MLIS Program Overview and Assessment Data

Mission

To collaboratively prepare and launch the next generation of library and information professionals as strategic and ethically grounded thinkers, curious problem-solvers, and leaders in the library and information science field.

Vision and Values

To cultivate graduates who thrive in diverse, resource-variable information landscapes and who move through the world co-creating welcoming and transformative information landscapes, forging a more hopeful future for all members of library communities.

We value in our graduates the knowledge and skills to:

1. Recognize and honor local knowledge.
2. Support community information practices.
3. Build adaptable, sustainable systems of information access and use.
4. Ethically navigate conditions of economic and political complexities by drawing on communal collaboration and reflection.
5. Co-create community-centered teaching and learning opportunities, demonstrating the power of creating pathways for inquiry, belonging, and democracy to thrive.

Program Goals

• To model and teach the application of professional ethics and principles in various situations and contexts.
• To encourage and produce research that contributes to the development of the library science field
• To employ teaching methods that cultivate community and prioritize inclusivity, equity, and diversity.
• To prepare graduates with a firm grounding in core competencies of librarianship in their selected area of focus as determined by professional organizations.
• To foster globally-minded library professionals who engage with and actively contribute to their communities.
• To develop a community of constituents who regularly collaborate with the MLIS faculty to continuously refine the program’s direction.

Learning Objectives

The Library and Information Science program’s Program Learning Objectives (PLO’s) describe what our students are expected to know and be able to do by the time of graduation.  The program regularly evaluates the attainment of the PLOs through a semester review of student learning, according to the program’s PLO’s.  The development of these PLOs was informed by the most recent statements of ALA Core Competencies and Core Values.

• PLO.a. Students will apply ethical and sustainable frameworks as they demonstrate leadership in complex information settings.
• PLO.b. Students will demonstrate an understanding of accessible, community-centered, and innovative resources and services.
• PLO.c. Students will describe the importance and impact of continued, life-long learning opportunities.
• PLO.d. Students will demonstrate knowledge of core library science principles and practices.
• PLO.e. Students will demonstrate strong communication skills in multiple modes for various audiences and purposes.
• PLO.f. Students will explore and assess disruptions and innovations in LIS practice.

Accreditation and Assessment

Student performance is evaluated through a variety of course-embedded assignments and a Capstone Portfolio assignment aligned with Program Outcomes. Of our graduates, 99% hold program-relevant positions after graduation (Reporting Graduates: 69% - Report provided by App State Advancement Services, 02/27/2026).   

• Assessment Plan Calendar
• Annual Strategic Plan, 2025-2026

Library Science Enrollment Information

In the past seven years, enrollment in the MLS program has ranged from 24-43 students in their initial term (Term 1). Retention from Term 1 to Term 3 (Fall to Fall) has ranged from 71%-87%.  The mean two-year retention rate is 82%.

The advertised Time-to-Degree for the MLIS program is two years. The two-year MLIS Graduation Rate ranges from 21.4-62%, with a mean of 43%.  The MLIS Cohort Graduation Rate ranges from 63-84% within 4-5 years of initial enrollment, with a mean of 75%. 

Data used to compile this information are collected from the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning (https://analytics.appstate.edu/).

The data for Fall 2023-Fall 2025 cohorts are not yet complete and are not included in the means.

*Incomplete data for these years; full time has not yet elapsed.