Preparing For Comprehensive Exams in SLISpresented byDr. Hsieh-YeeDr. KelleyOctober 12, 2007

Agenda for Tonight’s Seminar

6:00 – 6:15 - Basic review to prepare for comprehensives

6:15 – 6:30 – Questions & Answers 6:30 – 6:45 Group activity I: A question

that failed 6:45 – 7:15 Group activity II: A question

that passed 7:15 – 7:30 Final Questions & Answers 7:30 Adjourn

First Steps

1. Register for the Exam. You must register for comps on-line through

Cardinal Station before the end of the add/drop period as either:

COMP 598: Master’s Comps with classes

or COMP 599: Master’s Comps without

classes.

2. Fill out and return the Comprehensive Examination Ticket.

You may download the Comprehensive Examination Ticket form from http://slis.cua.edu/forms/Comps_Ticket.pdf or print it out from the Comprehensive Exam Packet at http://slis.cua.edu/courses/comps/index.cfm. You may also come into the office and pick up the form. Once you have completed the form, please return it to the SLIS office in one of the following ways:

e-mail it to: marino@cua.edu fax it to: 202-319-5477mail it to:

The Catholic University of America School of Library and Information Science

205 Marist Hall               RE: Comps Ticket            Washington, DC 20064

3. Fill out and return the Diploma Application

You may download the Diploma Application from http://slis.cua.edu/forms/DiplomaApplication.pdf or print it out from the Comprehensive Exam Packet at http://slis.cua.edu/courses/comps/index.cfm. These forms are also available in the SLIS office or in the Registrar's Office. Once you have completed this form, please return it to the SLIS office or the Registrar’s Office by e-mailing, faxing or mailing it.

N.B.: Diploma Applications for the fall and spring semesters are due the first week of October. If you do not submit a diploma application by then to SLIS then you will have to submit one directly to the Registrar’s office and there is no guarantee that your diploma will be ready in time for your graduation date. Summer graduates i.e. people taking comps in July are not due until April.

4. Request Accommodations

If you feel that you need special accommodations for any reason, please talk with the Dean.

Requests for ADA accommodations must be cleared through the campus Office for Disability Support Services (Suite 207, Pryzbyla Center; 202-319-5211; email cua-disabilityservices@cua.edu). You may download the Request for Accommodations form from http://slis.cua.edu/forms/CompsAccommodationsRequest.pdf or print it out from the Comprehensive exam packet.

Students entitled to special accommodations under ADA must contact both Jeannine Marino and the CUA Office of Disability Support Services to discuss their needs.

Students whose native language is not English will be allowed extra time (10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.) on the examination upon request, and they are allowed to use dictionaries in their own language. (There will be English-language dictionaries in the examination rooms.) Requests should be made to Jeannine Marino (marino@cua.edu).

Students taking comps for the second time are also given special accommodations (including privacy and extra time: 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.).

Additional Helpful Information about Comprehensives

If a student fails to complete any of the required items on the checklist- s/he may not be permitted to sit for comps and will have to wait until the following semester.

We really do check your transcripts so make sure you have completed or are enrolled in all 4 core classes, you have taken 8 additional classes and you have no Incompletes.

If you already have an advanced degree and are only required to take 10 courses, rest assured Jeannine really does check that you have the previous degree.

If an accurate transcript of this previous degree is not in your student file, you will have to submit an official one before you sit for comps.

Additional Information (2)

Head phones are not allowed in the testing room, so if you will be distracted by others please bring ear plugs.

On exam day, please remember to check in at least 30 minutes before the exam with Jeannine. Checking in does not take long but you will have to proceed to the testing room which might be across campus, so allow yourself time to walk there without stressing about being late.

RELAX, RELAX, RELAX!!! Do not show up on campus the day of the exam at 7:00 AM to cram in some last minute studying. Take the time to relax and get mentally prepared. Most students who struggle with comps do so because they can not focus properly on exam day.

Graduation Dates and Diplomas

The University has three dates for graduation each year: October, January and May.  For October and January graduates the date is the third

Thursday of the month. For May graduates it is always the second or third

Saturday of May.  This is because that is when the Academic Senate meets to officially approve the graduates from each school.  For May graduates the Senate meets on the Tuesday before graduation to approve the graduates. 

If you take comps in the Summer the next closest graduation date is October 2007.  In October, your name will be submitted along with the rest of the SLIS students who took comps in the summer for approval. 

Graduation Dates and Diplomas (2) If you take comps in October the next closest graduation

is January 2008. Once you have been approved officially by the Academic Senate, the Registrar’s office sends you your diploma by USPS priority mail by the following week. 

There is no graduation ceremony in the fall or winter. There is only a ceremony in May. You are invited back to the ceremony in May. 

Also, since the University sets this policy not SLIS, we are always willing to write a letter on your behalf to any current or prospective employer stating that you have completed the requirements of the degree and that the University’s policy is to officially confer degrees in October, January and May. 

Questions?

Group Activity I

Question 1

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of copyright laws as they currently impact collection development and collection use in libraries

The Answer is in your packets

Group review of the exam answer: Split into groups of 4 to 6 Review the suggestions by Father Theall Review the items on the slide about evaluating

the answer Determine the positive and negative aspects of

the answer What was good about the question? How could this question be improved? Identify a group reporter Share your thoughts on the question and what

you learned about developing a comprehensive exam answer

In Considering the Answer

Did the student answer the question in its entirety?

Did the student draw on the literature to answer the question?

Did the student use a professional tone in his/her response?

Did the student make a defensible argument?

In Considering the Answer (2)

Did the student provide a sufficiently developed answer to ensure s/he demonstrates mastery of the question?

Did the student use examples that were highly relevant to answering the question?

Did the student end the essay with a recognizable conclusion?

Group Activity II

Question 2:

An article in a professional journal for our field states, “In 2004 the digital vs. print debate is over, and digital has won; some of us just refuse to believe it.” Take a position on this statement. You may agree or disagree, but you must explain your rationale for the position you choose. Your discussion should reflect the literature you’ve read, the classes you’ve taken, and your own assumptions about the field of librarianship. In addition, discuss how you will work with others who support the other position.

The Answer is in your packets

Final Questions?

Good luck!

Relax!