. St. John’s University’s Career Services’ Career Outcomes Survey provides an important measure of job placement.

A S.W.O.T. analysis is performed annually, usually at the May faculty. Below is a summary of the 2014 report.

Strengths

Three biggest strengths of the program are its mission, faculty expertise, and its location in New York. Being in New

York City enables students to apply for select internship and job opportunities that do not exist anywhere else in the world. The service-oriented mission of the program inspires students and faculty to build community and international relationships leading to more AS-L, internship, and job opportunities. The program’s faculty members are experts in their fields and are nationally recognized.

The program is closely aligned with the University’s Mission as a Catholic, Vincentian, and Metropolitan

University. The program follows the ALA code of ethics, which emphasizes service to underserved populations, intellectual freedom, and access to information. Academic Service Learning (AS-L) activities incorporated into required core classes enable students to obtain practical experience in the organization of information within the digital environment. Through the AS-L activities, we have established relationships and ongoing research with the

Center for Migration Studies and the Paulist Fathers. This provides ongoing hands-on experiences for our students in serving the underserved through the analysis of historical documents and the use of technology to make them accessible over the Internet. We have archival digitization labs in Queens and at the Oakdale Graduate Center, which support these activities.

The semi-annual symposia (since Fall 2011) bring together community and national experts, students, alumni, and faculty for presentations and networking. The Oakdale Graduate Center in March 2014 was the site for the event

“Librarians Change Lives” which brought together NYC and Long Island librarians and library students to network and share information and ideas as well as hear keynote speaker Barbara Stripling, President of the ALA. In April

2015 DLIS co-sponsored, along with the Nassau County Library Association and the Suffolk County Library

Association, the Long Island Popular Culture and Libraries Conference (LI PopCon) at the Oakdale Graduate

Center.

Within St. John’s we leverage our close relationships with the Departments of History, Art and Design, and

University Libraries. Collaborations with the Department of History (Dr. Szylvian has a joint appointment with


History and DLIS) and Art and Design, which began through the PHMAS initiative, continue to grow in terms of cross-listed courses, joint programs (under development), and projects. University Libraries’ faculty present at symposia, collaborate with DLIS faculty on research projects, teach elective courses, and mentor students.

Weaknesses

Our weaknesses, though not numerous, are impacting our ability to grow the program. This past June the director, assistant director, and administrative assistant left with the VSO. The director and administrative assistant have been replaced, but not the assistant director. The absence of an assistant director is a serious loss and makes it difficult to create initiatives to increase enrollment, manage student advisement, administer service-learning projects, assist faculty with grant proposals, manage communications, review internship evaluations, and manage program assessment. DLIS has an administrative assistant at the Oakdale Graduate Center who is shared with the Department of Psychology. The Oakdale assistant is fully utilized overseeing budget transactions, purchase requisitions, check requisitions, part-time faculty contracts, internship operations, supplies, and assisting new students with the UIS,

MySJU, Blackboard, and online registration.

Two specializations, School Librarianship and Law Librarianship, are characterized by low student interest and specialized classes, resulting in courses with consistently low enrollments.

Opportunities

The program’s greatest opportunity is the strong need for information professionals in New York City and in global community at large. The field of library and information science has been expanding to cover new information contexts and information technologies, and new specialized skill sets are being developed to make use of these rapidly evolving technologies. Also, according to a study by the Special Library Association many library and information professionals in New York are nearing retirement. Some have delayed it because of the downturn in the economy, but they will retire in large numbers in coming years.

Additionally, the meeting facilities at Oakdale make it an ideal location to host events where information professionals, current students, and alumni can network and exchange ideas. Long Island Popular Culture and

Libraries Conference (LI PopCon) was held in April 2015 which DLIS co-sponsored with both the Nassau County and Suffolk County Library Associations. The attendance was approximately 200, which is the maximum permitted for the Bourne Mansion at the Oakdale Graduate Center.

Establishing closer relationships with local professional organizations such as the Metropolitan New York Library

Council (METRO), Long Island Library Research Council (LILRC), Special Libraries Association of New York

(SLA-NY), and the Association of College and Research Libraries of New York (ACRL-NY) provide opportunities for faculty and students to engage with the professional community. The Director has made outreach to these organizations a priority but plans for more active involvement on boards and committees is hampered by the abovementioned lack of administrative support.


Threats

The program’s greatest threat is that it competes for students in the densest population of library programs in the country. There are four Library Schools in the area – Pratt, Queens College, Long Island University, and St. John’s

University. Our closest neighbor, Queens College, is a state university and consequently has a relatively low tuition.

The VSO in 2014 has resulted in the loss of the Assistant Director position. As previously mentioned (page 16), this loss undercuts DLIS’ efforts to enhance the program and increase enrollment.

Actions in Response to Findings

Actions taken (or planned) in response to these findings include: 1) build on existing interdepartmental relationships,

2) develop stronger relationships with professional organizations, 3) work collaboratively on grant and research projects, 4) increase partnerships resulting in AS-L projects and internship opportunities, 5) develop a marketing and recruitment plan, 6) build stronger relationships with alumni, 7) develop an assessment plan for the program , and 8) seek permission to hire an assistant director to restore the necessary administrative support.

