The American Library Association's (ALA) Committee on Accreditation (COA) has re-accredited SLIS's MIS and MLS degrees. The next comprehensive review of the school's master's programs will take place in 2012. COA's decision was made at the ALA's annual meeting in Chicago. SLIS Dean Blaise Cronin and Professor Barbara Moran of UNC-Chapel Hill, chair of the External Review Panel (ERP), met with the COA to provide comment and answer questions.
In April, the ERP spent five days at IU meeting with faculty, students, staff, alumni, administrators and others on both the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses. The ERP's report describes SLIS as "a unique program that reflects the purpose and values of a school located in multiple locations." Both the MLS and MIS are described as "strong programs," delivered by "an internationally diverse faculty" that is "actively engaged in research." The school's administration is lauded for having "fostered an environment of academic excellence and collaboration."
Said Cronin, "I think the ERP worked most conscientiously, producing a constructive and overall very flattering assessment of SLIS and its programs. I don't think we expected anything other than seven-year re-accreditation, but it is always nice to know that one is on the right track. An exercise such as this also provides useful feedback and concrete suggestions on how to improve what we are doing, to the benefit of our students and the profession at large."
Posted July 07, 2005