COA calls for comment on second draft of revised standards

CHICAGO — The second draft of the revision of the 2008 Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Science, based on comment since December 2013, is now available for review and final comment through Oct. 24, 2014, at the Standards Review website. Interested constituents are also invited to meet with the Committee on Accreditation (COA) to provide comment on the second draft revision at the ALA Annual Conference at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 29, 2014, in room N218 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.  

In this second draft, a new approach to the standards will be immediately apparent by the changes to the structure. The Introduction is now presented in sections that explain the purposes and scope, terminology, approach and philosophy of program review. Systematic planning has been placed front and center as Standard I; and the final standard, VI: Assessment and Evaluation, provides for program-level synthesis. This draft is a culmination of efforts for more than five years involving research and gathering of input and feedback, detailed in the timeline at the Standards Review site.

At its fall meeting in November 2014, the committee will take comments on the second draft into consideration as it prepares the final version for ALA Council review for adoption at the 2015 ALA Midwinter Meeting. Comments received related to Accreditation Process, Policies, and Procedures (AP3) are under consideration separately.

The ALA COA is a leading force in accreditation, having evaluated educational programs to prepare librarians since its creation in 1924. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes ALA COA as a reliable authority to determine the quality of education offered by graduate programs in the field of library and information studies.