We are uniquely positioned among our regional competitors by having a fully online program, and the only program to offer the Law Librarianship specialization online. Our distinctive mission sets us apart from both regional and national programs. St. John’s service-oriented mission aligns closely with the code of ethics of the American Library

Association. The incorporation of Academic Service-Learning into the core and elective courses distinguishes our program as integrating community service and course objectives. Our laptop program provides entering students with the technology they need for both online and blended courses. Entering students may choose either a MacBook

Pro or a Lenovo PC. The O’Connell Scholarship is a merit-based award going to students having a GPA from their most recent degree of 3.4 or higher. The O’Connell Scholarship attracts excellent students and makes St. John’s more competitive with the regional private library schools.

3c. What is the current and future market demand for the program? Support your response using the data provided below or any other internal or external sources to justify your response.

St. John’s is in a very competitive market. The MS LIS program needs to take every step to remain competitive, but the market potential is promising. This is the information age. Information technology has made available trillions of pieces of information. They need to be collected, stored, preserved, organized, indexed (or meta-tagged), analyzed and made available online. Users, patrons, clients and customers need assistance in finding and using this information. This is the domain of library and information science. The traditional librarian positions have increasing potential value and new positions are opening in digital libraries, archives, information analysis, information management, knowledge management, records management, and marketing research.


According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment within the library science profession is projected to increase 7.4 percent between 2012 and 2022. The broader information professions will experience an even higher rate of growth as shown in the table below.

Change, 2012-22

Occupations

Librarians

Percent Numeric

7.4% 11,000

Library Technicians 8.4% 9,000

Archivists 16.6% 1,100

Computer and Information

Systems Managers

Computer and Information

Analysts

Market research analysts and marketing specialists

15.3%

26.1%

31.6%

50,900

155,200

131,500

Source: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.toc.htm

According to the 2015 Job Outlook Survey, the information industry has the highest job market rating of the nineteen industries rated. The Job Outlook Survey was reported by Vault Career Intelligence, a market research firm employed by St. John’s University’s Career Services. This same report projected information science majors in the top five majors for which employers are hiring, and also projected an 18% increase in hiring for all majors in the

Northeast region.

STANDARD 4. The program provides a high quality curriculum that emphasizes and assesses student learning and engagement.

4a. Please indicate how the program curriculum is in alignment with the following three items:

(Suggested limit 1/2 page for each of the three categories below)

1.

Standards within the discipline

2.

Curriculum integrity, coherence, academic internships, teaching excellence, teaching vibrancy, and study abroad experiences.

3.

The University Core competencies

Standards within the discipline

The program goals and outcomes are based on the eight core competencies of the discipline as established by the

American Library Association (ALA), the accrediting body for Masters Degree programs in Library and Information

Science. One or more learning outcomes are listed under each program goal. For brevity, only the program goals are listed in the table on the following page.


Program Goals for the MS LIS program

1.

Develop an Understanding of the Foundations of the Profession

2.

Develop an Understanding of Information Resources

3.

Demonstrate Ability to Organize Recorded Knowledge and Information

4.

Apply Technological Knowledge and Skills to Practice

5.

Apply Reference and User Services

6.

Master Research Methods

7.

Experience Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning

8.

Apply Key Concepts of Administration and Management

The course syllabi of all courses specify the related program goals. For each course over a four-year period, faculty will select one artifact (e.g. assignment, exam, semester project) as a representative measure of the course’s related program goal(s). At the end of the course, the faculty member completes a form describing the class’ performance, reviewing the artifact’s role as a measure of the respective program goal(s), and stating any action needed. The fouryear period was chosen to ensure that every course in the program is included in this assessment.

Students are required to submit an e-portfolio as the end-of-program assessment. In the e-portfolio, students provide evidence in the form of assignments or projects from their coursework of satisfying each of the eight program goals.

Students are required to write reflections on the evidence, demonstrating their understanding of the relationship to the respective program goal.

Curriculum integrity, coherence, academic internships, teaching excellence, teaching vibrancy, and study abroad experiences

The MS LIS program consists of 12 courses (36 credits) – four required core courses, one management course, and seven elective courses. The core courses are designed to provide the essential knowledge and skills for all careers in the information professions. The management course teaches important administrative and budgeting skills. Students choose one of three management courses depending on their area of interest. Students submit an e-portfolio at the end of their program of study. Students must receive a grade of 80% or higher to pass the e-portfolio requirement.

There are seven specializations: academic librarianship, public librarianship, public/youth services, special librarianship, archives, law librarianship, and school librarianship. Students are not required to select a specialization. The specializations are to help students decide, with the help of their faculty advisor, on a program of study most suitable to their career goals. Students often construct programs with electives from two or more specializations in order to have more flexibility when searching for jobs. Students are required to meet with their advisor each semester prior to registration to review their programs of study and select courses for the next term.

Academic internships are required only in school librarianship, but are highly recommended in all programs of study. As previously mentioned, the prestigious libraries and information centers in New York City provide valuable internship opportunities. In addition, AS-L experiences in the core course LIS 203 Organization of Information often lead to internships and part-time jobs.


