For immediate release | February 28, 2018
COA announces accreditation decisions made at 2018 Midwinter Meeting
CHICAGO — The Committee on Accreditation (COA) of the American Library Association (ALA) announces accreditation actions taken at the 2018 ALA Midwinter Meeting.
The May 2017 policy revision to section I.15 (Accreditation decisions) of Accreditation Process, Policies, and Procedures (AP3) has been implemented to enhance public disclosure and goes into effect with the 2018 accreditation decisions. The policy states that “any standard on which a program has follow-up reporting is made public by the Office for Accreditation as a part of the usual means (e.g., press release, Accreditation Decisions and Actions Taken reports, and Prism).”
Continued Accreditation status was granted to the following programs, with the next comprehensive review visit scheduled to take place in fall 2024:
- Master of Science in Library and Information Science at Drexel University. Standards cited for follow-up reporting: II.1, II.2.1, II.3, III.10, IV.1, IV.4, IV.5, IV.5.1 through IV.5.6, V.3.
- Master of Science in Library and Information Science at Simmons College. Standard cited for follow-up reporting: V.3.
- Master of Library and Information Science at St. Catherine University. No Standards cited for follow-up reporting.
- Master of Library and Information Science at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Standards cited for follow-up reporting: I.1.4, I.5, III.1, IV.1, V.3, and V.7.
ALA accreditation indicates that the program has undergone a self-evaluation process, has been externally reviewed and meets the Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies, established by COA and adopted by ALA Council. COA evaluates each program for conformity to the Standards, which address systematic planning; curriculum; faculty; students; administration, finances, and resources.
A complete list of programs and degrees accredited by ALA can be found in the Directory of ALA-Accredited MLIS Programs. Individuals who would like more information about a particular program should contact the program directly.
The ALA COA is a leading force in accreditation, having evaluated educational programs to prepare librarians since 1924. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes ALA COA as the authority for assessing the quality of education offered by graduate programs in the field of library and information studies.
Contact:
Kerri Price
Associate Director
American Library Association
Office for Accreditation
kprice@ala.org312-280-2435
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