Odyssey and Guidebook
(for MLS advisees)
Please send comments to: brownm6@southernct.edu


Department of Information and Library Science
Southern Connecticut State University

501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515
Fax: 1.203.392-5780 / Phone: 1.203.392-5781
Toll Free: 1-888-500-SCSU, then press 4

An appointment with the Professorate

Generally appointments are made directly with the professor you wish to see. Fulltime ILS faculty generally will advise students via email, phone, or in person, depending upon the needs of the student. Contact information for faculty via email is:
 

BIELEFIELD, ARLENE bielefielda1@southernct.edu BOGEL, GAYLE, Dr. bogelg1@southernct.edu BROWN, MARY, Dr. brownm6@southernct.edu DISBROW, NANCY disbrown1@southernct.edu KIM, CHANG SUK, Dr. kimc1@southernct.edu KIM, HAK JOON, Dr. kimh1@southernct.edu

KUSACK, JAMES, Dr. kusack@cox.net LIU, YAN QUAN, Dr. liuy1@southernct.edu McGINN, JANE, Dr. mcginnj1@southernct.edu OKOBI, ELSIE, Dr. okobie1@southernct.edu SCHE, JOSEPHINE, Dr. schej1@southernct.edu SIERPE, EINO, Dr. sierpee1@southernct.edu

When contacting faculty via email, please use a meaningful subject line. (Faculty, unfortunately, get a great deal of junk and spam mail and many aggressively delete without reading messages with meaningless subject lines.) Do include enough information for each email to be meaningful and to stand alone. (I am amazed at the number of emails I get from students that say only "Hi, I'm interested in taking your course, can you send more information. Thanks. [no signature line and the email address reads only sadeyes@hotshot.net]" What course? What semester? Who's asking? Each enrolled student automatically receives a campus email account. It is an excellent idea to use it to contact faculty. This will immediately identify you as connected to the university (less chance the message will be deleted if the subject line is not terribly meaningful. The email address will automatically include your name as it is listed in the university records (so the professor will know who is writing in case you forget to sign the message with your first and last name).

When leaving a voice message, please speak clearly and slowly. Again, I'm amazed at the number of names and phone numbers that are whispered, run-together, or are incomplete. I have to wonder if the caller really wanted or expected their call to be returned.

Before any meeting with the admissions committee, the chairperson, a faculty member, or a staff member, review all relevant information, gather any needed documents, and prepare a list of questions to be asked and/or actions to be requested. Be prepared to take notes.

Finding a personal Guide

Each faculty member can give each student or prospective student general and sound direction in planning a general course of study. Each faculty member can assist the student in defining area(s) of interest (such as Academic libraries, Public libraries, School libraries, Special libraries, Archives and Museums, etc.), and identifying faculty and practitioners with special knowledge in these areas. Each faculty member should also be able to assist the student with general information questions and with registering for courses each semester.

Each faculty member has specialized areas of knowledge and students are encouraged to seek this specialized perspective in planning the course of study.

After being recommended* for admission into the M.L.S., or Sixth Year programs, the student will need to complete a Planned Program (plan the courses he or she will take) that will be added to the Application file to be considered for admission by the Graduate School*. Students are encouraged to seek information from many sources (faculty, practitioners, employers, job ads) before finalizing the program of courses under which they will graduate.

*NOTE: Admission to a graduate program is a two-step process. The program into which the applicant wishes to matriculate reviews the application and that program's/department's admissions committee makes a recommendation. The ILS Department will inform the applicant of this recommendation via letter and instruct the applicant to return a completed Planned Program of study. The submitted Planned Program is then reviewed and signed by the assigned faculty advisor, program coordinator, and/or department chairperson. The signed Planned Program must be in the Application file before the Graduate School will review the application for admission. It is the Graduate School that admits students to graduate programs at Southern.

Finding a Benefactor

Graduate Assistantships. The department has a number of Graduate Assistants (GA) positions. Graduate Assistants may be assigned as teaching assistants, research assistants, technical support assistants, or special assignment. Compensation is $1800/semester. Hours are arranged per the assignment.

Graduate Research Fellow. Very competitive. Awarded through the Graduate Dean's Office. Requires faculty sponsorship and a research proposal. $8000 for the academic year. Applications are available from the Graduate School generally in mid-Fall.

Graduate School Graduate Assistantship (GSGA) Program. Exceptionally competitive. Awarded through the Graduate Dean's Office. Requires academic or administrative unit sponsorship and a completed application. $16,000 for the academic year. Applications are available from the Graduate School generally in mid-Fall.

Scholarships (See Alumni Office for additional scholarships):

• H.W. Wilson Foundation Scholarship
  Deadlines: October 1 for Spring; April 15 for Fall
• New England Library Association (NELA)
  Application Period February 1-March 15

See the Reference Sections of public and academic libraries; web resources such as www.ala.org; Grant Centers (such as the New Haven Free Public Library)