Starting in Fall 2009, all students completing the 36-hour Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree are required to complete successfully an outcomes assessment in order to graduate. This outcomes assessment consists of an electronic portfolio (Graduation Assessment) that provides each graduating student with the opportunity to reflect on their cumulative experiences in the master's program, including both required and elective courses. The contents of the Portfolio focus on professional skills and knowledge developed during the student's coursework.

The Graduation Assessment includes all the following items:

• A Reflective Essay
• Sample artifacts or assignments of high quality for each of the six core classes, and three elective classes
• Evaluative statements for each sample artifact
• A professional resume

In the reflective essay, students demonstrate their competency in the SIS' learning outcomes, analyze the contribution of included artifacts to the students' professional development, and describe students' beliefs regarding the professional responsibilities of an information professional. An artifact in the context of the Graduation Assessment may refer to any sample work a student has completed in a course since entering SIS. Each sample artifact or evidence should be prefaced with an evaluative statement. An evaluative statement is a brief statement of the motivation for and circumstances under which the item was produced, and its relationship to overall patterns of personal development.

A student's Graduation Assessment is evaluated by an Assessment Committee using the following criteria:

1. Completeness of the Graduation Assessment
2. Quality of the reflective essay
3. Professional commitment indicated through inclusion and quality of all required items
4. Graduation Assessment's professional appearance and technical quality

The Assessment Committee consist of two SIS Faculty members, chosen at random from a pool of available faculty during the semester the student graduates.

If a student has all the required items and receives a score of 85 and above out of 100, s/he can pass the Graduation Assessment requirement for graduation. A student who does not pass the Graduation Assessment will meet with the SIS Associate Dean and the student's assessment committee for review and recommendation for further action.

Complete details about the Graduation Assessment submission and assessment processes are available.

Data concerning MLIS student performance on the Graduation Assessment outcomes assessment are available.