CN Fall 2007

The College of Information, Library Science, and Technologies Department of Librar y and Information Sciences Call Number Margaret Irby Nichols, Editor Volume 67, Number 2, Fall 2008 Up, Up and AWAY! Fall 2008 Call Number CONTENTS EAN S D LETT’ER FEATURES PAGE Dean’s letter ......................... 1-2 UP, Provost .................................... 2 Up to a College ....................... 3 Texas Almanac ........................ 3 UP Away to Discovery Park .......... 4 Editorial – Nichols .................. 5 Facts about Park ...................... 5 AND AWAY! Move ....................................... 6 Learning Technologies ......... 7-8 Interim Chairs ........................ 9 Guest Editorial ........................ 9 Up, Up and Away! THE DEPARTMENT The theme of this Advisory Board Features ....... 10 From issue of Call Number exemplifies the elation we feel on Cohorts & Programs ....... 10-11 Katherine Cveljo ................... 12 achieving two historical milestones—moving up from School to Hazel Harvey Peace ............... 12 a school to a college and moving away from the main 70th Anniversary ................... 12 campus to Discovery Park. In this column, I explain College why and how the momentous transformation from FACULTY school to college came about. More importantly, I Ana Cleveland ....................... 13 Here is the basic picture of what has changed: TxCDK Grant ...................... 13 explain what exactly did and did not change for our Guillermo Oyarce ................. 13 beloved School of Library and Information Sciences • SLIS has become a part of a college with two Bits and Bytes ....................... 14 (SLIS). departments: Library and Information Sciences IASL Conference .................. 14 The new College consolidates two existing (LIS) and Learning Technologies (LT). Our new Philip Turner ........................ 14 academic units: S LIS and the Department of name is the College of Information, Library Sc ience, and Technologies (CILST). Provost Wilkins Learning Technologies. The interest in consolidation STAFF has designated this name as a “placeholder, ” pending was prompted in 2007 by the upcoming move of Josephine Reyna .................... 15 input by our Board of Advisors, alumni, students, both units to Discovery Park (formerly Research Theresa Jackson .................... 15 faculty, and staff (see “Editorial, One Person’s Students Abroad ................... 15 Park), UNT's high-technology research facility, in Opinion, p. 5, and “What's in a Name?” p. 3). Beta Phi Mu Award .............. 16 August 2008 (See “Away to Discovery Park” on p. • I now serve as College Dean, relinquishing daily Hurricane Ike ........................ 16 4). The topic of consolidation was first broached academic administrative duties of LIS to a new LIS about 30 years ago when several Computer Science Department Chair. Historically, the SLIS Dean STUDENTS Department faculty members asked to form a new served as both dean and chair of a unidepartmental Masters ................................. 16 department within SLIS. The request was denied. School. My new position allows me to assume the Doctoral ................................ 16 full range of chief academic officer duties ARL Scholarships .................. 17 The former Computer Science faculty was then established as the Department of Tech nology and appropriately assigned to a college dean. ALUMNI Cognition in the College of Education. In early 2007, • I have appointed Dr. Maurice Wheeler , Associate Sponsored Tour ..................... 17 that department was split to create the Departments of Professor, as Interim Chair of the LIS Department Melody Kelly ........................ 18 Educational Psychology and Learning Technologies (see p. 9). I will appoint a permanent chair upon TLA Leaders ......................... 18 recommendations by the LIS faculty after we (LT), and in late fall 2007, LT asked to join SLIS. Maurine Gray ....................... 18 establish a new college charter. LIS faculty These and other recent developments at UNT Glen Pourciau ....................... 19 members and academic support staff report to the suggested that this was an opportune time to revisit Sandra Nelson ....................... 19 LIS Department Chair. My current administrative ESC Region 20 ..................... 19 the issue. Ad hoc faculty/staff committees in SLIS and staff members now support the College. Reporting Board Members .................... 20 LT were formed to conduct a feasibility study that to me are the Associate Dean, Special Assistant to LIS Quiz ............................... 20 carefully considered matters of administration and the Dean (administrative), LIS Chair, LT Chair, Nevada Conference ............... 