Standard V--Administration and Financial SupportAdministrationStandard V.1The school is an integral yet distinctive academic unit
within the institution. Its autonomy is sufficient to
assure that the intellectual content of its program,
the selection and promotion of its faculty, and the
selection of its students are determined by the school
within the general guidelines of the institution. The
parent institution provides the resources and
administrative support needed for the attainment of
program objectives.
The School is an autonomous unit, headed by a Dean who reports to the Provost and who sits on the Council of Deans and Directors. The School has substantial independence in determining the intellectual content of its program, the selection of its faculty, and the selection of its students. The Graduate College has the authority to review new and revised graduate degree programs and new and revised courses that carry graduate credit, but the School is free to introduce new courses on a trial basis prior to submitting them for formal approval by the Graduate College. GSLIS handles all aspects of the search and selection process for new faculty, with final approval of new hires made by the Provost. The School has primary responsibility for promotion and tenure review. Those recommended for promotion and tenure following review by the School are subject to review by a campus-level committee that in turn makes its recommendations to the Provost. The School makes decisions on student admissions, with Graduate College review only in instances where the School seeks to make the case for admission even though an applicant does not meet the stated minimum requirements. Budgets for the School are set annually through the budget review process in which all academic units reporting to the Provost participate. Standard V.2The school's faculty, staff, and students have the same
opportunity for representation on the institution's
advisory or policy-making bodies as do those of
comparable units throughout the institution. The
school's administrative relationships with other
academic units enhance the intellectual environment and
support interdisciplinary interaction; further, these
administrative relationships encourage participation in
the life of the parent institution.
The faculty, staff, and students have the same opportunity for representation on campus-level or policy-making bodies as do those of comparable units and indeed exercise that right. For example, Linda Smith served a three-year term on the Campus Budget Oversight Committee (1998-2001), serving as chair in 2000-2001. This committee reviews the budgets of all colleges and is advisory to the Provost. GSLIS has two senators in the Urbana-Champaign Faculty-Student Senate (currently Fernando Elichirigoity and Terry Weech). Faculty regularly serve on senate committees, Graduate College committees, and committees appointed by the various vice chancellors. Students are eligible to run for graduate student seats in the Senate and to serve on the Graduate Student Advisory Council. Current Ph.D. student Timothy Hogan (MS ’02) is a member of the Graduate College Career Advisory Committee and current Ph.D. student Rae-Anne Montague (MS ’00) is one of two graduate student observers on the Graduate College Executive Committee. Examples of campus-level assignments held in the past two years by GSLIS faculty members include the following:
UIUC provides a supportive environment for interdisciplinary interactions. Through the Dean’s participation as a full member of the Council of Deans and Directors, he has regular contact with the Deans of all the other academic units on campus. Although GSLIS does not have formal administrative relationships with other academic units, individual faculty members and the School as a whole regularly participate in cross-unit activities. Section III.1 above noted the range of joint appointments held by GSLIS faculty and Section III.6 highlighted GSLIS faculty participation in various cross-campus initiatives. Several GSLIS faculty participate in programs sponsored by the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities (e.g., a February 25, 2004 panel discussion on "Gizmos, Gadgets, and Googling: Living in the Digital Age" featuring panelists Narendra Ahuja (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Ann Bishop (Library and Information Science), Jay Kesan (Law), Richard Powers (English), and Dan Schiller (Library and Information Science) with Noshir Contractor (Speech Communication) as moderator). Several GSLIS faculty participated in the Silicon, Carbon, Culture: Combining Codes through the Arts, Humanities, and Technology initiative, including the projects Hands on, Plugged in: Living on the Prairie (with Chip Bruce and Ann Bishop as the GSLIS participants); Silicon and Carbon in the Global Age (with Fernando Elichirigoity as the GSLIS participant); and Walking Through Knowledge