Wednesday, September 12, 2007

The Latest at the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at The Catholic University of America

I arrived at SLIS on the 20th of August, suffice to say, there is a great deal going on within the School and a sense of expectation and excitement to forge ahead. There is much opportunity for students in our program and our dedicated faculty provide an exemplary education. If you are interested in learning more about opportunities to pursue your education here at SLIS, I encourage you to review our letter for prospective students to learn what SLIS has to offer you as a graduate student in Library and Information Science.

Soon after my arrival, the SLIS faculty, our alumni Board and I started conversations on devising our approach to the accreditation visit to SLIS in April, 2009 and ensuring stakeholder involvement. We are discussing what structure we will use to develop the document that we will submit for the re-accreditation visit. As some background, the re-accreditation visit revolves around the Program Presentation document. This document is designed to demonstrate how SLIS is addressing the six standards. The six standards are:

1. Mission, goals, and objectives
2. Curriculum
3. Faculty
4. Students
5. Administration and Financial Support
6. Physical Resources and Facilities

We are now in the process of proposing a structure and approach to creating the Program Presentation document. I am confident our proposed approach will garner significant stakeholder involvement. One key element of our approach is establishing an Advisory Committee that will be composed of current students in SLIS, alumni, and individuals with whom we have a long-standing relationship, who are also in the field, such as the Library of Congress, librarians and other stakeholders in Virginia. In the near future we will "roll out" our approach for comment and discussion as we forge ahead with developing the Program Presentation.

At the same time, we are preparing for the first faculty retreat in October where we will continue to work on refining SLIS's mission, goals and objectives. Subsequently, we are hosting a full faculty meeting on November 10th from 10-12, 2007 of the entire faculty. I am pleased that Ms. Karen O'Brien, the Executive Director of the Office of Accreditation, ALA, will join us at that meeting to discuss the accreditation process and the role of faculty within that process. I also encourage, you, our faculty, to attend. We will Webcast the event if you are unable to join us in person.

I have learned, in the three weeks I have been with the School, that there is much to be proud of. The faculty are thoughtful, energized and committed. They are conscious of their School's strengths and have a willingness to examine areas where we can continue to improve. SLIS is a great place to be. I just had my first "meet and greet" with our students and I want to thank Ms. Caroline Jones, our AGLISS President, for setting up and hosting the event. I have also been spending time visiting classes and meeting our students. It has been a delight to see the SLIS students and hear your views.

I will continue to share current events, thoughts, and news of SLIS here, in the Dean's Dialogue. I invite you to share your thoughts will me also.

Sincerely,
Dean Kelley