21 finance, students and curricula, research funding and Director of Research and Director of TxCDK, Alumni Update ................ 21-23 interests, and facilities and technology. In spring 2008, Computer Systems Manager, College Development Alumni Search ...................... 24 both the SLIS and LT faculties voted unanimously in Officer, External Affairs and Alumni Officer, Donations ........................ 26-27 favor of the consolidation. I presented the results of College Budget Officer, and Special Assistant to the Dean for Distributed Learning (see SIDEBARS the feasibility study to Dr. Wendy Wilkins, UNT “Department of Learning Technologies,” p. 7-8, Faculty & Staff .................... 3-4 Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (see p. 2). She strongly supported the consolidation and, at and “Philip Turner, Special Assistant to the Dean Beta Phi Mu Inductees .......... 16 for Distributed Learning,” p. 14). the same time, cautioned me against announcing the Commencement ................... 17 • Th e School was the smallest of UNT's nine change until it was official. It became official with the In Memoriam ....................... 19 academic units in terms of total number of student approvals of the UNT System Board of Regents on Alumni Society Board ........... 20 majors. Based on spring 2008 data, the new College Squirrel Calendar .................. 20 August 21, 2008 and the Texas Higher Education is seventh in total num ber of majors (1,838) and Recruiters at TLA ................. 21 Coordinating Board on October 23, 2008. second in number of graduate majors (1,599). The 1 FEATURES Call Number Fall 2008 College is more than double the size of the face interactions in blended and onsite campus and provide them with a stronger former School, with a total of 31 tenured or courses. Like LIS, LT is a national leader in political and financial future. The academic tenure-track faculty members, 32 full-time distributed learning. The College is a foundations of students and curricula of the two staff members, and about 3,500 enrollments showcase for distributed learning, with 65% units are remarkably compatible, with promising in all courses each semester. of course enrollments in online formats, areas for development in multimedia • Because of LT's bachelor's degree program, 18% in blended formats, and 17% face to technologies, school librarianship, youth services, the College has a solid base in undergraduate face. and health sciences. The innovative approaches education, which the School had lacked, and • Our Interdisciplinary Information Science to distributed learning and to user-centered a particular emphasis on graduate education, PhD Program, which is the only truly research in information and computer which the units had shared. The College interdisciplinary program of its kind at technologies of both units bode well for offers two bachelor’s degrees, three master’s UNT and in the U.S., continues to include continued creative development and adoption of degrees, and three doctoral degrees, along LT faculty members, and our PhD students new technologies, while integration of their with eight categories of Texas State Board continue to take LT courses. We expect technology infrastructure and support staffs Educator Certification and several non- involvement of LT faculty to grow and promises greater efficiency of operation. Faculty degree programs. strengthen with the consolidation. researchers can collaborate to obtain external • LIS and LT faculty researchers continue to funding on a greater number of topics from a Here is what has not changed in Library and interact through the interdisciplinary Texas wider range of sources. As our research funding Information Sciences: Center for Digital Knowledge (TxCDK), grows, so will opportunities for involving and • The College retains the identity and internal doctoral committees, and other contexts. supporting student researchers. structure of each unit. The LIS Department They share research interests related to In short, we have created a diverse but united has the same highly knowledgeable and information, use of technology, and community with greater power to compete competent faculty and staff, including our education. Faculty members from the two effectively with exemplary colleges of faculty program directors and academic units have secured a notable amount of information and technology in universities all advisors. external funding and all are striving to over the world. The most significant message for • Our BS, MS, and PhD degree programs and increase external funding as part of the Call Number readers, however, is that we have our School Library Certification and campus-wide initiative to raise UNT's status managed to create this community without

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