Note: This questionnaire was sent to all currently enrolled students in the spring of 1999.

This student survey is completely anonymous, so please be candid. It is an opportunity for SILS to assess itself and to see where it is strong and where it needs to improve. Where your evaluation is requested using a table please place a check in the box that best matches your rating of the statement.

A. Personal Information

1. Current program of study

__17__MSIS

__39__MSLS

__ 0__CAS

__ 0__PhD

2. Enrollment Status (Spring 1999)

_____For how many credits are you enrolled this semester?

4 for 1-5 credits; 22 for 6-10 credits; 29 for 11-15 credits; and 1 for 16-20 credits

3. Number of credit hours you have completed toward SILS graduate degree as of December 31, 1998.

14 has completed 1-10 credits; 16 had completed 11-20 credits; 5 had completed 21-30 credits; 16 had completed 31-40 credits; 5 had completed 41-50 credits.

4. Where was your permanent residence before entering the SILS program?

__19__North Carolina

__ 2__Virginia

__ 0__South Carolina

__ 0__Tennessee

__21__Other U.S.

__ 4__Non-U.S.

5. Were you classified as a North Carolina resident for tuition purposes before starting the program? (Out-of-state students who received a tuition waiver to in-state tuition rate should report "no" to this question)

_27__Yes

_29__No

6. If you answered "no" to Question 5, did you gain North Carolina resident status after starting your degree?

_ 9_Yes

_18_No

7. Do you currently live in University housing?

_____Yes

_____No

8. If you live outside of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, how many miles do you commute (one way) to attend classes?

10 said 1-10 miles; 7 said 11-20 miles; 4 said 21-30 miles; none said 31-40 miles; 2 said 41-60 miles.

B. Academic Advising

See Quality of Academic Advising for detailed analysis of questions 9-15.

9. Who is your current faculty advisor? _______________________

10. Is this your permanent or your temporary advisor?

11. How would you rate this advisor on his/her:

(Please place a checkmark under the appropriate rating)

	Excellent	Very Good	Neutral	Fair	Poor	No Opinion
Knowledge of courses in SILS that are pertinent to your interests and degree
Knowledge of courses outside of SILS that are pertinent to your interests and degree
Communication skills (eye contact, listening ability, attention, etc.)
Accessibility (do you feel welcome, can you get in contact when you need to, etc.)

12. How would you rate the overall academic advising process you have experienced so far?

Excellent	Very Good	Neutral	Fair	Poor	No Opinion

 

13. How would you rate the usefulness of academic advising to your course planning and selection?

Very Useful	Useful	Neutral	Not Very Useful	Not Useful At All	No Opinion

14. What are the strengths of the advising process?

 

 

15. What are the weaknesses of the advising process?

See Quality of Academic Advising for detailed analysis of questions 9-15.

 

C. Career Advising

See Quality of Career Advising for detailed analysis of questions 16-19.

16. Have you received any career advising while at SILS? _____Yes _____No

17. If "yes" to Question 18, from whom? (please check all that apply)

Faculty	Staff	Peers	Career Counseling Center	Other (please specify)

18. What are the strengths of this career advising process?

 

19. What are the weaknesses of this career advising process?

See Quality of Career Advising for detailed analysis of questions 16-19.

 

D. Curriculum

See Summary of Student Responses to Survey Questions about the Curriculum for detailed analysis of questions 20-29.

20. Class Size:

Overall, required classes are: __ too large __ too small __about right

Elective classes are: __too large __too small __about right

21. Frequency of Course Offerings:

Required classes are: __not offered frequently enough __frequency is ok

Elective classes are: __not offered frequently enough __frequency is ok

22. Number of Course Offerings:

I have __trouble __no trouble finding enough interesting electives to fit my program of studies each semester.

23. Personal Views:

What knowledge and skills do you believe to be essential for all masters' students in your degree program?

 

24. One of the fundamental purposes of the curriculum is to help you construct a coherent program of studies. What suggestions do you have for helping the School support your achievement of this coherence (e.g., requirements, specializations, instructional methods, course offerings, time of offering, field experience, independent study)?

 

 

25. Was there a discrepancy between what you expected and what you found the curriculum to be when you began your studies at SILS? __Yes __No

26. If yes, what was(were) the discrepancy(ies) and how might we either better communicate what SILS has to offer to potential students or modify our curriculum to provide a better fit.

 

 

27. In looking towards the future, what curricular initiatives (e.g., addition to or expansion of existing specializations or course offerings) do you see as important for helping students be competitive in the job market?