Networks (with Michael Twidale as the GSLIS participant). The faculty participate in teaching undergraduates from many other departments through the information technology studies minor. Dean Unsworth and Computer Science Department Head Marc Snir have organized meetings between GSLIS faculty and computer science faculty to explore shared interests in research and teaching. Through LIS 590IC Information Consulting taught by Fernando Elichirigoity, LIS students team with other students as the information specialists on projects coordinated by OSBI Consulting, a student managed consulting organization in the College of Business, addressing real world problems presented by industry and business clients. This experience teaches LIS students how to apply their knowledge of information resources and information technologies to organizational settings and how to be effective participants in a research team. GSLIS faculty collaborate with faculty from other departments on a variety of research projects. Carole Palmer and Michael Twidale are co-principal investigators with members of the Library Faculty on the Digital Collections and Content project funded by IMLS. Faculty participating in the NSF-sponsored Water CAMPWS Center of Advanced Materials for Purification of Water with Systems include Ann Bishop, Chip Bruce, Bryan Heidorn, and Michael Twidale. Faculty are often called on to collaborate on projects where they can contribute expertise in information system design, evaluation, learning technologies, and outreach. For example, at the request of the Provost, John Unsworth will be working closely with individuals designated by University Librarian Paula Kaufman and Chief Information Officer Peter Siegel on development and implementation of an institutional repository for UIUC. Sources of Evidence:
Standard V.3The executive officer of a program has title, salary,
status, and authority comparable to heads of similar
units in the parent institution. In addition to
academic qualifications comparable to those required of
the faculty, the executive officer has leadership
skills, administrative ability, experience, and
understanding of developments in the field and in the
academic environment needed to fulfill the
responsibilities of the position. The school's
executive officer nurtures an intellectual environment
that enhances the pursuit of the school's mission and
program goals and the accomplishment of its program
objectives; that environment also encourages faculty
and student interaction with other academic units and
promotes the socialization of students into the
field.
Leigh Estabrook was widely recognized, both on and off campus, as a strong and visionary leader of GSLIS during her long tenure as dean from 1986-2001. In spring 2001 she announced her intention to step down as dean. She continues as Director of the Library Research Center and full-time GSLIS faculty member. From August 2001-August 2003, Linda Smith served as Interim Dean prior to the successful conclusion of a search for a new dean. John Unsworth has served as Dean of GSLIS since August 2003. The search committee advising the Provost on the appointment of a new dean included four GSLIS faculty members (Bishop, Bruce, Gasser, Hearne), a staff member (Assistant Dean Susan Barrick), and a student representative (Melanie Kimball, followed by Rae-Anne Montague; both were doctoral students who had earned an MS from GSLIS). The search committee was chaired by Susan Fowler, dean of the College of Education, and also included University Librarian Paula Kaufman and Professor of Computer Science Roy Campbell. The nearly two-year process emphasized finding a candidate who could lead an already strong School to even greater accomplishments. The selection of Dean Unsworth had the unanimous support of the GSLIS faculty as well as the enthusiastic support of then Chancellor Nancy Cantor and Provost Richard Herman. Dean Unsworth has quickly established productive working relationships with GSLIS faculty, staff, and students, his fellow deans and other colleagues and administrators across campus, and alumni and others in the state. His ten-year experience as Director of the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia and his active engagement in issues of scholarly publishing position Dean Unsworth to lead the School in new directions while sustaining support for established program strengths in library and information science. Sources of Evidence: Standard V.4The school's administrative and other staff are adequate
to support the executive officer and faculty in the performance of their
responsibilities. The staff contributes to the fulfillment of the school's
mission and program goals and objectives. Within its institutional framework
the school uses effective decision-making processes that are determined
mutually by the executive officer and the faculty, who regularly evaluate
these processes and use the results.
