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San José State University

SCHOOL OF LIBRARY & INFORMATION SCIENCE

MARA Course Descriptions

All courses are offered for three units unless otherwise indicated.

MARA 200. The Record and the Recordkeeping Professions
The role of records and recordkeeping in society; history, definitions and important concepts related to records and recordkeeping; contexts and critiques of records and recordkeeping; significant scholars and recordkeepers throughout history. Not repeatable.
Prerequisite: Demonstrated computer literacy through completion of required new student online technology workshop.

Note: Satisfactory completion of all written assignments in this course fulfills the university's "Competency in Written English" requirement.

MARA 202. Information Technology, Records, and the Information Age
Overview of impact of information technologies on records and recordkeeping; evolution of record media, communications and computing technologies; records systems and network development; databases; records information models, structures and standards; digital archives technologies.
Not repeatable.
Prerequisite: Demonstrated computer literacy through completion of required new student online technology workshop.

MARA 204. Management of Records and Archival Institutions
Application of management principles to the administration of records and archives centers; management functions, theories and concepts; decisionmaking; goals and objectives; organizational structures; human resources; financial considerations; marketing; legal considerations; ethical considerations; global concerns.
Not repeatable.
Prerequisite: Demonstrated computer literacy through completion of required new student online technology workshop.

MARA 210. Records Creation, Appraisal and Retention
Overview of records creation processes; management and documentation of those processes, including forms, mail, reports, reprographics management, document control, legal compliance; basic appraisal concepts; records inventories and retention scheduling; vital records; contingency planning; records disposition; and archives.
Not repeatable.
Prerequisite: MARA 200, 202

MARA 211. Records Access, Storage and Retrieval
Examination of records systems, storage, retrieval; filing systems; fundamentals of information retrieval; active file systems and operation; records center operations; special storage; archival reference and access concepts; legal and ethical considerations; privacy and copyright; user communities.
Not repeatable.
Prerequisites: MARA 200, 202, 204

MARA 243. Records and Recordkeeping Program Analysis, Design and Evaluation
Overview of activities involved in planning, organizing, directing and controlling a records management program; implementation strategies, evaluations and audits; facilities, equipment, supplies and technology considerations.
Not repeatable.
Prerequisite: MARA 200, 202, 204

MARA 248. Standards and Structures for Records and Recordkeeping
Overview of the theory and current practice of records and archives intellectual control and the systems and products that establish it.
Not repeatable.
Prerequisite: MARA 200, 202

MARA 249. Electronic Recordkeeping Systems and Issues in Electronic Recordkeeping
Application of recordkeeping and archival principles to the management and preservation of electronic records, multi– and hyper–media resources and email; standards for representation and preservation of nontraditional networked information; electronic records/document management systems and derivations; policy development.
Not repeatable.
Prerequisite: MARA 200, 202, 204

MARA 256. 21st Century Archival Methods
Archival science and archival methods as presently practiced in archival repositories. Types of archival repositories. Influence of other disciplines on archives and vice versa. Focus on technological changes and their effects on traditional archival records, systems, methodologies.
Not repeatable.
Prerequisite: MARA 200, 202

MARA 259. Records and Information Preservation and Security
Records and archives preservation, recovery and disaster techniques; information systems and networks preservation and security administration and maintenance; risk analysis; electronic and non–electronic media protection methods and materials; encryption management strategies, trusted digital repositories.
Not repeatable.
Prerequisite: MARA 200, 202, 204

MARA 285. Research Methods in Records Management and Archival Science
Overview of research methods in the social sciences and their application to research about and within archives and records centers. Research design, human subjects, quantitative and qualitative methods, model studies, methodological critique and evaluation, data analysis and presentation.>
Not repeatable.
Prerequisite: None

MARA 289. Advanced Topics in Archives and Records Administration (ePortfolio)
Completion of the ePortfolio, integrating theory and practice, to satisfy the Culminating Experience, with the portfolio based on core competencies for archives and records administration professionals as outlined in the MARA 289 Handbook. Completed in final semester.
Not repeatable.
Course prerequisites: See information about eligibility by looking at the current MARA 289 Handbook and reviewing the section on "Eligibility."

MARA 293. Professional Projects
Professional projects submitted by an individual or organization, supervised by a professional archivist or records manager, which can be completed during one semester.
Not repeatable
Prerequisites: Successful completion of 10 required courses: MARA 200, 202, 204, 210, 211, 248, 259, 243, 249, and 256. Good academic standing [3.0 CUM GPA or above].

MARA 294. Professional Experience – Internships
Internship under professional supervision in a selected archives or records center. The internship site must meet criteria outlined in the MARA internship guidelines and be approved by the internship coordinator.
Repeatable.
Prerequisite: MARA 200, 202, 204, plus six advanced courses. Good academic standing.

MARA 295. Organizational Consulting Project (OCP)
Organizational Consulting Projects are submitted by an individual or organization, supervised by a professional archivist or records manager, take two semesters to complete, and require the application of the knowledge and skills developed throughout the program.
Repeatable up to 6 credits.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of 10 required courses: MARA 200, 202, 204, 210, 211, 248, 259, 243, 249, and 256. Good academic standing [3.0 CUM GPA or above], obtain a recommendation by one MARA instructor, and receive permission of the MARA academic advisor.


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