The School has focused on creating a clear statement of its Vision, Mission, Goals and Student Learning Outcomes to guide its decisions in curriculum development, faculty searches, and student evaluation. These guiding statements were first developed in 1994, and most recently revised by the SLIS faculty and approved in 2019.
According to the 2023 Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies.pdf (ala.org) Standard I: "Systematic Planning
The program’s implementation of an ongoing, broad-based, systematic planning process involves the constituencies that the program seeks to serve, including members of traditionally underrepresented and historically underserved groups, and results in improvements to and innovations in the program.
I.1 Mission and Goals. The mission and goals of the unit and the educational program foster quality education and incorporate values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The program’s goals and objectives align with the needs of the LIS profession, demonstrate continuous improvement over time, and are informed by the mission of the parent institution."
The SLIS Vision and Mission statements are found on the About SLIS page. On this page, goals and program-level student learning objectives are listed.
The goal of the Master’s in Library and Information Studies is to educate students who understand and can apply the core competencies of library and information studies as articulated by the American Library Association. In order to achieve this goal, our six required core master’s courses align with six of the eight ALA core competencies as follows:
Program Objectives
Upon completion of the MLIS degree program, students should be able to:
Program-level Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the MLIS:
According to the 2023 Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies.pdf (ala.org) Standard II: "Program-level learning outcomes describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation. The curriculum provides descriptions of different courses of study, specializations, or other variations of study."
The evaluation includes attainment of outcomes collectively across the program
The SLOs are equivalent to the program objectives, but are written below with greater detail and definitions.
SLO 1 Core Knowledge. Graduates demonstrate advanced knowledge of LIS theories, principles, and practices. Core knowledge is reflected in the ALA Accreditation Standard I.2:
SLO 2 Intellectual Skill. Graduates demonstrate an ability to find, collect, evaluate, critically analyze, organize, synthesize, and disseminate information from multiple sources.
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
SLO 3 Professional and Scholarly Communication. Graduates demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
SLO 4 Technology. Graduates are able to analyze, design, and provide solutions to information problems through appropriate technologies.
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
SLO 5 Methods and Analysis. Evaluate existing research literature and have the ability to design appropriate research methodologies
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
SLO 6 Diversity. Graduates are able to effectively participate in the ongoing active identification of and respectful responses to various information needs and perspectives of diverse communities in a global society, particularly those of marginalized or otherwise underserved individuals, groups, and populations.
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
Upon completion of the PhD degree program, students should be able to:
Information Science and Technology, B.S. (BSIST)
Graduates of this program are able to:
Information Studies, B.A. (BAIS)
Graduates of this program are able to: