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School of Library and Information Science

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  1) SLIS Enrollment, Retention, MLIS Degrees Awarded

Year

Grad/UG Enrollment*

Retention**

MLIS Degrees Awarded***

2023

291/142

94% 125

2022

282/105

88% 87

2021

313/125

92% 67

2020

265/114

90% 49

2019

185/112

85% 54

2018

  158/74

 85% 41

2017

  142/66

 89%

44

2016

  133/64

 88%

36

2015

  103/43

 80%

40

2014

  128/43

70% 

 63 

* 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) 2023 (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

  • 2015-2023 - 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, updated 2022)

 

Strategic Plan with Strategic Goals, Objectives (2016, reaffirmed 2022)

 

Policies

 

ALA Accredited

ALA Biennial Report 2022

ALA Biennial Report 2020

ALA Accreditation Report 2019

 ALA Biennial Report 2016

ALA Biennial Report 2014

ALA Biennial Report 2012

ALA Accreditation Report 2012

 

Program Assessment

Assessment of MLIS Students

Students must complete a capstone research project, pass a comprehensive exam, and create an e-portfolio as part of the 40-credit hour MLIS program requirements.
  • 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

 

 2023-24 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
  • Karlie Herndon, MA, MLIS, Assistant Professor, Curator, de Grummond Children's Literature Collection