The faculty is committed to teaching excellence and often participates in informal discussions within DLIS on teaching and attends Center of Teaching and Learning (CTL) workshops. The most recent data on student evaluations of faculty teaching, Spring 2014, shows and overall evaluation of 4.30 and instructional vibrancy evaluation of 4.33 (maximum 5.00). Most of the courses in the program are offered online. All full-time faculty (and most part-time faculty) are certified to teach online. Dr. Vorbach serves as a faculty mentor for online learning, has taught the Distance Learning Pedagogy I course to train faculty to teach online, and has presented at distance learning forums sponsored by St. John’s Office of Online Learning Services.

DLIS administers an annual student survey to gauge student satisfaction with the program. The survey results are reviewed at the faculty meeting in May as part of the overall program assessment discussion. E-Portfolio assessments and course outcomes are other major components in this discussion.

DLIS has developed two study abroad experiences. DLIS Cultural Immersion Program was developed by Dr. Lee as a partnership between DLIS and the University of the West Indies at Mona in Jamaica WI. By providing the opportunity to live and learn in Jamaica for 9 days – a country that is heavily represented in our local communities and which contributes to the diverse cultural richness of New York City, this course will provide opportunities to strengthen cultural literacy. DLIS plans to offer this course in the Spring 2017 term.

Dr. Rioux developed a Collaborative Cultural Program with Simmons College’s Graduate School of Library and

Information Science to be held at St. John’s Rome Campus. The purpose of the program was to create a collaborative summer program comprised of several courses, and to promote other forms of collaboration. This was seen as leveraging St. John’s Rome Campus and partnering with Simmons, a leader in international education, to provide both schools’ students with valuable opportunities and experiences. However, the programs collaborative design (particularly the parsing of tuition revenues between the two institutions), failed to receive the necessary administrative approval at St. John’s.

University Core Competencies

The University Core Competencies are not applicable because this is a graduate program.

4b. The syllabi for the courses within this program incorporate the suggested elements of a syllabus – an example of which can be found at the following St. John’s University Center for Teaching and Learning link.

(Suggested limit 1/3 page) http://stjohns.campusguides.com/content.php?pid=71651&sid=984766

The faculty provides DLIS with updated syllabi and course outlines within the first two weeks of each term for the courses they are teaching. The suggested elements in the above campus guide are satisfied. The syllabus provides time-independent information – course description, pre- and co-requisites, course objectives, the related program goals, units of instruction, and bibliography – which serve to define the course. The course outline includes, in addition, assessment and policy information from the instructor currently teaching the course. The syllabi are posted on DLIS blog (http://sjudlis.com) and the St. John’s College Syllabus directory.


4c. Describe the assessment model currently in place for the program and indicate the extent to which disciplinary and core knowledge, competence, and values are met, as well as findings and action plans for improvement. For reference, visit WeaveOnline – https://app.weaveonline.com//login.aspx

; Digication – https://stjohns.digication.com


MS LIS students are required to submit an e-Portfolio for their end of program assessment in which they provide evidence of satisfying each of the eight program goals. The evidence consists of course artifacts with accompanying reflective statements, which describe the relationship between the artifact and the program goal(s) as well as avenues for improving results. The eight program goals are based on the eight core competencies of the American Library

Association (ALA).

Students are encouraged at the new student orientation to start their e-Portfolios in their first term. With this approach, the reflective portion of the e-Portfolio evolves over time as students complete their coursework. The e-

Portfolio gives students the opportunity to show in writing how their coursework has made them competent information professionals whose values have been explored, shaped, and solidified to be congruent with the values of the profession and the University.

E-portfolio submission dates coincide with summer, fall, and spring graduation schedules. Each e-Portfolio is evaluated by two faculty members according to a rubric. The results are forwarded to the Director. If the two reviewers disagree in their assessment of an e-portfolio, a third reviewer is appointed by the Director to evaluate the e-portfolio. The evaluation period is two to three weeks depending on the number of e-Portfolios to review. After the evaluation period ends, the Director tallies the results and informs the students and the Graduate Division of St.

John’s College. The results become part of the overall assessment report for the academic year and are discussed at the all-day faculty meeting in September. Revisions are made, if necessary, and the report is uploaded into WEAVE.

Course-level input into program assessment is achieved via course artifact assessment. Over a four year period each course in the program is assessed. For each course, the instructor will select one artifact (e.g. assignment, exam, semester project) as a representative measure for the course’s related program goal(s). At the end of the course, the faculty member completes a form describing the class’ performance, reviewing the artifact’s role as a measure of program goal(s), and stating any action needed. The four-year period was chosen to ensure that all courses in the program are assessed.

The targets of these two measures are being met at the present time.


4d. What, if any, external validations, e.g. specialized accreditations, external awards, other validations of quality has the program received? (Suggested limit 1/3 page)

The program is accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). The most recent re-accreditation was in

2011. The program applies for re-accreditation every seven years by submitting a formal presentation addressing each of the five accreditation standards

1

– 1) Systematic Planning; 2) Curriculum; 3) Faculty; 4) Students; 5)

Administration, Finances, and Resources. Following the review of the presentation, the school is visited by an external review panel (ERP) which submits an on-site assessment report to the ALA’s Committee on Accreditation

(CoA). The combination of the presentation from DLIS, the report from the external review panel, and the meeting of the Chair of the ERP and the DLIS Director before the CoA are the basis for the CoA’s decision.

