About

  1) SLIS Enrollment, Retention, MLIS Degrees Awarded

* Southern Miss Institutional Research (Fall 2021)

** WEAVE Assessment Data 

*** IHL Degree Books: 2014 (PDF),  2015 (PDF), 2016 (PDF),  2017 (PDF), 2018 (PDF), 2019 (PDF), 2020 (PDF) 2021 (PDF) 2022 (PDF)

 

2) Average Time to Degree Completion

• Full-time students- 2.6 years

• Part-time students- 3.3 years

 

3) Percentage of Graduates w/Positions Relevant to Degree within 12 months of Degree Completion

• 2015-2021 - 95%

 

SLIS History, Educational Goals, Strategic Goals

Southern Miss SLIS has been ALA-accredited since 1980. At the last review by the ALA Committee on Accreditation (COA) in 2019, ALA Accreditation status was Continued and the next accreditation review by ALA COA is scheduled for spring 2026.

Read about this history of Southern Miss SLIS in Library Science Education at Southern Miss: A History of Survival and Growth by Dr. Matthew Griffis.

Educational Goals for Students Include:

• Knowledge of and commitment to ethical practices

• Professional practice and training experiences

• Knowledge of the LIS literature

• Engagement in research

• Technical competency.

 

Educational Goals and Objectives (2016, reaffirmed 2020)

•  SLIS_Educational_Goals Objectives 2016-2018.pdf

 

Strategic Plan with Strategic Goals, Objectives (2016, reaffirmed 2020)

•  SLIS Strategic_Plan_2016-2018.pdf

• SLIS Organizational Chart (PDF)

•  Planning Documents: Relation of Course Objectives, SLOS, to Professional Competencies

 

Policies

• Southern Miss Institutional Policies

• Professional Education Council (PEC) Policies

• Office for Disability Accommodations

• SLIS Graduate Student Handbook 2019-20 (PDF)

• SLIS_Safety_Preparedness_Plan and Policies (PDF)

 

ALA Biennial Report 2020

• Biennial Report 2020

ALA Accreditation Report 2019

• Southern_Miss_Self-Report_01-14-19.pdf

 ALA Biennial Report 2016

• SLIS_Biennial_Report_2016.pdf

ALA Biennial Report 2014

• SLIS_Biennial_Report_2014.pdf

ALA Biennial Report 2012

• SLIS Biennial_Report_2012.pdf

ALA Accreditation Report 2012

• SLIS MLIS 2012 Self-Study (PDF)

 

Program Assessment

• MLIS students must take a technology class as one of their electives and create an e-portfolio
• In LIS 695 capstone course, students must complete a master's research project
• In LIS 695 capstone course, students must pass a comprehensive exam.

 

Assessment of MLIS Program by Students

The Exit Surveys of Graduating MLIS students are aligned with the American Library Association's Core Competencies of Librarianship.  Students evaluate their knowledge of the core competencies using a Likert Scale.  

• Exit Surveys of Graduating MLIS students (Quantitative data) graduate_student_exit_survey.pdf
• Annual Focus Group conducted each October at the Mississippi Library Association Conference (Qualitative data) focus-group_mla2013-18.pdf
• Course evaluations
• Survey research conducted by Dr. Creel and Dr. Welsh

 

Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)

Program assessment is an ongoing, active and systematic process intended to monitor and improve the overall quality of Student Learning Outcomes (SLO). The documents below relate to SLIS program assessment based on Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) as required for SACS and ALA Accreditation.  

MLIS WEAVE Assessment Reports

• SLIS WEAVE Report 2020-2021 (PDF)
• SLIS WEAVE Report 2018-2019
• SLIS WEAVE Report_2017-18.pdf
• SLIS WEAVE Report_2016-17.pdf
• SLIS WEAVE Report 2015-16.pdf
• SLIS WEAVE Report_2014-15.pdf
• SLIS WEAVE Report 2013-14.pdf
• SLIS WEAVE Report_2012-13.pdf

 

 2021-22 Advisory Board

• Jeannie Jones Damiano, MLIS, Pascagoula Branch Manager, MS
• Sharon Davis, MLIS, Head Librarian, Biloxi Public Library
• John Eye, MLIS, Ed.D., Professor and Dean, USM University Libraries
• Mantra Henderson, MLIS, Ph.D./a.b.d., Library Director, Mississippi Valley State University
• Otha Keys, MLIS, School Librarian, South Jones High School, Ellisville
• Wesley Lucas, MLIS, Special Librarian, World War II Museum, New Orleans
• Sarah Mangrum, MLIS, ED, Assistant Teaching Professor, USM SLIS Faculty Representative
• Natalie Mitchell, MLIS, School Librarian, Jackson Elementary, Pascagoula, MS
• Stephen Parks, MLIS, JD, State Librarian, Jackson, MS
• Yvonne Parton, MLIS, Branch Manager, Ocean Springs Municipal Library
• Julie H. Schiavo MLIS, AHIP, Assistant Director Dental Library, LSUHSC-NO Libraries
• Diana Simpson, MLIS, Assistant Professor/Catalog Librarian, USM Libraries
• Adam Singletary, MLIS, Associate Director, The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, and Forrest County
• Lorraine Stuart, MLIS, Head of Special Collections, Curator, Historical Manuscripts & Archives, USM University Libraries