Mission, Goals, and Objectives

The mission of the Library Science (LS) program is to contribute to the essential knowledge, skills, and values of librarianship, and to instill these in our students.

Goal 1

Design and implement a curriculum that incorporates ALA’s Core Competences into a thorough generalist program.

Objectives

  • Review the curriculum completely every three years to ensure that it meets the needs of students and employers.
  • Conduct a less formal review of the courses, including syllabi, offered on a continuous basis.
  • The content and evaluation of all courses in the curriculum are managed by the LS faculty.
  • Seek out and develop knowledgeable and talented adjunct faculty to augment the LS curriculum and its delivery.
  • All courses taught by adjunct faculty are overseen by a member of the LS faculty.

Strategies

  1. Conduct curriculum reviews in conjunction with the program’s Advisory Council so as to ensure a continued connection with praxis.
  2. Affirm on an annual basis who on the faculty has oversight responsibility for each course.
  3. Every faculty member who is responsible for a required course shares with all faculty the complete evaluation of the course, including a summary of updated content.
  4. All faculty review the qualifications of each adjunct to teach any course to which the adjunct may be assigned.
  5. On an annual basis the responsible LS faculty member provides a summary of the performance of adjunct faculty.

Goal 2

Develop pedagogical methods—individually and collaboratively—that use effective techniques to enhance student learning.

Objectives

  • Each faculty member keeps up-to-date with technologies that enhance teaching and learning.
  • The program supports the best available tools to support the teaching needs of all faculty.
  • The program helps faculty become aware of, and competent with, all present and emerging teaching and learning tools and techniques.
  • Adjunct faculty have access to these same technological tools and pedagogical methods.
  • The LS faculty work with adjuncts to help them develop as teachers.
  • The LS faculty continue to work closely with campus agencies such as Educational Technology at Missouri (ET@MO) to maintain a partnership engaged in technological innovation.

Strategies

  1. LS faculty who are responsible for courses in which technological components are essential request the appropriate tools annually.
  2. LS faculty conduct in-service workshops designed to share pedagogical techniques with one another at least twice each calendar year.
  3. An annual workshop (“workshop” here is used broadly to convey the intention of training in tools and methods, which may be conducted virtually) is held for all adjunct faculty.
  4. An annual workshop is help annually for the LS faculty by ET@MO personnel to enable the faculty to update their knowledge and skills with instructional technology.

Goal 3

Expand the knowledge base of the field through innovative research and scholarship and share the results to the broadest professional and disciplinary communities.

Objectives

  • All tenured and tenure-track faculty members are active inquirers, endeavoring to explore vital areas of the field in creative ways.
  • The LS program creates opportunities for collaborative work among the faculty, including co-authored publications, co-presented papers, and co-produced proposals for external funding.
  • The LS program emphasizes collaboration with students, especially doctoral students.
  • The LS faculty seeks collaborative opportunities with research partners outside the program.

Strategies

  1. Every faculty members sets annual objectives for inquiry and scholarship that are measurable.
  2. The guidelines of the College of Education for publications, presentations, and submission of external funding proposals inform the baseline objectives for LS tenured and tenure-track faculty.
  3. The LS program includes the teaching load agreed to by the faculty so that individual and collaborative inquiry is facilitated.
  4. The residency requirements for Ph.D. students are guidelines for potential collaborative endeavors with LS faculty.

Goal 4

Engage professionals and organizations in Missouri, the nation, and the world, sharing the knowledge and talents of the faculty to contribute to the development of the field.

Objectives

  • Faculty serve on Committees within the School, the College, and the University as a means of sharing knowledge and expertise and also as a means of learning from colleagues.
  • Faculty seek out ways to connect with professionals in Missouri, including professional associations, libraries, other information agencies, or individuals.
  • Outreach efforts employ the expertise, skills, and values of the faculty to realize the democratic potential of communities.
  • Through formal coursework and other learning opportunities, the LS faculty inculcate a service imperative in students.

Strategies

  1. Every LS faculty member commits to serving on one institutional (University, College, or School) committee every year.
  2. Every faculty member is a member of at least one professional or learned association and attends at least one conference each year.
  3. Participation in professional service is guided by the ideals and reality of democracy; faculty emphasize democratic goals as part of their participation.
  4. LS faculty include in their courses the objectives of, and means by which, service is an essential component of librarianship.

Goal 5

Create a global awareness of the program’s excellence through the integration of teaching, research, and service.

Objectives

  • The faculty build upon their own, and other current, inquiry to introduce the latest scholarship to students, thus bringing their research into their courses.
  • Each faculty member establishes personal objectives for teaching, research, and service annually with the aim of maintaining the top-ten ranking in scholarship among US programs.
  • Graduating individuals are able to thrive in information organizations, and making a difference in the field through professional activities.
  • The faculty continue to engage in international partnerships and activities to help make a difference in democratic potential by means of enhancing informing inquiry.

Strategies

  1. LS faculty deliberately include elements of the most recent inquiry, especially their own, into every course.
  2. Faculty bring their inquiry and scholarship to committees and other service engagements as a means to advance to objectives of the committees.
  3. The program surveys graduates every two years to ensure that the goals and objectives of the program are being transmitted to the individuals.
  4. LS faculty report annually on efforts and outcomes related to international partnerships, courses, and inquiry.