In addition to the presentation every seven years, there are other reporting requirements to ensure that programs are being monitored effectively and continue to innovate. Each year, DLIS submits a statistical report which contains aggregate data on faculty, students, curriculum, income and expenditures. Biennially, DLIS submits a narrative report which updates the CoA on a program’s continued progress with respect to the five standards. DLIS receives reviews from the CoA on each of these reports which may identify areas of concern. The most recent CoA reviews, following the 2014 statistical report and 2013 narrative report, did not identify any areas of concern.

1 Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies, 2015. Retrieved 9/29/2015 from http://www.ala.org/accreditedprograms/sites/ala.org.accreditedprograms/files/content/standards/Standards_2015_adopted_02-02-15.pdf

.


STANDARD 5. The program has the faculty resources required to meet its mission and goals.

5a. Below you will find the number of students enrolled as majors and minors in the program. Please complete the table by adding the number of full-time faculty assigned to the program. Then calculate the student to full-time faculty ratio.

Fall 2009 Fall 2010 Fall 2011

Majors

# of FTE Students

FT

39

39.00

PT

148

49.33

Total

187

88.33

FT

37

37

PT

99

33

Total

136

70

FT

24

24

PT

55

18.33

Total

79

42.33

# of FTE Faculty

FTE Student/

FTE Faculty Ratio

5 3.67 8.67

10.15

4 2.67 6.67

10.49

4 1.33 5.33

7.94

Majors

# of FTE Students

FT

31

31

Fall 2012

PT

38

Total

69

12.67 43.67

FT

33

33

Fall 2013

PT Total

31 64

10.33 43.33

# of FTE Faculty

FTE Student/

FTE Faculty Ratio

5 1.00 6 5 1.00

7.28

Important Notes:

FTE Students = Number of FT Students + (number of PT Students/3)

FTE Faculty = Number of FT Faculty + (number of PT Faculty/3)

This methodology is used by STU for all external reporting.

6

7.22


5b. Below you will find the credit hours the department has delivered by full-time faculty and part-time faculty

(including administrators) and the total credit hours consumed by non-majors.

Credit Hrs

Taught

F-T Faculty

P-T Faculty

(inc Admin)

Fall 2009

#

585

594 50%

Fall 2010

% # % # % #

50% 417 50.4% 342 71.7% 361

410 49.6% 135

Fall 2011

28.3% 84

Fall 2012

% #

81.1% 420

18.9% 84

Fall 2013

%

83.3%

16.7%

Total 1179 100% 827 100% 477 100% 445 100% 504 100%

% Consumed by Non-Majors

5c. Below you will find the number of courses the department has delivered by full-time faculty and part-time faculty (including administrators).

Courses

Taught

#

0%

Fall 2009

% #

0%

Fall 2010

%

Fall 2011

#

0%

%

Fall 2012

#

0%

%

Fall 2013

#

0%

%

F-T Faculty

P-T Faculty

(inc Admin)

12

10

52%

48%

13

11

54.2%

45.8%

0.0%

13

7

65.0%

35.0%

0.0%

11

2

84.6%

15.4%

0.0%

14

2

87.5%

12.5%

0.0%

Total 22 100% 24 100% 20 100% 13 100% 16 100%


5d. What is the representative nature of faculty in terms of demographics, tenure and diversity? (See departmental information on next page). How well does this support the program? (Suggested limit 1/2 page)

Departmental Plan

Gender

Male

Female

Total

Ethnicity

Black

Hispanic

Asian

American

Indian/Alaskan

Native

White

2 or More Races

Native

Hawaiian/Pacific

Islander

Unknown

Total

Tenure Status

Tenured

Tenure-Track

Not Applicable

Total

FT

2010

PT

# % # %

2 50% 2 29%

2 50% 5 71%

4 7

1 25%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

Total

4

7

11

1

0

0

0% 0% 0

3 75% 7 100% 10

0%

4 7

1 25%

2 50%

1 25%

4

0%

1

2

1

4

0

11

FT

2011

PT

# % # %

2 50% 1 50%

2 50% 1 50%

4 2

Total

3

3

6

1 25% 0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1

0

0

0% 0% 0

3 75% 2 100% 5

4

0% 0%

2

2 50%

2 50%

0%

4

2

2

0

4

0

6

FT

2012

PT Total

# % # %

2 40% 0% 2

3 60% 2 100% 5

5 2 7

1 20% 0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1

0

0

0% 0% 0

4 80% 2 100% 6

5

0% 0%

2

2 40%

3 60%

0%

5

2

3

0

5

0

7

FT

2013

PT Total

# % # %

2 40% 1 100% 3

3 60% 0% 3

5 1 6

1 20% 0 0%

0% 0 0%

0% 0 0%

1

0

0

0% 0 0% 0

4 80% 1 100% 5

0 0% 0

0 0%

0% 0 0%

5 1

3 60%

2 40%

0%

5

3

2

0

5

0

0

6


5d. (cont.)What is the representative nature of faculty in terms of demographics, tenure and diversity? How well does this support the program? (Suggested limit 1/2 page)

