Course Delivery

I've probably made friends for life. I've met a few people since I've been here that I plan to keep in contact with the entire two years I have in this program. They seem to have a lot of working knowledge in a lot of different areas so I'm sure I'll be picking their brains and I'm sure they'll be calling me to do the same.
---William Bush, MS in Information Management Student

Summer Institute 2005

Distance learning students begin their first year in July with a 9-day required residency in Syracuse. Some programs have additional residency requirements. Please note that all course residencies are mandatory. For more information about course residencies, please see the Residency portion of this website.

During the fall and spring semesters, distance students take at least one online course per semester over the next 2-3 academic years. Although the online courses are taught asynchronously, they follow the same academic calendar as campus courses. Students are required to log in several times a week and meet weekly deadlines just like campus courses. Online courses are not self-paced.

The School of Information Studies uses a Web-based teaching and learning environment called iSchool LMS. Each distance learning course has its own space within iSchool LMS, which typically includes the syllabus, lectures, a forum for class discussions, and a place to submit assignments. Students are not required to be online at a specific time. They can log in and complete their assignments whenever it is convenient for them, as long as they meet course deadlines. Students are required to log into their course several times a week for the duration of the semester. Logging into iSchool LMS is a simple process. Upon admission to the program, students receive a packet containing information on how to log into and use the tools provided in iSchool LMS.

Please e-mail Peggy Brown, director of instructional design, at imls@syr.edu if you would like to receive a log-in and password to see a sample iSchool LMS course.

For a list of the current online course offerings, please go to course offerings and select the tab for Graduate Online Courses.

Syracuse University's School of Information Studies is a founding institution, along with the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, of the Web-based Information Science Education (WISE) consortium. WISE is a unique and groundbreaking opportunity in online education. Syracuse students have the opportunity to access distance education courses through WISE member schools that are distinguished in quality and leadership in online education. WISE member schools offer a wide array of special topics courses, providing students with the ability to broaden their educational experience. Students will have the ability to select from an extensive list of online courses, regardless of their location, and take courses with faculty who are highly regarded in their area of expertise. For more information, visit the WISE web site.

To help you with your planning, here are a few reminders and hints:

Early registration is a good idea! As soon as you feel comfortable with your schedule, we recommend registering for a class. Not only will this hold you a slot in the class but it will facilitate our ability to get information to you about textbooks, assignments, etc. Since instructors will expect you to be ready at the start of the class, it is your responsibility to make sure you have necessary materials and information.
Get your texts as soon as possible. Most instructors will provide information on how to order texts online from regular commercial sources. However, they cannot control delays in getting materials to you, so order as soon as possible. Materials that are not commercially available will be made available either via reserve at the Bird Library (when you come for your residency) or via other mechanisms.
Course syllabi availability will vary with instructor. Syllabi are generally available at the start of the semester though some faculty may have them done sooner. We recommend that instructors get their materials prepared as early as possible but each instructor may choose a different time for preparing for the course. Since faculty members are often involved in non-teaching activities in the summer, some syllabi may only be ready at the start of the semester. Once a faculty member has his/her syllabus ready for the semester, it will be posted to the Distance Education iSchool LMS site, which all iSchool graduate students have access to. Syllabi for earlier versions of the course are often available--though be aware that there is no guarantee that the texts or assignments will remain the same. Earlier syllabi are helpful for letting you know the content area of the course. We are constantly working on getting syllabi online for early review. If you are concerned that you have not received a particular syllabus contact the Director of Distance Learning at babennet@syr.edu.