LIBR 204-02
Information Organizations and Management
Spring 2010 Greensheet

Elisabeth Leonard
E-mail
Office Hours: Sundays at noon PST or by appointment


Greensheet Links
Textbooks and Readings
Course Requirements
Resources
ANGEL
ANGEL Tutorials
iSchool eBookstore
 

Angel Information: We will be using Angel as the main venue for the course. Please enroll between August 20 and 24th. You will obtain the access enrollment code through a message I’ll send you via MySJSU.

Course Description

Identifying distinguishing characteristics, culture and relationships of information organizations. Emphasizes theories examining the interaction between human beings and the organizations in which they work.

Course Prerequisites: Students will have completed the new student technology workshop and have the specified minimum hardware and software to participate fully in the course.

Course Objectives

Student learning outcomes

  • Compare management theories, principles and practices;
  • Apply analytical and strategic planning processes and skills;
  • Identify the roles and activities of managers;
  • Understand portfolios as a means of performance assessment;
  • Experience and assess working in teams;
  • Know issues of diversity in the workplace;
  • Prepare and post a resume and use the services of the SJSU Career Center;
  • Review and use the professional and research literature of management.

LIBR 204 supports the following MLIS Core Competencies:

  • apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy;
  • design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories;
  • demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations;
  • evaluate programs and services on specified criteria.

http://ischool.sjsu.edu/slis/competencies.htm

Course Requirements

The primary course requirements are that students will:

Grading
Assignments must be submitted before 11:59 pm on the date due (Friday of the assigned week), unless another time is given. Assignments submitted up to one week after the due date will be subject to a penalty. Assignments more than a week late will not be accepted.

  • Class participation/weekly discussion forums: 30% (late penalty: 5 points)
  • Program or service proposal: 15% (late penalty: 10 points)
  • Strategic planning: 20% (group assignment) (late penalty: 10 points)
  • Analytical essay: 20% (late penalty: 10 points)
  • Management and leadership philosophy: 5% (late penalty: 5 points)
  • HR presentation (meeting with Elisabeth): 5% (late penalty: 5 points)
  • Electronic portfolio: 5% (late penalty: 5 points)

Class participation/Weekly Discussion of the Course Topics (30%)
I will provide discussion topics each week. Your engagement with the topics and with your fellow students will deepen your knowledge. A rubric is posted in Angel (under assignments) that details how you will be graded, but some ways of demonstrating engagement include:

  • Identifying an aspect of the topic as significant to you with your explanation of why you see it as significant
  • Evaluating an argument critically and comparatively [Note: “critically” doesn’t always mean “negatively”; “logically” is a better synonym]
  • Providing an effective synthesis of multiple resources, arguments, or points of view
  • Taking an existing discussion in a new direction
  • Bringing “real life” experience into class discussions
  • Helping to create a learning community by inclusive remarks and questions and by bringing fellow students into the discussion.

Electronic Portfolio (5%)  SLIS has decided to use a portfolio as evidence of achievement of competency in the 14 core areas, and demonstration of the development of a professional philosophy and a professional growth plan. You are asked to familiarize yourself with the software, to create a personal site and publish a document on it, then provide information in Angel on how to access it.

Strategic Planning for Change – Group Exercise (20%)
You will join a group of 3-5 classmates. Your task will be to select an information organization one of your classmates is familiar with as your target for strategic change. Four products are required: a Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis; a paper describing three strategic directions for your organization based on the SWOT analysis and current trends in library management (with a discussion of reasons for these directions citing supportive literature); a set of goals and objectives, with an action plan for one of these strategic directions; a cover letter explaining and presenting the final product.

Each section builds on the last, so each time you submit a part of the strategic plan, include the work you’ve already submitted (the obvious exception will be for the first portion of the plan, the SWOT analysis!). You may find that you want to make changes to your work as you go, which is perfectly fine. Your grade will be determined based on the finished product you submit.

Program or service proposal (20%)
Select a library or information agency that you are somewhat familiar with and describe it (you can use information from your strategic plan for this assignment). Describe a program or service that you, as a manager, would like to see introduced in that organization. Refer to your text as needed and specifically note such things as strategic goals, staffing, assessment, marketing, fiscal and technology requirements in writing the proposal.

Analytical Essay (20%)
For any of the management or leadership topics we have studied or that interest you and were not covered in sufficient depth, locate 5-6 current (last 3-5 years) substantive research or theoretical articles on the topic, synthesize the information in the articles in a manner that would be of interest and value to fellow professionals, and provide information on why you believe the information is important/useful and how you think it can be used by professionals in the field. The articles need not come from library science. You may find relevant literature in business, education, or other disciplines. The rule is to make sure the material you select is relevant to the course and that it is substantive or theoretical. If you have questions, just ask me to review the material you are considering.

Philosophy of Management and Leadership (5%)
Write a two – three page essay describing your philosophy of management and leadership. Describe how you would like to be managed and how you would like those working for you and with you to describe you as a manager and as a leader. Describe the kind of organizational culture you would find most supportive as a worker or as a manager and what you can do as a manager AND as a leader to create that kind of culture. Discuss any changes that have occurred in your philosophy of management as a result of taking this course. Remember that management and leadership are not the same things, so address them separately.

HR presentation (5%)
Prepare a ten minute presentation for a potential employer. You will present to Elisabeth in Elluminate.

Textbooks and Readings

Please order the textbook from any online bookstore or directly from the publisher in time to have them by the first day of class.

Required Textbook:

  • Stueart, R.D., & Moran B.B. (2007). Library and information center management (7th ed.). Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 159158406X (paperback). arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain

Recommended Textbook:

  • American Psychological Association (2009). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) American Psychological Association. Available through Amazon: 1433805618. arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain


Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

97 to 100 A
94 to 96 A minus
91 to 93 B plus
88 to 90 B
85 to 87 B minus
82 to 84 C plus
79 to 81 C
76 to 78 C minus
73 to 75 D plus
70 to 72 D
67 to 69 D minus
Below 67 F

 

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

  • C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
  • B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work;
    For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation.  You must repeat the class the following semester. If -on the second attempt- you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  • A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with SJSU's policies and practices pertaining to the procedures to follow if and when questions or concerns about a class arises. See University Policy S90-5 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S90-5.pdf. More detailed information on a variety of related topics is available in the SJSU catalog at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/LIS.html. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor. If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not serve to address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as a next step.

Dropping and Adding

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester's Catalog Policies section at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at http://www.sjsu.edu/provost/services/academic_calendars/. The Late Drop Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.

Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain instructor's permission to record the course and the following items to be included in the syllabus:

  • "Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor's permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material."
    • It is suggested that the syllabus include the instructor's process for granting permission, whether in writing or orally and whether for the whole semester or on a class by class basis.
    • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests should be obtained as well.
  • "Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent."

Academic integrity

Your commitment, as a student, to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/F15-7.pdf requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.

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