General Meeting: Open Forum Notes

(Downloadable copy available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XSOW-OTBOfgEp-QCHQLNjWzwcrXY3yEw8cbsste3De0/edit?usp=sharing)

Alex Hanam, Academic Liaison, MLIS Student Council, Summer 2016

Final Report, Open Forum General Meeting

As Academic Liaison for the Summer 2016 term, I held an Open Forum General Meeting on Thursday, June 24 at 4:30pm in StaB 250. 24 MLIS students were present at this meeting.

In collaboration with the students present, I drafted a list of themes upon which to draw upon for discussion. Those present then divided into smaller groups to discuss the themes, coming back to share points with the larger group. We compiled this discussion into ten points which are listed and expanded upon below.

[if !supportLists]A. [endif]Graduate Resource Centre (GRC)

[if !supportLists]B. [endif]Online evaluations

[if !supportLists]C. [endif]Food options

[if !supportLists]D. [endif]Coursework/curriculum/faculty concerns

[if !supportLists]E. [endif]Facilities

[if !supportLists]F. [endif]Course offerings/availability

[if !supportLists]G. [endif]Registrations process

[if !supportLists]H. [endif]Concerns of 1st term students

[if !supportLists]I. [endif]Concerns of those about to graduate

[if !supportLists]J. [endif]Programs evaluations/accreditations

[if !supportLists]+ [endif]Communication

[if !supportLists]A. [endif]Graduate Resource Centre (GRC)

Students feel that the GRC is an excellent resource for MLIS students, with very helpful and approachable staff, clear and concise communication (in emails and otherwise), and offering an impressive array of programming. However, students wished there were more opportunities to attend GRC programming. Some felt that they could not attend due to the high workload and/or schedule. Some suggestions were presented: offering alternate dates for “GRC Presents…” (other than Tuesdays), or offering multiple sessions of the same presentation. Additional student feedback was positive: students love the makerspace materials available and wish that these were showcased/used more often.

[if !supportLists]B. [endif]Online evaluations (end of term)

Some students felt that their privacy concerns regarding the move of end-of-term course evaluations has not been addressed. They expressed a dislike of the concept of online course evaluations, feeling that there has not been a transparent and thorough explanation of the process and that they felt a paper-based process is more confidential and secure.

A related point is the inability of MLIS students to evaluate their Teaching Assistants (TAs). One student shared that this was likely based on the collective agreement of the TA union, PSAC 610; another student shared that this aspect of PSAC 610’s collective agreement had changed. This requires further information but remains a point of interest for MLIS students.

[if !supportLists]C. [endif]Food options

There is general frustration that the Tim Hortons in the North Campus Building closes in the summer. Students present noted that most on-campus eateries are closed or have reduced hours during the summer term, and that we, as a group of MLIS students, are unlikely to affect change for this.

[if !supportLists]D. [endif]Coursework/curriculum/faculty concerns

Students expressed concern and frustration with the variety (or complete lack) of course sites throughout their student experience. Those present shared how they have used OWL and Sharepoint formats, having to learn two different systems; some students shared how they have taken courses that had no online course site whatsoever. Students felt that it would be more convenient and consistent for students if all faculty used the same platform, though one student shared that some faculty are opposed to OWL due to copyright concerns with using that specific platform.

One participant said that grades are to be shared on OWL only, yet many instructors email grades directly to students, violating policy. This student also noted concerns of confidentiality of grades being communicated via email. I remain unclear on this specific policy for faculty.

Further feedback included frustration that that optional readings for the first week are often not made available, whether by not being shared with students until the first class and/or the instructions on accessing course sites not made available prior to the first week of classes.

Students noted that the lack of management skills in the curriculum is concerning. There was general consensus that this should not be present in a professional program like the MLIS. One concern was that there is a perceived greater emphasis on essay writing than practical assignments such as creating budgets, programming, and other documents used in a workplace. Related to this is a specific concern where assignments often have to be submitted before students receive the information to complete said assignments successfully. One student shared an anecdote from their experience in LIS 9005 where they had to submit an assignment before the class where their assignments were being workshopped. This student felt that this was not specific to LIS 9005 and that the “ass backwards” project submission-teaching cycle should be reviewed.

There were also concerns regarding the setup of specific courses being dependent on part-time lecturers, or discontinued if specific instructors leave FIMS.

Several comments were noted about the lack of clarity for the process of guided studies. Participants noted a lack of information for both faculty and students on the process, and a lack of faculty willing to supervise students’ projects. They also noted that guided studies ought to be more publicized, and that there should be more ways to celebrate MLIS research. Several participants mentioned the upcoming LIS journal meeting as one way to reach this goal.

Also noted were issues of course descriptions not providing enough information, with participants noting the potential for instructors to give open forum discussions of their courses. There is also a general lack of awareness that the Manager of Graduate Student Services can provide course counselling.

[if !supportLists]E. [endif]Facilities

Students noted several concerns with regard to available facilities.

Students noted issues with Outlook email, specifically phishing attempts. This is seen as an increase compared to undergraduate experience.

Noted were concerns with the co-op website. Some students noted there was no announcement of the switch from FIMS to Western Career Central website. Other students noted that they find the new layout organized and intuitive.

Students also noted that the Dean’s Office can be an intimidating place for students. Other participants noted that the Dean and administrative offices will be separate in the new building, alleviating some of this anxiety.

Another concern noted is that the air conditioning and heating are not regulated, and that the North Campus Building is often very cold or very warm.