 

 

28. What are the strengths of the curriculum?

 

 

29. What are the weaknesses of the curriculum?

See Summary of Student Responses to Survey Questions about the Curriculum for detailed analysis of questions 20-29.

 

E. Teaching

30. How would you rate your opportunity to evaluate teaching?

Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Neutral	Slightly Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied
9	32	9	6	0

 

31. Please rate the SILS adjunct /visiting faculty on the following:

	Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Neutral	Slightly Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied
Quality of instruction	9	24	10	6	3
Relates class material to theory and research	11	20	12	6	1
Relates class material to professional applications	21	16	10	2	1

 

32. Please rate the SILS regular faculty on the following:

	Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Neutral	Slightly Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied
Quality of instruction	27	25	2	1	0
Relates class material to theory and research	32	21	2	0	0
Relates class material to professional applications	21	23	4	5	1

33. What are the strengths of SILS teaching?

• Faculty Knowledgeable and Up-toDate - 7 IS, 7 LS
• Faculty have good Teaching Abilities (well prepared, organized, able to lead discussions, open to ideas, use clear illustrations) - 4 IS, 11 LS
• Enthusiasm of Professors - 3 IS, 5 LS
• Faculty evidence Interest in Students - 1 IS, 3 LS
• Variety of Specializations and Diversity of Faculty Backgrounds - 2 IS, 2 LS
• Good Integration of Technology in Teaching - 4 LS
• Relevant Material/Real Life Applications - 1 IS, 3 LS
• Adjuncts/Vistors Valuable Addition - 2 IS, 1 LS (another LS says "mixed")
• Faculty accessible - 3 LS
• Faculty focus on Student "Thinking" and Progress - 2 IS, 1 LS
• Faculty are Active Researchers - 1 IS, 2 LS
• Group Work in Classes - 1 IS, 2 LS
• Good blend of Practice and Theory - 1 IS, 2 LS
• Opportunity to do Projects rather than Papers - 1 IS

 

34. What are the weaknesses of SILS teaching?

• Sometimes too theoretical - 2 IS, 8 LS
• Quality of Teaching Mixed (esp. Adjuncts) - 5 IS, 5 LS
• Inconsistencies in Prerequisite Courses - 2 LS
• Lack of Feedback/Subjectivity of Grading - 2 LS
• Hard to Get "Big Picture" or to relate IS and LS - 2 LS
• Lack of Practice/Tutorials - 1 IS
• Too Concerned whether Students like Material - 1 LS
• Classes too large - 1 LS
• Readings need to be made Available for Purchase - 1 LS
• "No one believe in paper any more." - 1 IS
• "It's sink or swim when it comes to reliance on computers -- those of use not adept with computers are struggled with new technologies as well as jobs and heavy course workloads." - 1 LS
• "Personal bias, unfairness, unwilling to see and solve problems when they present themselves. Inability to manage the classroom when 1 or 2 students take over." - 1 LS

 

F. Administration

35. Please rate your level of satisfaction with the following:

Statement	Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Neutral	Slightly Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Not Applicable
Dean's Accessibility	17	21	10	0	0	6
Dean's Helpfulness	15	16	10	0	0	10
Associate Dean's Accessibility	11	14	16	2	18	0
Associate Dean's Helpfulness	11	14	14	3	2	9
SILS Office Staff's Accessibility	37	18	0	0	0	0
SILS Office Staff's Helpfulness	38	16	1	0	0	0
Job placement information provided by SILS	7	17	12	4	4	10

36. What are the strengths of the SILS administration?

• Helpful and Approachable Student Staff - 4 IS, 14 LS
• Knowledgeable - 2 IS, 6 LS (Betty Kompst named 8 times in positive way)
• Responsive to Student Needs - 8 LS
• Competent - 2 IS, 3 LS
• Little Interaction - 1 LS

 

37. What are the weaknesses of the SILS administration?

• Litle interaction - 3 LS
• Don't know Asst Dean or Dean - 1 IS, 1 LS
• Hard to approach Dean - 2 LS
• Not visible - 1 IS
• Unclear articulation of field - 1 LS
• Need to think more in IS terms - 1 IS
• Need to keep office open late one night a week - 2 LS

 

G. Student Life

38. Please rate your level of satisfaction with the following:

	Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Neutral	Slightly Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Not Applicable
Student Lounge	11	24	5	10	1	4
Inter-student Communication	14	28	9	3	0	0

39. How would you characterize your experience of the intellectual life at SILS? (Please feel free to elaborate with an example from your experience)

