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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

* 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 .

Read about this history of Southern Miss SLIS in by Dr. Matthew Griffis.

Educational Goals for Students Include:

  1. Technological Competency and Skills
  2. Engagement in Research and Evidence Based Practices
  3. Information Resources and Reference and User Services
  4. Knowledge of Foundations and Inclusive Professional Practices
  5. Life-long Learning and Continuing Education
  6. Management and Administration
  7. Organization of Recorded Knowledge and Information
 

Educational Goals and Objectives (2016, updated 2022)

 

Strategic Plan with Strategic Goals, Objectives 

 

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, 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.  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

2024-25 Advisory Board

Jeannie Jones Damiano, MLIS, Pascagoula Branch Manager, MS

Natalie Dunaway, MLIS Community Outreach Coordinator/State Data Coordinator, Mississippi Library Commission

John Eye, MLIS, Ed.D., Professor and Dean, Â鶹´«Ã½ University Libraries

Mantra Henderson, MLIS, Ph.D./a.b.d., Library Director, Mississippi Valley State University

Sarah Mangrum, MLIS, Ed.D., Assistant Teaching Professor, Â鶹´«Ã½ SLIS Faculty Representative

Natalie Mitchell, MLIS, School Librarian, Jackson Elementary, Pascagoula, MS

Stephen Parks, MLIS, JD, State Librarian, Jackson, MS

Julie H. Schiavo, MLIS, Ed.D., AHIP, Assistant Director Dental Library, LSUHSC-NO Libraries

Elizabeth Simmons, MLIS, Ed. S., Instructional Materials and Library Services Director, Mississippi Department of Education

Diana Simpson, MLIS, Assistant Professor/Catalog Librarian, Â鶹´«Ã½ 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, Â鶹´«Ã½ University Libraries

Karlie Herndon, MA, MLIS, Assistant Professor, Curator, de Grummond Children's Literature Collection