Field Experience

Field Experience Program

The SILS Field Experience Program enables students to meet personal learning objectives and to gain professional experience in an information organization while receiving class credit. Students are mentored by both a supervising professional in the organization and a SILS instructor. Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible for the program. The Field Experience Program is intended for students who have completed their junior year (undergraduates) or at least 18 credit hours toward their MSLS or MSIS (graduate students). Questions or comments about the Field Experience Program should be directed to:

Kaitlyn Murphy
Field Experience Program Coordinator
fieldexperience@ils.unc.edu
T: (919) 962-8366
F: (919) 962-8071

Dr. Lori Haight
Career Services Coordinator
lhaight@email.unc.edu
T: (919) 962-2226
F: (919) 962-8071

The SILS Field Experience Program provides students with the opportunity to develop a reflective practicum. What does this mean? According to Schön:

A practicum is a setting designed for the task of learning a practice. In a context that approximates a practice world, students learn by doing . . . They learn by undertaking projects that simulate and simplify practice; or they take on real-world projects under close supervision.¹

The student engaged in a field experience is engaged in a form of apprenticeship. This mode of learning can be especially valuable in the context of a degree-granting program, as one is able to gain active guidance on both the practice and on integrating the skills and competencies learned through practice into one's overall education.

SILS may be the top ILS program in the nation, but we still cannot provide students with everything they need to know to prepare them for a professional life. No program can do that. Instead, students have the opportunity through the Field Experience Program to identify areas where their professional goals require a deeper or different set of skills and competencies than through coursework. Students should develop field experiences around those specific learning needs.

¹ Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the Reflective Practitioner: Toward a New Design for Teaching and Learning in the Professions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc.

GUIDELINES

For a complete list of the Field Experience guidelines, please refer to the menu to the left or to the links below:

Developing Learning Objectives: Tips on how to pinpoint Field Experience goals
Site Selection: Tips on how to select a site that will meet learning objectives
Registration: Learn how to register for the Field Experience (INLS 397 or INLS 795)
Deliverables: List of work/forms that should be submitted during the student's Field Experience
Evaluation and Grading
Hours and Pay
Roles and Responsibilities: Learn who does what in each role of the Field Experience
Sites: List of sites interested in hosting SILS Field Experience interns (updated regularly)

If you have further questions about Field Experience guidelines, please contact the Field Experience Coordinator.

REGISTRATION DEADLINES

Students must submit a Field Experience Agreement form to the Field Experience Coordinator before the first day of courses of the semester in which they intend to enroll. Please refer to the deadlines below:

Summer 2013: May 16, 2013

Please refer to the Field Experience: Registration policy page for more details.

SEMINAR REQUIREMENT: SPRING 2013

Class will meet once at the start of the semester and once at the end of the semester, with two online sessions in the middle. The following dates have been set for the in person meetings:

795-001 (for students taking 1st FE): Monday January 14 from 4-5pm in Manning 307 and Monday April 8 from 4-5pm in Manning 307

795-002 (for students taking 2nd FE): Monday January 28 from 4-5pm in Manning 307 and Monday April 15 from 4-5pm in Manning 307