Administrative StaffDean Unsworth has built an administrative team of two associate deans (Linda Smith for academic programs and Kenneth Spelke for information technology and research) and four assistant deans (Susan Barrick for alumni relations and development, Curt McKay for student affairs, Isabel Dale Silver for academic affairs, and Marlo Welshons for publications and communications). All four assistant deans hold the M.S. in library and information science and Dr. Silver holds a Ph.D. in public administration. GSLIS has benefited from stability in its administrative ranks. Linda Smith has served as Associate Dean since January 1997 [with two years as interim dean August 2001-2003], Curt McKay has served as Assistant Dean since 1988, and Susan Barrick has served as Assistant Dean since 1996. Marlo Welshons joined GSLIS in 1999, Dale Silver in 2001, and Kenneth Spelke in 2004. Since Dean Unsworth’s arrival, the portfolios of administrative staff and reporting relationships have been reviewed and revised. Current responsibilities include: I. Assistant Dean Portfolios Susan Barrick—Alumni Relations and Development
Dale Silver—Academic Affairs Identify, oversee, and follow-up practicum and internship opportunities Curt McKay—Student Affairs Student Services—course registration, counseling students, assist with student advising Marlo Welshons—Publications and Communications Managerial, fiscal, and marketing responsibilities for the work of the GSLIS Publications Office (including Library Trends, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, the Occasional Papers series, and other monographs) II. Associate Dean Portfolios Linda C. Smith—Academic Programs Course scheduling Kenneth Spelke —Information Technology & Research
III. Dean Portfolio—John Unsworth Principal activities include:
Other GSLIS staffGSLIS is fortunate to have an exceptionally competent and dedicated staff. Those who have regular contact with students place a high value on providing effective and efficient service. Faculty and students have ready access to in-house expertise in information technology, instructional technology, publications, and survey research and data analysis, rather than having to depend on support from offices elsewhere on campus. Staff not already named (excluding graduate assistants) include:
The University is in the midst of a five-year project to implement a university-wide Enterprise Resource Planning system, UI-Integrate, including modules for finance, human resources, and student records. The switchover to new systems is creating challenges for all academic units as new procedures must be learned and delays occur in performing tasks in the new system. For example, in fall 2003 financial aid disbursements were delayed as finance modules were in use for the first time. Similar delays have occurred in admissions processing and maintenance of student records. GSLIS takes pride in providing a high level of service to students and prospective students, and our staff regrets not being able to guarantee this responsiveness during the extended period of new system implementation. School GovernanceFaculty contribute to school governance through monthly faculty meetings and service on faculty committees. The governance of the school is outlined it its bylaws. Faculty serve on a variety of committees. Service activities within the School include:
At the conclusion of each academic year, faculty have the opportunity to express their preference for committee assignments for the coming year, once the election for Executive Committee members has concluded. Assignments seek to involve all faculty in school governance and to balance the school service load. Sources of Evidence:
Financial SupportStandard V.5The parent institution provides continuing financial
support sufficient to develop and maintain library and
information studies education in accordance with the
general principles set forth in these Standards. The
level of support provides a reasonable expectation of
financial viability and is related to the number of
faculty, administrative and support staff,
instructional resources, and facilities needed to carry
out the school's program of teaching, research, and
service.
Financial resources required to build and maintain an excellent MS program come from multiple sources: state funds, tuition, externally funded research, auxiliary units, and private gifts. In a period of diminishing state support for UIUC, GSLIS has become more dependent on the other categories of funds to ensure stability of existing programs and to undertake new initiatives. In fall 1996 the University of Illinois Board of Trustees authorized a tuition differential for GSLIS students beginning fall 1997, with the funds to be targeted toward support for technology. Students pay an increment each semester as an investment in insuring access to technology that is regularly upgraded and the necessary staff support for its effective use. Graduate units have some discretion in granting tuition waivers associated with assistantships. All students holding at least a 25% assistantship receive a waiver of the base in-state tuition. Out-of-state students holding assistantships still must pay the differential between in-state and out-of-state tuition. GSLIS continues to get strong support from the UIUC administration and has expanded revenues in other categories, including increases in tuition income, increases in externally funded research, and increases in endowment. As shown in the campus profile, the GSLIS state budget (including state funds and tuition income) increased three-fold from $1.303 million in 1997-1998 to $4.020 million in 2003-2004. The current campus budgeting system takes into account such factors as faculty size, enrollment, and facilities costs in determining a unit’s budget allocation each year. A number of new funds have been established over the past two years to encourage giving by alumni and friends of the school. For example, the GSLIS LEEP Scholarship Endowment Fund was established at the impetus of a LEEP student (now graduate) and the Special Librarians Fund was established with support from two GSLIS alumni who are active in the Special Libraries Association. The recently appointed Associate Director of Development (Chantelle Hougland) will provide additional support for securing external funding from foundations, corporations, and government agencies. Sources of Evidence:
Standard V.6Compensation for a program's executive officer,
faculty, and other staff is equitably established
according to their education, experience,
responsibilities, and accomplishments and is sufficient
to attract, support, and retain personnel needed to
attain program goals and objectives.
