1. (36) Students should be provided a way to interact with other students in an online community.

Not Observed       Insufficient       Moderate Use       Meets Criterion Completely

Students are provided full access to Blackboard Collaborate, our web conferencing tool, so that they can set up their own meetings 24/7. Students use this tool for group project meetings, presentation recordings sessions, and group organization board meetings. Instructions for setting up sessions are posted on the SLIS web site.

An online Drop-in Center is continuously available and live student assistant help is available during scheduled hours. This resource is used by students, faculty, and guest speakers as a place to meet, practice with the web conferencing technology, and get advice related to use of Collaborate.

All students have access to Blackboard IM (Bb IM), an instant messaging tool that connects students and faculty. Each semester, groups are set up in Bb IM based on course enrollment to facilitate easy communication among classmates. Students and faculty can communicate with others at the School by adding them to their list of individual contacts.

SLIS also encourages networking at the local geographic level. A tool branded “SLISAlert” is used to send announcements of local events to students and faculty within a defined radius of a specific city. For example, when a conference reception is held in conjunction with a professional conference at which SLIS will have a presence, invitations are sent to all students in the area. This opportunity to meet other students in the same online program has led to the formation of online networking groups that connect students living in specific regions.

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