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School of Information and Library Science
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FIELD EXPERIENCE
INLS 91 AND INLS 299


The FE FAQ is a compilation of questions about the Field Experience program gleaned from previous conversations and e-mail communication with students, site contacts and faculty. This and the FE Policies and Procedures manual should serve as your first points of reference in getting answers to your questions. Our FAQ will grow as more questions of universal interest come my way. --FE Coordinator

Q: What do I need to do to take the Field Experience class?

A: Read the FE Policies and Procedures thoroughly and follow the steps it outlines. HINT: The first step is to identify a site and fill out the Site Intention Statement. This is the form we use to register you for the class.

Q: How can I get in touch with the Field Experience Coordinator?

A: The Field Experience Coordinator, Evelyn Daniel, 216 Manning Hall, can be reached at 919-962-8068 or by e-mail. To meet in person, please make an appointment.

Q: In selecting a field experience site do I need to have contacted the site in advance myself, or do you contact the site for me (once I've discussed the site with my faculty advisor)?

A: You are welcome to contact a site directly to determine its willingness to host a field experience. If the agency has not served as a SILS field experience site previously, the Field Experience Coordinator would be happy to talk to any potential site supervisor to explain the nature of the program and the site's responsibilities. In the case where you have a general idea of the kind of site that you are seeking, but do not know of a specific site, please contact the Field Experience Coordinator who will try to find a suitable site for you.

Q: Where should I go to get the forms I need for INLS 91 or INLS 299?

A: The required FE forms are available to print from this site. All completed forms should be turned in to the Field Experience Coordinator with the exception of the 60 hour activity/reflection log. The log should be turned in to your faculty supervisor at the completion of the first half of your fieldwork experience.

Q: May I work at my FE site in the summer but defer enrolling in the class until fall semester so that I won't have to pay for summer course hours?

A: No. INLS 299 is set up to be simultaneously a practical and an academic learning experience. Therefore, attending the three seminars and writing the paper while doing the work at the site comprises an important part of the course's impact. If the site is some distance from campus, you may enroll in the online seminar option and maintain contact with your faculty supervisor by email. If your field experience bridges two semesters, you may choose either semester for registration purposes.

Q: Can an adjunct or visiting faculty member serve as my Faculty Supervisor?

A: No. The person acting as your Faculty Supervisor for the FE program must be a member of the full-time teaching faculty in the School of Information and Library Science. Outside supervision is through your Site Supervisor.

Q: What if I have to miss just one of the seminars? May I still get credit for the course?

A: Attendance at all three of the seminars is required to receive the 3 credits. If you must miss one of the seminars, you have two options: 1) You may request permission of the Field Experience Coordinator to attend one of the other seminar sections as a make-up. or 2) If you cannot make it to one of the other seminar sections, you will need to take an "incomplete" and then make up the seminar in the next semester. Upon completion of the final seminar and the other requirements, your grade will be changed from an "I" to a "P."

Q: If I want to do two field experiences, do I have to attend the seminars and write the paper a second time, too?

A: Yes. Each of the two (maximum) field experiences you are allowed to participate in should be distinct. Therefore, it is recommended that the sites be different and that the work responsibilities focus on the development of different skills. Because this is for course credit, attendance at the seminars and completion of all other requirements must also be repeated for a second FE.


Last Revised 6/15/2003.