The table on the previous page represents the demographics, tenure, and diversity of the faculty though 2013, the last year available from the Office of Institutional Research when the program template was created. With the retirement of Dr. Shelfer, who took the VSO in June 2014, and the hiring of Dr. Singh who joined the full-time faculty in the

Fall 2015 term, the following statistics provide a current representation: 40% tenured, 60% non-tenured; 40% female, 60% male; 20% Black, 20% Asian and 60% White (using the above categories). DLIS places the highest priority on recruiting and retaining a diverse and multicultural faculty, recognizing the importance this has on enriching student learning and preparing students for their careers. Our search policies seek to attract diverse and multicultural candidates.

5e. What evidence exists that the program’s faculty have engaged in research and scholarship on teaching and/or learning in the program’s field of study?


DLIS full-time faculty consists of Dr. Rioux, Dr. Lee, Dr. Angel, and Dr. Vorbach. Dr. Vorbach is also the Director of DLIS. Dr. Szylvian is a full-time faculty member of the History Department who holds a joint appointment with

DLIS. Dr. Szylvian is the Director of the MA in Public History.

Dr. Rioux’s expertise is in social justice in the information professions, public, and academic librarianship. Dr.

Rioux was invited to give the keynote presentation at the Social Justice in Education Conference (July 2013) in Goa,

India. He gave a talk entitled The Universalization of Human Rights through Media at the Social Practice of Human

Rights: Charting the Frontiers of Research and Advocacy Conference (October 2013) at the University of Dayton.

Dr. Rioux also co-lead the workshop Social Justice in the LIS Classroom: Making it Happen at the Annual

Conference of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) (January 2015) in Chicago.

Dr. Lee’s expertise is in public librarianship/ youth services. Her paper

Beyond Books, Nooks, and Dirty Looks: The

History and Evolution of Library Services to Teens in the United States will be appearing in the Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults. Her co-authored paper Igniting Diversity: Actionable Methods and Ideas for

Advancing Diversity in LIS Education , was recently accepted for publication by the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science. Dr. Lee was the recipient of ALISE’s, 2011 Eugene Garfield Dissertation Award. This international dissertation competition selects the most outstanding dissertation each year that deals with substantive issues related to Library and Information Science. Up to two outstanding dissertations may be selected.

Dr. Angel’s area of expertise is the organization of information, archives, and digital libraries. Her paper A comparison of descriptive tagging practices by library, archive, and museum professionals using an inter- indexing consistency approach appeared in the refereed proceedings of the Fourth North American Symposium on

Knowledge Organization, (June 13-14, 2013) in Milwaukee. Dr. Angel utilizes Academic Service-Learning to engage students in projects digitizing archival collections and publishing the results on the Internet

( http://hiddenheritagecollections.org

). Dr. Angel presented at the American Catholic Historical Association’s annual


conference in January 2015 on the collections which relate to the history and development of Catholicism, immigration, and the development of immigration law in the United States from 1861-1980.

Dr. Szylvian’s area of expertise is in archives and oral histories. Dr. Szylvian began St. John’s University’s Oral

History Project which consists of interviews with distinguished faculty and administrators. This evolving body of work was started in 2011 and continues to grow through student projects in the course Oral History (LIS 253/HIS

404). The MS LIS program is strengthened through this close collaboration with the MA in Public History program in the form of collaborative projects, such as the Oral History project, and cross-listed courses.

Dr. Vorbach’s expertise is in database design and modeling, web design, metadata, and online pedagogy. His research interests include 1) conceptual modeling: applying database design to building application profiles for archival collections; 2) building effective web site designs for online courses; 3) investigating academic servicelearning pedagogy in library and information science courses.

Dr. Rajesh Singh, who joined the DLIS faculty in the Fall 2015 term, brings expertise in management, knowledge sharing, information marketing, and social impact of information organizations. Dr. Singh and Dr. Vorbach have already begun meeting with members of the DLIS advisory board in order to develop a certificate program in management for information professionals. This was identified by the advisory board as an important need for midcareer professionals today.

5f. What initiatives have been taken in the past five years to promote faculty development in support of the program? (Suggested limit 1/2 page)

Two initiatives have been undertaken in the past five years to promote faculty development: 1) develop expertise in online learning and 2) develop expertise in the application of e-portfolios to the discipline.

In the Fall 2014, 63% of the courses offered in the program were online. Including blended courses, the percentage increases to 88%. This has been a continuing trend. Students require flexibility in the form of online courses in the context of work and/or family schedules. DLIS’s full-time faculty is 100%-certified to teach online, having completed the Distance Learning Pedagogy I (DL I) course. Most of the part-time faculty are also certified. In addition, faculty members have informal discussions of online learning and compare practices. Dr. Vorbach has been an online faculty mentor for the past six years and has taught the DL I course.

