Recruitment and retention

ILS retained or graduated 96% of our students in the fall 2017 and fall 2016 class.

In 2017, ILS continued to expand our recruitment efforts both on and off campus by attending the graduate school fair, hosting local colleges for on-campus visits, creating a new web chat platform, and connecting with key on-campus student populations at an event hosted by academic advisors.

Additionally, ILS attended the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago, where assistant professor Devan Donaldson represented the department at a diversity recruitment event.

Recruitment efforts for 2018–2019 are underway, including a plan to formalize an ambassador program where all prospective applicants have the ability to talk with faculty, staff, and current students. The department will continue conducting outreach to other local Indiana colleges and working with the IU libraries to recruit high quality students.

Graduation and placement

88% of M.I.S. graduates from summer 2016 to spring 2017 secured employment within six months of graduation.

100% of M.L.S. graduates from summer 2016 to spring 2017 secured employment or continuing education within six months of graduation.

Progress goals and objectives

Fall 2017 actions:

• Associate Professor John Walsh was named the interim co-director of the HathiTrust Research Center
• ILS Advisory Committee for Professional Programs formed with area employers to provide guidance and feedback as the department prepares for re-accreditation
• Policy enacted that students desiring to graduate with a specialization must now declare the specialization before finishing 18 credits
• The department hosted the Document Academy conference with 28 participants from eleven countries
• Professor Ronald Day received university funding to hold an information, documents, and values seminar
• Professionals in Practice Series created to bring ILS alumni to campus to talk with students about their experiences post-graduation
• Student Advisory Council formed to provide students with an opportunity to participate in the formulation, modification, and implementation of policies affecting academic and student affairs

Spring 2018 actions:

• Added new cross-listed elective Makerspace course and a Youth and Teen Services course to the curriculum
• New tenure-track faculty hired to start in fall 2018
• M.L.S. students approved to take up to 6 credits of coursework towards their electives outside of the department
• Assistant Professor Devan Donaldson was awarded the Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award
• Reorganized curriculum to require students to take core courses in their first year
• Assistant Professor Robert Montoya initiated a Diversity and Critical Studies Group to engage people from all over the school, including students and faculty, and to focus on diversity as it pertains to the profession
• Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at IU has been contracted to conduct learning outcome assessments of the core courses for both the M.L.S. and M.I.S. programs
• ILS faculty participated in the school-wide Research Horizons presentations