• Positive Comments - 8 IS, 11 LS
• Challenging - 3 IS, 3 LS
• Good discussion in and out of class - 4 IS, 2 LS (one IS student said, "Smart people with attitudes who enjoy discussing issues and ideas." An LS student cited David Carr's Reading Group)
• Nice range of student backgrounds - 1 IS, 3 LS
• Open/Conducive to Learning/Collaborative atmosphere - 5 LS
• Too technical, not enough intellectual focus - 1 IS
• Limited to classroom - 1 LS
• Coursework insufficiently challenging - 1 LS
• Disappointed at lack of student interest in getting to know students from other cultures - 1 LS
• Mixed quality of Student Interaction - 2 LS

 

40. How would you characterize your experience of the social life at SILS? (Please feel free to elaborate with an example from your experience)

• Good/Happy with it?"Vibrant" - 6 IS, 15 LS (Student-l listserv mentioned positively twice, also "official"social activities, library and lab ("Library is divine"). One said "some activities juvenile and just plain ridiculous.")
• Uninvolved by necessity or choice - 1 IS, 9 LS
• Cliquey - 1 IS - 3 LS
• Hard to make Friends - 1 IS, 2 LS
• Segregation between 1st and 2nd year students - 1 IS, 1 LS
• Would like more socializing between faculty and students - 1 IS, 1 LS

 

41. How would you characterize your experience of the emotional life at SILS? (Please feel free to elaborate with an example from your experience)

• Comfortable/Adequate - 4 IS, 2 LS
• Happy with it - 1 IS, 3 LS ("friendly, congenial atmosphere," One said, "MLS students seem happier than IS.")
• Somewhat stressful but ok - 1 IS, 4 LS
• Supportive, Collaborative, non-competitive - 5 LS
• School isn't about Emotions - 2 IS, 1 LS
• Not sure what this means - 4 LS
• Isolated, lonely - 3 LS (one response from minority student, another from student from another country)
• Somewhat competitive - 1

 

H. Opportunities to participate at SILS

42. Do you regularly attend meetings of any of the SILS student organizations?

_____Yes

_____No

43. Please rate your level of satisfaction with the following statements about your participation in SILS.

	Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Neutral	Slightly Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Not Applicable
Representation in SILS decision-making Processes	8	18	12	4	0	0
SILS Student Organization, (ILSSA)	7	21	15	1	0	0
Student Chapters of Professional Associations, e.g., ASIS, SLA, etc.	7	23	15	2	0	0

44. What are the best opportunities to become involved?

• Student Organizations - 5 IS, 12 LS (mentioned ILSSA (4), ASIS (1), SLA (1))
• Library and Lab - 1 IS, 5 LS
• Class Projects, Trips and Lectures - 2 IS, 1 LS
• Listservs - 2 LS
• Picnic for New Students - 1 LS
• Have lots of time - 3 LS

 

45. What inhibits becoming involved?

• Time constraints (due to work and family, schedule) - 13 IS, 24 LS
• Distance and Parking - 3 LS
• Lack of Meetings/Activities - 1 IS, 1 LS
• Associations cliquish - 1 LS
• Personal inhibitions/ Preference - 2 LS
• Doesn't see Value of Involvement - 1 LS

 

 

I. Facilities and Services

46. Please rate your level of satisfaction with the following:

	Very Satisfied	Satisfied	Neutral	Slightly Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied	Not Applicable
SILS Classroom equipment	37	17	1	0	0	0
SILS Classroom furnishings	5	29	5	14	2	0
SILS Computer labs hardware/software	44	10	0	1	o	0
SILS Computer labs networking	43	11	1	0	0	0
Assistance provided by SILS Computer Lab staff	15	25	8	7	0	0
SILS Library collections	25	24	3	2	0	1
SILS Library information technology	28	22	3	2	0	0
Assistance provided by SILS Library staff	32	20	2	1	0	0
Availability of SILS Library/Lab (hours and seating):	15	18	5	14	2	o
Handicapped Accessibility of SILS Building, Library, Computer Lab	3	8	9	0	2	0

47. What are the strengths of SILS facilities and services?

• Software/Hardware and Lab - 12 IS, 21 LS
• Well-organized, bright and friendly library - 2 IS, 9 LS
• Excellent Staff - 1 IS, 10 LS (Librarian mentioned by name)
• Library Collections and Resources - 1 IS, 7 LS
• Beautiful Building/Good Location/Good House - 2 IS, 3 LS
• Great environment -Library, Lab, Professors - 2 IS

 