An e-Portfolio is recognized as a valuable tool for demonstrating student learning outcomes and for marketing oneself to future employers. In Spring 2013, the e-Portfolio replaced the comprehensive exam as the end-of-program assessment. The process of creating the e-portfolio is envisioned as an evolving work in which a student adds evidence (assignments, projects, etc.) as he/she completes courses. Moreover, some faculty began to require e-

Portfolios for course assignments, resulting in both the students’ and faculty’s fluency in e-Portfolios. In addition,

Dr. Angel offers workshops on e-Portfolios each semester. Students can attend the workshops in-person, online, and, for those unable to attend, digital recordings of the workshops are posted online. Currently, Drs. Rioux, Lee, and

Angel incorporate e-Portfolios in course assignments.


5g. The table below shows the amount of external funding received by the department. If available, please provide the dollar amount of externally funded research for full-time faculty supporting the program under review.

(Program dollar amounts are available through departmental records.)

Fiscal Year External

Funding 07/08

$ Amount

Program

08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13

$ Amount

Department 233,164 726,628 748,789 259,031 11,999


0

From 2007 through 2011, DLIS was awarded two overlapping, three-year grants from the Institute for Museum and

Library Studies (IMLS). These two grants funded forty tuition scholarships for students of school librarianship and forty scholarships for special librarianship respectively.

More recently, Dr. Lee and Dr. Rioux submitted a grant proposal to IMLS entitled Teen Space Design as a

Consequence of Intent: Understanding Social Control in the Built Environment and its Utility in Creating Authentic

Spaces for Teens in Public Libraries (February 2014); $419,660, 3 years. This proposal was not awarded. Dr. Lee is evaluating the reviews of the proposal and plans to resubmit it for the September 2016 deadline.

Dr. Angel was awarded two internal grants (June 1, 2014 – May 31, 2015): 1) St. John’s Seed Grant/Venture Capital

Program ($5,000); and 2) Academic Service-Learning Faculty Mini-Grant ($1,000). Dr. Angel is using these funds to initiate projects and develop plans for external funding. Dr. Angel submitted a proposal to the Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities (December 2014) for the support of an archival digitization project in the amount of $41,000.

The Raskob Foundation approved the project as a matching grant in May 2015. DLIS is currently exploring various options to secure the matching funds required. DLIS places a high priority on securing external funding and plans to increase administrative support to assist faculty in developing proposals.


5h. Please comment on the table below that shows trends in overall course evaluation and instructional vibrancy for your program (if available), your college and the university. (

Suggested limit ½ page)

Overall Evaluation (Spring) Instructional Vibrancy (Spring)

2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013

Library &

Information

Science (Q)

Saint John’s

College

4.05

4.23

4.10

4.26

4.63

4.19

4.40

4.37

4.21

4.40

4.67

4.40

Total

4.14 4.16 4.30

Graduate


4.37 4.39 4.52

Note: Institutional Vibrancy is the average of the first 14 questions on the course evaluation, with questions pertaining to course organization, communication, faculty-student interaction, and assignments/grading. All course evaluation questions range from 1

(Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree).

The table shows that the overall teaching evaluation and instructional vibrancy scores for DLIS faculty are very good and compare favorably with the evaluations of both St. John’s College and all graduate courses. This is particularly noteworthy given the added complexity of teaching online. As previously mentioned, in the Fall 2014 term, 63% of the courses offered in the program were online. Including blended courses, this percentage increases to 88%. The offerings of online courses have been increasing steadily over the past five years. Online and blended courses have distinguishing, pedagogical characteristics. Foremost among these is an intuitive course web site design which creates a virtual classroom environment that engages students. The course web site is the organizational framework where students seek course information, assignments, discussion posts, resources, and tools. Students are engaged by being able to find what they need when they need it, and by interacting with colleagues and the instructor, and participating in group projects and discussions. The table shows that the DLIS faculty is highly skilled in teaching online.

5i. What percentage of full-time faculty assigned to this program have terminal degrees or industry certifications renewed within the past 2 years? Comment. (Suggested limit 1/3 page)

All full-time faculty teaching in the program have terminal degrees. Drs. Rioux, Lee, and Angel have Ph. D.s in

Library and Information Science. Dr. Singh has a Ph. D. in Information Studies. Dr. Vorbach, has a Ph. D. in

Applied Mathematical Sciences and Dr. Szylvian, who has a joint appointment with History and DLIS, has a Ph. D. in History.


Standard 5.

Comments: Indicate to what extent the program has the faculty resources required to meet its mission and goals. Include references from 5a – 5i. (Suggested limit 1 page)

DLIS currently has the faculty resources required to meet its goals. With the hiring of Dr. Singh to replace Dr.

Shelfer who retired in 2014, DLIS has gained expertise in the areas of Management and Special Libraries. DLIS has full-time faculty with expertise in Academic Libraries, Public Libraries, Public-Youth Services, Special Libraries, and Archival Studies specializations. Two part-time coordinators, with expertise in Law Librarianship and School

Librarianship respectively, manage the last two specializations. Our full-time faculty members are supplemented by a core of adjunct faculty drawn from the extraordinary library and information professionals in the Metropolitan

New York area. Section 5e describes the full-time faculty’s expertise in terms of their research and scholarship. The following table lists each program specialization and the corresponding advisor.