However, it was noted that participants that since FIMS will be moving into a new building, student suggestions may not be applicable to the new space. We suggest revisiting this concern once the MLIS program is settled into the new building.

[if !supportLists]F. [endif]Course offerings/availability

It was noted by the Academic Liaison, and participants who had attended the Dean’s presentation on June 13, 2016, that feedback on course offerings is difficult to implement because of student turnover and changing trends and requests for courses.

There was general consensus on the need for more technology-related offerings. Students suggested that these could be based on employer demand; information on in-demand skills could be gleaned from co-op (and non co-op) employers. Specific areas of teck skills noted included improved web design (several students present expressed frustration and disappointment with the current summer 2016 course), database management, HTML, and coding languages. Further feedback was that the program could work to embed technology-related content into existing courses rather than create more stand-alone courses; examples offered were integrating the makerspace technology available in the GRC, and embedding into coursework software that is current to the field. Participants noted discrepancies amount the limited amount of technology courses available to students, noting that they had entered the program under the assumption that there were abundant tech courses offered, and feel this is faulty advertisement.

An area of course demand noted was for courses relating to public libraries, or to balance current course offerings approach to include more public library content. One student shared that they would like to see more content on programming (specifically noting for adults and newcomers), policies, and fundraising for public libraries.

Related to this, a suggestion was made to embed more extracurricular content into the courses to provide opportunities for students to create programming for a local library, or to develop projects in partnership with local organizations.

Students again suggested that the administration could seek out feedback from co-op providers to assess what might be lacking from the curriculum (particularly in terms of technological competencies). The point was raised that students only take 15 courses over their entire time at FIMS, and so perhaps a breadth rather than a specificity of courses is a more effective approach. Related to this, a student pointed out that guided research and independent studies do provide the option for more specialized study. This then lead to discussing how these processes are not well-defined for students (or faculty), and so are difficult to set up and follow.

A suggestion was made for an MLIS+ (“MLIS plus”) degree for students willing to exceed the one-year timeframe with training in additional areas. Areas of concentration could include law, technology, social work, language, etc. There was general agreement with and interest in this suggestion.

Participants did note that they felt class sizes are appropriate and worked well.

[if !supportLists]G. [endif]Registration process

During the meeting, students voiced concerns regarding the course registration process in the program. A number of comments expressed frustration over the current process, citing the difficulty of enrolling into all preferred courses in each term - as well as the frustration of not being able to enroll in classes that would allow students to fulfill breadth requirements.

Some students had also indicated that the current process used for the MLIS program does not resemble those at other universities or in other programs. In order to facilitate and reduce both the difficulty of course enrollment and frustration experienced by students, administration should consider the use of a staggered course enrollment procedure (suggested by students at the general meeting).

[if !supportLists]H. [endif]Concerns of first-term students

Comments from the first term students that were present at the general meeting expressed that the early launch of the peer-to-peer mentorship program (run by MLIS Student Council) was well-received. They also made positive comments regarding the helpfulness of having a mentor while progressing through their first term of the program - especially during the first few weeks of the term. Student Council will likely be taking on this approach for the upcoming term.

Students stated that they would have liked to know more on the process of being exempted from courses - in particular, exemption from the mandatory courses. Most students were not aware of the option to defer courses for those who had sufficient experience, and those who were felt that communication regarding the exemption process was unclear.

There were comments that the intensity of the first term workload prevented students from becoming more involved in extracurriculars, such as student chapters or attending GRC Presents… sessions.

There was also a general consensus that orientation for incoming students is overwhelming, not well organized, and does not fully meet student needs. Students of all levels (first term and established) shared their dissatisfaction with information offered at their respective orientations. Shared concerns included an awkward flow of activities, a lack of faculty introductions, crammed information sessions with no reiteration later in the days or weeks that followed, and a lack of guidance around Western’s campus (i.e. to get ID and bus pass, to locate food vendors and bus stops, etc.). Those present who participated in the Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program said that they relied on their mentors to provide information and often shared this with their classmates.

[if !supportLists]I. [endif]Concerns of those about to graduate

Comments from those students present who are in their final term at FIMS expressed concerns with the exit interview process, specifically that the random sampling is problematic and that a more egalitarian process would allow for more students to participate and express their opinion.

[if !supportLists]J. [endif]Program evaluations/accreditations (ALA, IQAP, etc.)

A very brief discussion took place on how the ALA accreditation directly impacts the MLIS breadth requirements. Those present were informed that FIMS would be undergoing this process over the next few years and were encouraged to review Student Council’s notes from the Dean’s presentation and to contact the Dean with further questions.

Communication

As the discussion progressed, I also gathered items that related to issues of communication that span the MLIS program and student experience. These items are listed as follows:

[if !supportLists]- [endif]Course documents are not consistent (e.g., syllabi)

[if !supportLists]- [endif]Administration could improve communication with co-op employers

[if !supportLists]- [endif]The program’s “1 year” marketing does not reflect the pressure this timeframe places on students. Students feel that clarification is needed; perhaps this could be listed as an accelerated option. They also felt it should be made clear that the 1-year timeframe does not apply to students interested in co-op

[if !supportLists]- [endif]The guided study process should be made clearer to students and faculty

[if !supportLists]- [endif]Course content often cannot be gleaned from course titles. More detailed course descriptions would be helpful.

[if !supportLists]- [endif]An open forum for faculty to present a brief pitch on their course offerings would help students to make more informed decisions on courses.

[if !supportLists]- [endif]Comments expressed that communication with administration can be frustrating with unclear expectations on what students should know and who to contact for specific concerns.