Master of Library Science - Distance Education

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How is the SLIM Distance Education Program different from the on-campus program in Emporia?

There is very little difference. Most of the Emporia students commute to campus and take weekend classes just like students in the Distance Education Program. The faculty members are the same, as are the courses, the assignments, and so on. The most significant difference is that while we are able to start a new group of students in Emporia three times per year, at our distance sites it is more like once every two or three years. Please check the calendar for tentative start dates of future Distance Education Programs at http://slim.emporia.edu/programs/programlocations.htm

2. Will I be able to take any class that I want in the Distance Education Program?

Every course that is required for graduation will be offered at each of the Distance Education Program sites. The number of elective courses offered at each distance site depends upon the size of the student group. A minimum of 15 students are needed for each course so the larger the student group, the more elective courses can be offered. An increasing number of courses are offered on-line so that students in the distance education program really do have a large selection of courses from which to choose. Since almost all of our classes meet for just two weekends anyway, students will often travel to another campus location to take a class that will not be offered at their own.

3 . What happens if I miss a class weekend?

Since each course is offered only once in each eight semester cycle of a given distance program it is important to make every effort to be in attendance. We pride ourselves on being customer service oriented, so if you have an important date coming up in the near future, say a wedding, graduation, etc., let your advisor know and we will try to schedule around these events as much as possible. This is a service we are not able to offer the on-campus students. But there are also emergencies which we cannot plan for and classes sometimes have to be missed.
There are several options to making up a class. If you were able to attend the first weekend of class, but not the second, it may be possible for you to attend the second weekend of the same class with the same professor at another location. You would need to negotiate this with the professor. You can make up the class at any of the Distance Education Program locations as well as Emporia or Kansas City. Another option may be to find a similar course offered at another institution in your area that will substitute for the missed SLIM course. Any course substitutions must be approved by the professor and this is easier to do for our Tools courses rather than the Theory courses.


4. What is the weekend class schedule?

Classes are held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday evenings, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Sundays.


5 . Will I be in class every weekend?

No. In the first year, you will be in class about 12-14 weekends. After the first year, you will be able to choose more on-line classes if you so wish. Even if you choose to complete all of your coursework with weekend courses, you will probably be in class only one weekend a month.

6. How do I stay in touch with the professor and other students if we only meet once a month?

SLIM uses Blackboard, an on-line learning environment, to enhance the learning experience beyond the classroom. Blackboard allows for e-mail, threaded discussions, and collaboration beyond the time and location constraints of the weekend. Every class has a Blackboard component and students should log in to each of their courses at least once a week even if the first weekend of a course may not be until later in the semester as the course instructor may post assignments prior to the first weekend.

There are also a variety of e-mail distribution lists by which students communicate, including "SLIMCAFE", our virtual student lounge. Student groups in the Distance Education Program have also been known to create their own website as well, which they use to share class notes, work on major projects together, pass along information and more.

7. How many classes will I be taking at one time?

Students usually take two or three classes per semester. Classes tend to be staggered throughout the semester so that the schedule may include one class that starts in August and ends in September, then another classes starts in October and ends in November. The idea is to help you focus on one subject and set of assignments at a time, to complete your assignments and move on to the next class where you can apply what you just learned from the previous class.

It works something like this: you will have a class early in the semester that meets for one weekend and you will have reading assignments in advance of the first weekend. During the first weekend you will be given the rest of your assignments and the dates they are due. You will come back to class in three to four weeks for more lectures, collaboration, presentations of learning, and so on. Then you will have two or three more weeks to hand in final assignments while you are starting on the advance assignments for your next class.

8 . Who do I turn to when I need help?

The Distance Education Program has a director in each location who is available by a toll-free telephone number and electronic mail. The program director works closely with the SLIM office in Emporia to solve problems around scheduling, financial aid, logistics, and so on. The program director will assist you with enrolling in classes, adding and dropping classes, distributing coursework returned from professors and much more. The SLIM office in Emporia is always just a toll-free phone call away as well.

You will also develop a number of close friendships with your fellow students. Graduates of our Distance Education Program tell us that they usually develop five or more friendships in the program that continue after graduation. As fellow students you will work together on assignments, share ups and downs, and keep each other going through the nearly three years of going to school together.

9. How many hours per week will I need to spend studying?

Most of the students in the SLIM Distance Education Program work full-time and also have family responsibilities. That is why we schedule only two to three classes per semester. We cannot minimize, however, that this is a graduate level program that requires commitment in order to succeed. It is recommended that you plan on a minimum of ten to twenty hours per week study time outside of class. Graduates will tell you that self-motivation and self-discipline are the two qualities most necessary for success in this program.

10. If I never have to come to the Emporia campus, how do I go about enrolling for classes and paying tuition?

Enrollment is as simple as contacting the SLIM Enrollment Specialist by telephone or e-mail. For more information, check http://slim.emporia.edu/studentserv/SLIMEnrollment.htm. Payment options include check or credit card either in full payment or installments. If you are using government loans to pay for your tuition you will simply indicate that on the enrollment form. Once your student loan arrives at ESU the business office will withdraw the funds needed to pay the tuition and mail you any balance.

11. How does it work if I am receiving tuition reimbursement from my employer?

The way this usually works is that you pay for your tuition at the beginning of the semester and then your employer will reimburse you after you get your grades. We can expedite the reimbursement step by sending you a letter with your grade for a class that may have been completed earlier in the semester. You will have to work out the minor details with your employer as to what kind of verification they will require and how often they will reimburse. The important thing to remember is that you cannot wait to pay your tuition until you have received reimbursement from your employer. If you do not pay your tuition you will be dropped from the class and will not receive a grade. If you are having cash flow problems so that you cannot afford to pay tuition before receiving reimbursement, then we suggest that you get a student loan to pay the tuition up front and then use the reimbursement to pay off the loan. Some employers have allowed us to invoice them for the tuition at the beginning of the semester so you might ask about that possibility.

12. Will I be at a disadvantage in my classes if I do not have experience working in a library?

Not at all. While it is true that a majority of our students tend to already be working in a library situation, each cohort is made richer by the various perspectives and experiences that each student brings to the learning experience. It is more likely that graduates of our program will be working in non-traditional library settings than ever before. Our curriculum is also very interdisciplinary so there is not any one educational or work background that would give one student an advantage over another.