The School of Library and Information Science recently received its continued accreditation status from the Committee on Accreditation of the American Library Association at the Association’s annual conference.
“We have been continuously accredited since the master program began. The next review will be spring of 2019,” said Beth Paskoff, director of the School of Library and Information Science.
The University and two other schools received continued accreditation, which lasts for seven years, while two other schools were granted conditional status requiring another review in three years.
“Despite the budget cuts, the School of Library and Information Science has done well. They have established themselves,” said Laura Lindsay, dean of the College of Human Sciences and Education.
The school only offers a master’s of library and information science, or MLIS, within the University’s first distance learning program, where students take classes at an off-campus site through a computer course.
“It has been possible for the degree to be obtained for 15 years. It is the entry-level degree for archivists, librarians and information managers, and we are the only university in Louisiana who offers this degree,” Paskoff said.
Lindsay said when the school became part of the fused College of Human Sciences and Education, it was given increased publicity for grants and fundraising.
“The school is funded by the state budget but wants to get more grant and fundraising money. They did not have a PR person — we do that for them now,” Lindsay said.
Lindsay said she hopes the continued accreditation status of the school’s master’s program and the added resources under the College of Human Sciences and Education will increase the school’s received donations.
SLIS received $306,230 in externally funded research money, or grant money, for the 2011-12 year, much less than the $3,606,670 and $3,409,818 the School of Education and the School of Social Work received, respectively.
“They got a really good bill of health. They are only a master’s degree program but want a Ph.D. program,” Lindsay said.
Paskoff said the University put a moratorium on the school attempting to add a Ph.D. program when the economy was bad, but they lifted the moratorium this year. The school waited to cement its reorganization under the College of Human Sciences and Education and received its reaccreditation from the American Library Association before attempting the Ph.D. finalization process.
“Getting through the reorganization of the College and reaccreditation is essential to the last sets of doctoral program documents. The reaccreditation is based entirely on academics. Being accredited is essential to making a Ph.D. program,” Paskoff said.
