KINGSTON, R.I. – While every graduate of the University of Rhode Island is aware of the work that went into earning their degree, fewer know the massive undertaking undergone by faculty members to ensure those degrees are worthy in the professional world: the accreditation process. The Graduate School of Library and Information Studies (GSLIS) is currently undergoing this process, a once-every-seven-years review done by the American Library Association to officially recognize the program. Dr. Lauren Mandel, the program’s director and an associate professor, has been working on this massive undertaking to ensure the University’s success.

Accreditation is a seal of approval for education programs, given by an organization of professionals in the subject. For GLSIS, that’s the American Library Association. The Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association, for example. For an organization to be accredited, they must meet the high standards of these organizations, so that they can be certified to national standards recognized by professionals, other universities, and employers.

One of the most time-consuming elements is the program’s self-study, a report on systematic planning, program level learning outcomes and curriculum, faculty, students, and infrastructure that comes in at around 200 pages. 

Another benefit of digital self-study is how easy it makes cross-referencing. 

“These self-studies used to have like three and four hundred page appendices of all these things that I don’t have, we don’t have any now because everything is just linked. You know, every time I reference a report, I just link to it” said Mandel.

The Graduate School of Library and Information Studies is no stranger to digital innovation, and as the self-study will show, enrollment has nearly doubled since the introduction of their accelerated online master’s program, which allows students to complete coursework entirely virtually, and with no set class hours. 

“I can work and take my classes at the same time. The program has opened new paths for me,” said Josh Relyea, a student currently enrolled in the program taking professor Yan Ma’s course on Visual Information Science.

This accelerated online program means major changes for the second part of the accreditation process: the visit to URI by reviewers.

 “They like to sit in on classes,” said Mandel. “We don’t have in-person classes, and our program is asynchronous, so we don’t even have live classes on Zoom.” 

What this means for the visiting review panel is special permission to view the class’s Brightspace pages, and specially scheduled panels where they can ask currently enrolled students questions about their experience in the program virtually.

The third and final element of the process involves presenting before reviewers at the American Library Association’s annual conference, held June 25 to the 29 in Chicago. Because the program is entirely virtual, Mandel requested the review remotely as an effort to save cost and time, and confirmed that this was an option chosen by other schools, and it would not affect the school’s chance of accreditation.

After spending months writing a 200 page report, few things are more welcome than saving some time and resources. It’s because of Mandel’s tireless work that the degree graduating students hold in their hands translates to the jobs they dream of.

This story was written by Jonah Major, College of Arts and Sciences and the Harrington School of Communication and Media.