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WISE Courses for Fall 08

Filed under GSLIS Administrative
Posted by GSLIS, April 03, 2008
View all posts for April 2008

Folks:

This lengthy note describes the online WISE courses for the Fall 08, and the procedures for registration.

Note: that the procedures for registration are different than for other Fall courses. WISE courses will not be listed in AARC until GSLIS students are accepted into the WISE course by the WISE coordinators.

The deadline for requesting enrollment in an online WISE course is 5:00 pm on Tuesday, April 15. This deadline is independent of your registration time in AARC. Because WISE seats are limited, we recommend that you proceed with your fall registration to enroll in a backup course, in case the WISE course is closed out.

Background and procedures:

GSLIS is a member of the Web-based Information Science Education (WISE), a consortium made up of fourteen LIS schools. This membership enables GSLIS students the opportunity to take online courses from other leading ALA accredited programs.

The WISE program is open to GSLIS students who have completed twelve semester hours. As a student at a WISE consortium school, you have access to the online courses offered by participating institutions this Fall semester. These online courses are taught by faculty from WISE host schools using course management systems specific to their environment and academic calendar. You may take these courses without having to transfer credits. The guidelines for participation in WISE are found at: http://my.simmons.edu/gslis/courses/curriculum/wise.shtml

You must respect and follow the varying delivery methods, academic calendars, and residency requirements among WISE schools. You must also agree to the course parameters of the host institution including the grading, dates of term and any required residencies. You should choose a course that is appropriate to your plan of study. Because the course is online, you should have a home computer or access to the technology necessary for completion of course. You may take up to six (6) elective credits through the WISE Consortium, but you may not substitute any WISE course for a GSLIS core requirement. Finally, you will be accepted by WISE on a space available basis, determined by the host institution, and with the approval of the WISE coordinators.

Please note: in order to take a WISE course, you must have approval from one of the GSLIS WISE coordinators, Terry Plum or Jen Doyle, and your advisor.

WISE course descriptions are listed at: http://my.simmons.edu/gslis/courses/descriptions/wise.shtml

Remember, enrollment in these courses is by approval of both GSLIS and WISE, and is by no means assured. Consider registering for a backup course at this time. Roughly one third of the GSLIS applicants for enrollment into WISE courses are accepted.

If you are interested, email gsliswise@simmons.edu, with a copy to your advisor, the following information by 5:00 on Tuesday, April 15. Please put “WISE Fall 2008” somewhere in the subject line.

Name
Student ID
Simmons email address
Number of credits you have taken
Faculty advisor
WISE course name and class number

Once approved by GSLIS, you will be notified by WISE that your request has been received. Then WISE will notify you about your standing in the class: either accepted, wait-listed, or denied. WISE acceptance is not based on the number of GSLIS student credits nor on first-come, first- served. The notifications will go out several days after April 25th. If accepted into the course, your name will be sent to the Simmons Registrar by GSLIS and you will be “consented” into the course. You will not be able to register directly into the Simmons GSLIS 5xx WISE course number, since it is a consent-only course. AARC will not list the courses until after the WISE notification.

Caveats: Online courses require substantial time and effort, often in a real time, synchronous mode. They also require new course-taking skills of students, and a high level of commitment to the class, to the students who comprise the class and to the faculty member. Students accustomed to the lecture method of delivery with some online discussions are sometimes unprepared for the level of engagement required by an online course. Many students discover this in mid-course, and either drop or are unhappy. Almost all WISE courses turn away students. If you sign up for a WISE course and drop it, another student at another school has been denied the opportunity to take this course. We do not want you to drop WISE courses, so please consider carefully before requesting to be signed up.

Please talk to Jen Doyle, Terry Plum, or your adviser if you have any questions about the expectations of online courses.

Good luck with your course selection. Remember: April 15 is the deadline: WISE and taxes!

Terry & Jen

Terry Plum, Assistant Dean
Jennifer Doyle, Director of Curriculum and Communications
gsliswise@simmons.edu