Faculty and staff salaries are a matter of concern at the campus as well as the School level. No salary increases for FY03 were followed by modest increases for FY04 and FY05. The annual review process is used by the Dean as a basis for determining salary increments to be awarded to faculty and staff from funds available for this purpose. As faculty with more diverse backgrounds have been hired, market factors have led to some disparities in salaries within ranks. Available funds have been used both to reward merit and to remedy inequities. Fortunately we have not lost personnel due to an inability to match outside salary offers. The Provost has partnered with GSLIS in providing funds to retain key faculty who received outside offers. We recognize that the high quality of our faculty makes them attractive recruitment targets for other institutions, and we continue to work hard to foster an environment in which they can pursue rewarding careers, including efforts to increase salary compensation. Academic professionals also are reviewed annually to provide a basis for salary decisions. Source of Evidence:
Standard V.7Institutional funds for research projects, professional
development, travel, and leaves with pay are available
on the same basis as in comparable units of the
institution. Student financial aid from the parent
institution is available on the same basis as in
comparable units of the institution.
GSLIS faculty are eligible to compete for funding from the Campus Research Board (seed funds for research projects), Scholars' Travel Fund (funds for travel to attend conferences), Teaching Advancement grants (funds for travel or workshops), various international programs, and sabbatical leaves on the same basis as other faculty and have been successful in securing these awards. All eligible tenured faculty have taken at least one sabbatical leave for at least a semester and in some cases for a full year. GSLIS faculty are competitive with faculty in other units in securing funds from campus resources in support of their research and travel activities. Students are eligible for fellowships, assistantships, and student loans on the same basis as other graduate students. A significant proportion of our on-campus students have assistantships; data reported to ALISE in 2003 indicate that 144 of our on-campus MS students held some type of assistantship in GSLIS or another unit of the University. GSLIS employs a few MS students each year (in IT user services, Publications, Center for Children's Books, Prairienet), but most assistantships are in other campus units, with more than 80 assistantship opportunities in the University Library. While PhD students have priority for fellowship support, each year a few MS students are awarded scholarships or fellowships from funds available at the campus and School level. Although most such awards go to on-campus students, a few LEEP students have held assistantships or received scholarships. MS students are also the beneficiaries of a number of gifts, notably the Barbara Bartley Randall Student Advancement Fund and the Dorothy C. McAlister Endowment, income from which supports such activities as attendance for students at conferences and work of the student chapters of professional associations. GSLIS has been successful in soliciting funds from alumni and friends each year for its Annual Fund, which benefit students in various ways. GSLIS now has published policies in place for applying for and awarding both student and faculty travel support from the School. Sources of Evidence:
Standard V.8The school's planning and evaluation process includes
review of both its administrative policies and its
fiscal policies and financial support. Within
applicable institutional policies, faculty, staff,
students, and others are involved in the evaluation
process. Evaluation is used for ongoing appraisal to
make improvements and to plan for the future.
The arrival of a new dean has been an opportunity to review administrative and fiscal policies and to regularize practices. For example, we have now developed and implemented a standard policy for compensating adjunct faculty, whether they teach on-campus or in LEEP. The Executive Committee (three faculty elected annually and the Associate Dean for Academic Programs) is advisory to the Dean on matters of budget. The Admissions Committee and administrative staff regularly review issues related to financial aid for MS students. When changes are proposed, such as the introduction of a tuition differential to support information technology in the school, students are consulted to understand their perceptions of costs vs. potential benefits. Sources of Evidence:
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The Graduate School of
Library and Information Science
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 501 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820 (217) 333-7197 voice, (217) 244-3302 fax |
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