Program Specialization

Public Librarianship

Academic Librarianship

Public / Youth Services

Special Librarianship

Kevin Rioux

Kevin Rioux

Shari Lee

Rajesh Singh

Advisor

Archives

Law Librarianship

School Librarianship

Christine Angel, Kristin Szylvian

Ralph Monaco

1

Linda Lennon

1

1.

Ralph Monaco is the part-time coordinator for the law librarianship specialization. He is an expert in this area and is employed by the New York Law Institute. Linda Lennon is the part-time coordinator for the school librarianship specialization and is a school librarian in the Half Hollow Hills High School Library, Dix Hills,

NY.

With the replacement of the comprehensive exam with the e-Portfolio, section 5f, the faculty has become skilled in using Digication, the e-Portfolio technology platform. DLIS offers e-Portfolio workshops to students each term and faculty incorporates e-Portfolio assignments in courses. As a result, the students have experience using this technology throughout their programs of study. In building their e-Portfolios, students satisfy the end-of-program assessment and may also utilize their e-Portfolios to distinguish themselves in the marketplace.

With the continuing demand for online and blended courses (section 5f), all full-time DLIS faculty are certified to teach online. In addition, part-time faculty, who teach online courses, are also certified. DLIS recognizes the different teaching methodologies required to teach online effectively and encourages faculty to continue to develop their skills through Center for Teaching and Learning workshops, and by meeting with the instructional designers in the Office of Online Learning Services.

The faculty is a collegial and hard-working, a dedicated team. Faculty meetings are characterized by constructive discussion of agenda items with decisions reached recognizing the significance of moving forward in a timely manner, while respecting the importance of hearing differing perspectives. The faculty is committed to the continual


improvement of program quality, student engagement, and student success measures, within the context of the

University’s mission statement and the Strategic Priorities Working Group Draft Strategic Plan (June 4, 2015).

STANDARD 6. The program has adequate resources to meet its goals and objectives. And, it is costeffective.

6a. Narrative/Supportive Technological Environment - Comment on classrooms and labs meeting industrystandards for quality and availability of hardware, software, and peripherals; library space, holdings and services; science laboratories, TV studios, art/computer graphic labs; etc. (Suggested limit 1 page)

The program utilizes classrooms on the Manhattan, Queens, and Oakdale campuses. The classroom technology at the new Manhattan Campus is excellent. Queens and Oakdale classroom technology require upgrading. The Oakdale

Graduate Center requires video conferencing capability similar to that of the Manhattan and Queens campuses to support course meetings across campuses.

The laptop program provides entering students with a state-of-the art MacBook Pro or Lenovo PC. This supports program goals better than fixed-site, general purpose computer labs. DLIS budget supports the subscriptions to special purpose software required for certain courses. This approach is satisfactory at this time.

DLIS implemented the Queens Digitization Lab in 2013. The lab is located in DLIS office suite on the fourth floor of St. Augustine’s Hall. In Fall 2014, DLIS implemented a second digitization lab in the Benilde Library at the

Oakdale Graduate Center. These state-of-the-art labs support courses in the Archival Studies specialization, and AS-

L projects in the core course Organization of Information (LIS 203). The digitization labs provide valuable field experience for our students and enable DLIS to establish relationships with libraries, archives and museums without adequate resources to digitize their own archival collections. Current participating organizations include the Center for Migration Studies, the Paulist Fathers, Marymount Manhattan College, SUNY Farmingdale, and the Bay Shore-

Brightwaters Public Library. DLIS envisions offering workshops to community professionals at the digitization lab in Oakdale and receiving revenue for such workshops.

The program is fully online. Blended courses are offered as well for the core courses for students who want some inperson courses in their programs of study. In addition, there are some electives which are face to face because they require on-site resources. In Fall 2014, 88% of courses were either online or blended. Events (e.g. orientations and symposia) and workshops are recorded as digital artifacts and posted online. Digital artifacts are important for both student learning and program marketing. Digital artifacts are posted to DLIS blog ( http://sjudlis.com

). This model makes DLIS events accessible to current and prospective students. Webex is the current platform to provide online access and to record events. Webex is supported by the University’s Information Technology Department.

DLIS works closely with Maureen Weicher in University Libraries to ensure that the library’s resources meet the program’s needs.


6b. Narrative/ Supportive Physical Environment - Comment on level of faculty and student satisfaction with

HVAC; faculty and student satisfaction with classroom lighting, crowdedness, and acoustics; flexible teaching environments, and faculty offices, etc.. (Suggested limit 1 page)

Classrooms

The programs blended and face to face courses meet on all three campuses. The recently acquired Manhattan

Campus on Astor Place features state-of-the-art classrooms and faculty feedback is highly favorable. On the Queens

Campus classes are general held in Marillac Hall and St. John’s Hall. Faculty members have reported acoustic problems in Marillac, e.g. hearing neighboring classes and noisy heating systems. No problems have been reported in St. John’s Hall. At the Oakdale Graduate Center, classes are held in the Benilde Library. This building meets the program requirements.