48. What are the weaknesses of SILS facilities and services?

• Insufficient Lab space - 3 IS, 5 LS
• Insufficient Library space - 3 IS, 4 LS
• Insufficient Library/Lab Hours - 2 IS, 6 LS
• Uncomfortable Desk-Chairs in Classrooms - 1 IS, 5 LS
• Lack of Quiet Study Area - 4 LS
• Lack of Competent Lab Staff - 2 IS, 2 LS
• Drab Appearance of Building/Classrooms/Bathrooms - 2 IS, 3 LS
• Room Temperature (too cold) - 3 IS
• Student Lounge too small - 3 LS
• Hard to find Computers when class in 117 - 1 IS, 2 LS
• More Children's/YA Books Needed - 1 IS, 2 LS
• Need another Photocopier - 1 LS
• Library Policies too Strict - 1 LS

 

J. Overall Assessment

49. Why did you select SILS at the University of North Carolina?

• Good Reputation - 9 IS, 25 LS
• Location - 5 IS, 14 LS
• Financially Attractive or Fellowship- 5 IS, 5 LS
• Made me Feel Welcome - 3 LS
• Enthusiasm/Helpfulness of Faculty and Staff - 1 IS, 1 LS
• Climate - 1 IS, 3 LS
• Quality of Children's Services Program - 1 LS
• Recommended by Someone - 2 IS, 1 LS
• Opportunities for Fieldwork, Internships - 1 IS, 1 LS
• Integration of LS & IS courses - 1 LS
• 2 Year Program - 1 LS

 

50. How do you feel about your overall experience at UNC-SILS?

• Wonderful/Very Satisfied/Great - 7 IS, 20 LS
• Good/Interesting - 8 IS, 11 LS
• Mixed/A little let down - 2 LS
• Love the subject matter - 1 LS
• Quality of Teaching Varies - 2 LS
• Dissappointed in Quality and Value of Adjuncts - 1 LS
• Collegial, Supportive Atmosphere - 1 IS, 1 LS
• Liked the Real World Applications - 1 IS
• Having Fun Learning - 1 LS

 

51. What message would you like to send to the SILS faculty and Dean?

About the Curriculum

• Too many required classes. Communication is useless. If anything, a communication element should be rolled into management. Management is beneficial, but it should be designed with a more serious approach; something more like the Business school would offer. Finally, IS classes should not be made easier for LS people. If you want to offer easier classes, then there should be separate technical classes for LS folks.

• The communication and management courses are vague and useless. How does knowing these theories apply to the practice of librarianship? If there were some sort of practicum component to these courses they might be more beneficial. Or, in lieu of these courses, require field experiences instead. Another suggestion is to combine these two courses. I am happy I chose to come to SILS and have had a rewarding experience.

• Perhaps to re-evaluate the goals and content of the required courses. I am specifically referring to 180 and 131. My experience with these two courses was disappointing and I've never heard a kind word about them. My lasting impression of them is "busy work." (I certainly do not put 151 in this category. It's a wonderful course. Three cheers for Dr. Saye!)

• Change the required courses for IS. Provide a general guideline in course selection.

• Keep caring about students. Keep making teaching a priority. Get faculty to teach the core classes and try to make them consistent. Focus on librarianship as well as IS. Don't make health sciences too much of a priority -- keep the curriculum well-rounded.

• More bibliographic instruction, less and more meaningful teamwork. The more enthusiasm you bring to us -- about the specific course, about the curriculum, about the field -- the more enthusiastic we will be and the more we will want to learn (and will learn).

• Take care that the tools, particularly the electronic ones, don't begin to define the idea of what librarianship is. Fellow students speak with confidence on micro-level topics such as Boolean logic, systems analysis, and the reference interview, but are silent regarding what the library means to society and what the library can be for society.

• I would like to see the curriculum change to incorporate one year of classes and one year of internship. This would include more "life skills" and preparation for permanent employment. Some of the required courses are not very helpful.

• I think every effort should be made to create a joint MSIS/MBA degree program.

• Keep the IS part. LS needs this to make us competitive with other schools. And keep emphasis on computer/technology because also EXTREMELY important.

