ACADEMIC ADVISING There are two faculty members who will handle academic advising. Students are grouped according to degree seeking status: Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) or MLIS with licensure, Specialist (Post-Masters) or Specialist with licensure. There are other categories, such as undergraduate, undergraduate with licensure, and non-degree. Dr. Elizabeth Haynes or Dr. M. J. Norton will advise all students, undergraduate, graduate and non-degree. The director, Dr. M. J. Norton , will advise all specialist students. Advising may be accomplished via email, and is required before you will be able to enroll in any courses. The university uses a Student Online Advising Registration (SOAR) system that is accessed via your student identification number and password. The system allows the school to control whether you can enroll, and what you may enroll in based on the advising instructions you are given by your advising faculty.
At the request of previous students and upon extensive discussion and study among the faculty and curriculum committee, specific guidelines have been established related to advising and taking classes online.
- Students entering any MLIS program or graduate supplemental endorsement will enroll in LIS 501 Introduction to Reference and Resources as their first course, or one of the two courses of the first semester. (Undergraduate supplemental endorsement will also follow this pattern at the 400 level.)
- LIS 505 Cataloging and Classification, or LIS 511 Collection Development and Management will be taken in the first semester with LIS 501, or in the second semester of enrollment.
- Students may not enroll in either LIS 651 or LIS 668 until LIS 501, 505 and 511 have been completed with a grade of B or better.
- Students may not enroll in LIS 651 during the same semester as LIS 668.
- Only students attending classes in Hattiesburg as on site student will be allowed to enroll in more than nine hours, and only with the specific permission of the director.
- Whenever a student is admitted as a conditional student, or has received a B- in any course they will be restricted to no more than two courses in a semester, and will be specifically advised by faculty as to what those two courses will be.
- Students who receive a C are placed on probation during the semester they are enrolled after receiving the grade. If a student's cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 as a result of the C, they will have only the one probationary semester of enrollment after earning the C to raise their GPA to 3.0. If the student fails to raise his or her cumulative GPA to 3.0 during the probationary semester the student will be discontinued from the program. If their GPA does not fall below 3.0 they may remain in the program only so long as they do not receive another C during the probationary semester. If they earn a C during the probationary semester regardless of GPA they will be discontinued.
- Students may not enroll in LIS 695 Master's Research Project, until all core courses are successfully completed; LIS 501, 505, 511, 605, 636, 651, 668.
The SLIS Faculty Council decides all admissions, yearly student evaluations, and curriculum changes. Disciplinary concerns involving students originate with individual faculty and are addressed first by the director, who may elect to be advised by the SLIS Faculty Council and then by the college and the university as appropriate and according to college and university policy. Disciplinary concerns involving faculty originate with the student, staff or faculty member involved and proceed to the director, who may elect to be advised by the SLIS Faculty Council, and then by the college and university as appropriate and according to college and university policy. Concerns involving discrimination of any kind may begin with the director or proceed directly to the university's affirmative action officer.
During the fall and spring semesters the Faculty Council meets at least once a month, unless a special meeting is requested by a faculty member or the director. Program decisions that require a vote are passed when a simple majority of the faculty present votes in the affirmative (faculty may bring proxies of other faculty). A vote may not be taken on any issue if there is not representation of the majority of the faculty.
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