Faculty Offices

The faculty offices are located at the Queens Campus on the fourth floor of the library, St. Augustine’s Hall, in suite

408. The offices are relatively new being part of the fourth floor renovation six years ago. The size and lighting in the faculty offices are satisfactory. Due to drainage problems on the roof , two offices (or 22% of the faculty office space) suffer water damage in heavy rains. The problem is reported to facilities whenever this occurs and attempts have been made to resolve the issue; thus far, attempts have not been successful. Faculty and staff have reported ventilation problems (i.e. headaches after being in the office suite all day) and excessively cold air conditioning in the summer. The University has responded to the ventilation problem by testing the air for hazards. None were found. DLIS is considering placing a request to replace some windows with windows that open. This should address both issues.

6c. To what extent has the University funded major capital projects, e.g., renovations, which are linked directly to the program during the past five years? (Bulleted list)



None, in the past five years.

6d. If external data that describes the cost effectiveness of the program has been provided by your

School/College Dean, please comment on the program’s cost-effectiveness. (

Suggest limit 1 page )

The MS LIS program is cost effective. The data shows that direct expenses are only 42% of total revenue, resulting in a contribution margin of 58% of total revenue. In other words, 58% of the MS LIS program’s total revenue is contributing towards St. John’s University’s fixed expenses and net income 2

.

Net Tuition

Revenues

Other Direct

Revenue

Total

Revenue

Direct

Expenses

Contribution

Margin

801,535

Source: PCMI FY14 LIS.xls

3,330 804,866 337,972 466,893

2

Accounting Coach http://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/what-is-contribution-margin

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contribution_margin

Contribution Margin: Definition & Formula http://study.com/academy/lesson/contribution-margin-definition-formula.html


Standard 6.

Additional comments if needed. (Suggested limit 1 page)

STANDARD 7. Effective actions have been taken based on the findings of the last program review and plans have been initiated for the future.

The program was rated ‘Enhance’ by both the review committee and the dean at the last program review. However, the program received no additional support and in fact, lost a staff and administrator position since 2009.

Since the last program review, DLIS has taken action in several areas to strengthen the program. The list below focuses on the more significant actions.

1.

The end-of-program assessment was changed from a comprehensive exam to an e-portfolio. The American

Library Association (ALA) External Review Committee visited DLIS in October 2011 as part of the reaccreditation process. The Committee’s report was critical of the comprehensive exam as an effective measure of program quality. The e-portfolio, in contrast, requires students to provide evidence from their coursework of satisfying each of the eight program goals, and to write reflections on the evidence provided.

The e-portfolio replaced the comprehensive exam in the Spring 2013 term.

2.

The program specializations were reviewed in Spring 2013 and more recently in Fall 2014. The focus of the

2014 review was on resource allocation and direction of growth. The faculty decided to close the School

Librarianship specialization in the Fall 2016 term. This decision followed from the low enrollment in School

Librarianship, the number of specialized classes, and the need for more resources to properly advise students in this specialization. By Fall 2016, all four students currently in the School Librarianship will have graduated. Also, the faculty decided to include the Information Analyst specialization within the Special

Libraries specialization. Information Analyst is a career option and its recommended courses overlap to a large degree with other career options within the Special Libraries specialization. The faculty believed resources would be saved by simply dropping Information Analyst as a separate specialization and advising students interested in such careers within the Special Libraries specialization.

3.

Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) was integrated into the core. Previously, AS-L was used periodically in some electives with mixed results. Through the efforts of Dr. Angel, AS-L is incorporated into the core course Organization of Information (LIS 203). The model developed by Dr. Angel has students working on projects in archives, libraries, and museums. The projects consist of analyzing a collection, digitizing objects, and publishing the results on the Internet. In addition, this model has translated into the application of AS-L in several new electives on a regular basis.

4.

DLIS has made efforts to offer study abroad courses, with mixed results. Two study abroad initiatives were started by Drs. Rioux and Lee. Dr. Lee developed a cultural immersion course in collaboration with the

University of the West Indies, Jamaica, WI. The course was implemented, but failed to run the first time due to low enrollment. DLIS believes a more active approach in marketing this course will help and intends to offer Dr. Lee’s course again in Spring 2017. Dr. Rioux worked with a colleague at Simmons College on a joint study abroad program at St. John’s Rome Campus. The joint design with another institution proved overly complex and it was not approved by St. John’s University’s administration (see page 20).


5.

Since 2011 DLIS has worked to develop a five-year BA/MS with the Department of Languages and

Literatures in St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a BS/MS program with the Computer

Science Division in the College of Professional Studies. The programs were approved at the Board of

Trustees meeting in December 2014 and by New York State’s Education Department in April 2015. These new programs are an important part of a larger recruitment initiative under development.

6.

To improve communications with prospective and current students, DLIS developed a blog

( http://sjudlis.com

) in Fall 2014. The blog provides information on the MS LIS program, internship opportunities, jobs, awards, scholarship opportunities, student and faculty highlights, and events. DLIS’s social media presence has been improved with a redesigned Facebook page that links to the blog.

The immediate priorities for future planning are threefold:

1.

Review the revised ALA accreditation standards (January 2015) and discuss their impact in the context of current MS LIS program initiatives and assessment.

2.

Develop a marketing and recruitment plan that is effective, measurable, and sustainable.

3.

Engage the alumni as active participants in steps to improve the program.


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