• Many of my comments may seem very negative but I want to make it clear that I think SILS is a great program. I have been pleased with about 75% of my experiences here but the other 25% have been pretty bad. I've already mentioned many of my concerns. Mainly I think it's unreasonable for the program to be so long without offering more classes and opportunities to specialize. I feel that I've only had 5 or 6 classes that are really related to my career goals and otherwise have been killing time with a semester of this, a semester of that, just trying to rack up the 48 hours. ... Because I've been part-time I've been here quite a while and have been struck by the narrow range of courses offered. It seems the same handful of LS classes are trotted out again and again with little or no variety. There seem to be more IS classes but the LS pickings are slim. It would be nice to have more instructors like Dr. Losee who straddle the LS/IS line. Most of the LS faculty seem to have reasonable IS knowledge but most of the IS people know absolutely nothing about libraries or where LS students are coming from. The best thing about SILS is having practitioners teach classes. ... This school needs more practice. Theory is nice icing on the cake but I think most of us are here to get jobs, and demonstrating an awareness of, for example, collection management issues and procedures is probably much more attractive to potential employers than being able to rattle off questionable theory. Again, I have focused on how SILS can be improved, but there are many things SILS does very well. Keep bringing in visiting instructors like Bea Kovacs and local practitioners like Bryna Coonin. Instructors such as Dr. Saye and Dr. Losee are excellent. I am impressed by what I have seen of the new dean so far and wish she weren't coming in just as I am leaving (though this is not to slight Dr. Moran at all -- I think she was a great Dean, too). Just try to offer more of a variety of classes rather than repeating the same few over and over, and take a look at your management offerings--if SILS can't or won't teach more management, identify relevant courses in other departments (Business school, psychology, sociology) that might be useful to students interested in those areas.

Career Planning/Job Placement

Job placement information is very, very important. Business and law programs, as professional schools, offer extensive career placement. SILS needs to do more in this area.
• Good work on a well thought-out program. If possible, try to keep curriculum up to date with job requirements. If there's any way to get good career advice out to stressed grad students in a constantly changing field, please do it.

Focus on Students

• Keep the focus on the students and the practical application of what he/she is learning. (They are doing this already.) I am truly enjoying my time here and feel I am learning a great amount more than I did in my undergrad years.

• Keep caring about students. Keep making teaching a priority. Get faculty to teach the core classes and try to make them consistent. Focus on librarianship as well as IS. Don't make health sciences too much of a priority -- keep the curriculum well-rounded.

• The library program needs to attract more diverse students.

• I think the school would greatly benefit from recruiting more out of state students. To get those students, the school REALLY needs to provide better financial aid packages. I think the lack of financial aid in the form of scholarships or better-paid assistantships is the biggest weakness of the School.

• Focus on students/teaching.

Undergraduate Program

• Think long and hard about the trend inaugurated by the IS minor. Is IS anything more than computer science "lite"? Should SILS be in the business of training programmers and network administrators? I'd like to see much more integration of the LS and IS programs … but I don't see how that is possible while the school is busily adding courses that are strictly about technology. I know the whole field (if there even is one field) is in upheaval right now … but perhaps you could try to figure out what the mission of SILS should be. Also -- yes, there still are a few thousand public libraries out there.

• Undergraduates should not be permitted to take graduate courses at SILS unless they are told what is expected of them and they receive faculty approval based on past conduct. So many group projects have been ruined by lazy undergraduates who just cannot understand what it means to be responsible, accountable, and professional. I did not come to graduate school to become a babysitter and receive a lowered course grade because of another's folly. I apologize for being so vocal on this point, but this situation has turned many good class projects sour.

Facilities and Support

• Please provide more space for students to engage in quiet study. Please increase the number of lockers. Please employ more adjunct faculty who are experts in their field of librarianship.

• More computer courses and better help in the lab. I often feel I'm in way over my head -- I haven't had the experience that a lot of these students have had.

• We need a quiet place to work, consistent quality in teaching, and a concerted effort to make SILS a leader in preparing future professionals who will be leaders and future-oriented visionaries in the field.

Generally Positive

• Keep up the good work. - 2 IS, 3 LS
• Please maintain the current level of excellence and work toward IS accreditation.
• Thanks. - 1 IS, 1 LS
• I am very pleased here, and I feel my investment in time, money, and energy at SILS is well-spent, thanks to an outstanding faculty and the great atmosphere of learning that is created here.
• Thanks you for your consideration and support, particularly the Graduate Assistantship and Tuition Remission, as well as the environment to learn more about eh information profession.
• Keep the standards high and keep raising the bar. This is a great program, but even great programs have to stretch themselves, have to grow. Keep challenging the students, stay on the cutting edge. Information Science and Librarianship can and ought to go hand in hand, but IS probably ought to be the stronger part of the combined program.

• I'm looking forward to continuing the program and hope someday to wear the title "alum" with pride.
• Doing a good job, but you can never sit back and relax because the world of technology is changing so rapidly. Quality faculty and services will continue to attract quality students.
• Thanks for your efforts and hard work.
• Keep challenging the students -- and enjoy us!
• Please don't allow any divisions between IT people and the library people to weaken the program.
• I thought it was wonderful that the new Dean introduced herself to the students when she started and was not intimidating but friendly and human.