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Portfolio Assessment RequirementImportant Deadlines
Declaration of Intent to Present the Portfolio form - (10K) - (printer ready - Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader required Portfolio Requirements
The portfolio preparation and presentation is to be a culminating experience for the years in the MLIS program, comparable to a comprehensive examination or thesis. The portfolio is to be a presentation of its author's professional self, as developed in the MLIS program. The student submits the recorded form of the portfolio in advance, then gives an in-person presentation to a panel of three. Students wishing to write a thesis should consult with their advisors to make appropriate arrangements. The portfolio assessment is optional for those writing a thesis, and required for those not writing a thesis. Goal of the PortfolioThe goal of the portfolio assessment is to determine whether the student has become a leader in the field. By "leader" we do not mean that the student will become the president of a professional society. Instead we mean that the student has taken the initiative to define an agenda for the field. To this end, the student will (with the assistance of faculty, other students, and the student's growing professional network) articulate a new issue for the field, and write and speak about it. Articulating a new issue is valuable for several reasons. It provides students with a structure for identifying their interests, becoming involved in the intellectual life of the department and the field, thinking about their career directions, building their professional networks, getting jobs that are ideal for them, acquiring professional identities, and getting started on their involvement in professional activities and continuing education. Professional Development CourseThe Professional Development course (IS 400) is designed to help students articulate their new issues. It is not a required course, but it will be offered each year for those students who wish to take it. Portfolio PreparationAs the portfolio is to demonstrate the growth and reflection of the student during the MLIS program, it is highly advisable to anticipate this project from the beginning of the program. The student should discuss potential issues with his or her advisor, with other faculty, and with an ever-widening circle of other professionals in the student's network. In particular, to promote such discussions, the student is required to provide his or her advisor and the student affairs officer with a 50-word draft of an issue at the end of the student's first year in the program. In this process, the advisor should be an important source of information and mentoring. If the advisor relationship is not fulfilling in this regard, the student should consult with other faculty and/or change advisors. It is recommended that the student show the portfolio in advance to the advisor, in order to get any needed feedback. Portfolio ComponentsThe portfolio can be assembled on paper (any type of binding) or as a standard noneraseable digital carrier such as DVD (using common file formats, annotated with its system requirements, and capable of being used across different operating systems). In general, digital media such as DVD's should be used when they are relevant to the materials. The portfolio should contain the following elements:
Portfolio SubmissionStudents wishing to present their portfolio must meet these requirements:
Three copies of the portfolio are due to the Administrative Assistant of the Faculty by Friday of second week of the term in which the portfolio is to be presented. All portfolios must be small enough to fit into a #7 Jiffy bag (see the AA). Portfolio PresentationPortfolio presentations may be made at designated times in Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters only. Students normally make presentations in their final quarter in the program. Students must submit a completed Declaration of Intent to Present the Portfolio Form to Student Services (207 GSEIS Bldg.) no later than the fifth week of the quarter BEFORE the one in which they intend to present, so that the appropriate review panels can be scheduled. The form must be signed by the faculty advisor. The Department sets dates for portfolio presentations in advance of the academic year. These may range over several weeks from the middle to the end of the quarter. Portfolio copies are given in advance to the members of the review panel. The Department assembles review panels consisting of two IS faculty members and one practitioner. The practitioner must have a MLIS or equivalent level of education and experience, to be determined by the faculty. The Department schedules student presentations. The presentations are open to the public. Each portfolio presentations is scheduled for a total of 30 minutes. The first 15 minutes are for the presentation to the panel, and the final 15 minutes are for discussion. It is the obligation of the student to limit the presentation to the allotted time. Presentations will be scheduled in blocks, typically with the same panel participating in several presentations in a row. After each block, the panel discusses all of the presentations in camera. The presentation should be a polished account of the student's new issue. The presentation may be a professional PowerPoint talk, but other modes of presentation are welcome as well. The review panel will question the student mainly about this issue, but might also commence a general constructive discussion of the student's career plans. Portfolio EvaluationReview panels evaluate the portfolio and presentation on a single criterion: whether the student has established himself or herself as a leader in the field in the way described above, that is, by articulating a new issue. They assign one of two grades: Pass or Fail. The department will notify the student of this grade in writing within two weeks. Students whose presentations are especially meritorious may be invited to repeat their presentations at a public event that the department organizes for its alumni, industry associates, and others. Students who fail must correct problems and make a successful portfolio presentation in order to graduate. If the sources of failure are modest, the panel will give recommended revisions to the advisor, who will oversee the student's reworking of the portfolio in time to present again during the same quarter. If the sources of failure are major, or if a student with modest problems wishes to take longer to revise the portfolio, then the student must enroll in the next quarter or pay a filing fee and present the portfolio again in the usually scheduled time period for presentations. Failure a second time leads to being dropped from the program. Major Paper FAQHow was I supposed to know I had to have a major paper in my portfolio? Students are told when they enter the program that they need to have a major paper, and this information is in the handbook. How do I know which courses have papers that count? We announce this at the SGB sponsored brown bag sessions where faculty talk about courses, and discuss assignments--such as a major paper[, or other kind of project such as a website or report] that counts for 40% of the grade. How do I know which faculty can supervise a major paper? Major papers are to be completed with "ladder faculty". Students should check with their advisers if they have questions about meeting the requirements. Those professors who are "ladder faculty" include: Stuart Biegel, Jean-François Blanchette; Christine Borgman; Clara M. Chu; Johanna Drucker; Jonathan Furner; Anne Gilliland; Robert Hayes; Chris Kelty; Greg Leazer; Leah Lievrouw; Beverly Lynch; Mary Niles Maack; Ellen J. Pearlstein, Steve Ricci, John Richardson; Ramesh Srinivasan; Virginia Walter. Emeriti faculty members who have recently taught or are teaching now are included in the list above. Other faculty on the IS website are clearly labeled as adjunct professors; you will also find a few emeritae faculty who have not taught in the program for several years. What can I do if I can not find any courses requiring a major paper? Students can take the IS 596 Independent Study course in order to write a paper that will satisfy the major paper requirement. Faculty are prepared to consider such independent study requests. However, you should plan to take an independent study course well before the beginning of a new term and you should not approach faculty about enrolling at the last minute. It is a good idea to think about a course paper that could be developed into a major paper. Ask the professor who taught the course about enrolling for an IS 596 Independent Study (for either 2& or 4 units) to do further research on the topic. Alternatively, you can pick an area that is listed as a research interest for a given faculty member and approach that professor about supervising an independent study. Faculty members are much more likely to welcome an independent study proposal from you if you have done your homework and can send them a preliminary proposal for their considerations. What can I do if I did not take any courses requiring a major paper? Those students who have not completed a major paper in time to meet the spring deadline will have to postpone their portfolio presentation until fall 2009. At that time they will have to pay a filing fee (the current rate is: ) If you are starting a job that requires that you have the MLIS, but you must present[delay] your portfolio until fall, Susan Abler or your adviser can write a letter on your behalf stating that you have complete[d] all requirements except for the portfolio. |
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Updated: 10/27/09 |
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All materials copyright 2001 - 2009, UCLA GSE&IS Department of Information Studies. |
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