Syracuse University receives $713,492 grant to develop library and information science distance education program

Syracuse University receives $713,492 grantto develop library and information sciencedistance education programAugust 16, 2004Edward Byrnesedbyrnes@syr.edu

Bruce Kingma, an associate professor and associate dean in Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, has received a $713,492, two-year grant by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to create a cost-effective, collaborative distance education program that will increase quality, access and diversity of online educational opportunities.

The program, known as the Web-based Information Science Education consortium (WISE), is a joint effort between SU, the University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign and the University of Washington, focused on developing faculty training for online pedagogy; standards and metrics for online library and information science (LIS) education; and a collaborative marketplace for online LIS courses.

“Many people aspire to pursue graduate studies in LIS, but with only 54 accredited schools in the U.S., many potential students often do not have access to local site-based programs. We’re developing this online initiative to offer an alternative point of access with program flexibility. And eventually, WISE can serve as a model for online education in other disciplines,” says Kingma.

This past spring and continuing in Fall 2004, SU, UIUC and the University of Washington are participating in a pilot consortium to offer selected online courses to students at all three universities. Kingma will work to expand WISE to include more library and information science (LIS) schools, beginning

with a one-day pre-conference workshop at the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Conference in Boston in January 2005.

“After the pre-conference, we will work with interested schools to build the list of consortium course offerings, with the goal of supporting cross-institutional student enrollments beginning in Fall 2005,” says Kingma.

The School of Information Studies at SU is a nationally ranked center for innovative programs in information policy, information behavior, information management, information systems, information technology and information services. The School offers an undergraduate degree, certificates of advanced studies, three professional master’s programs, and a Ph.D. The School of Information Studies was established in 1896 as the School of Library Science and is accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). For more information, visit the School’s web site at www.ist.syr.edu.