Capstone Experience - Spring 2009

Purpose

The Capstone Experience is the culminating academic event for all LIS students. Students participate in the Capstone Experience during their last semester of taking courses in their graduate program to meet the comprehensive requirement of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies.

The Capstone Experience is designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to organize and synthesize knowledge as developed throughout their academic program, and to defend positions on current issues in library and information science, and the larger, dynamic information environment.

The Capstone Experience is graded on a PASS/FAIL basis.

Students enrolled in the Capstone Experience will utilize the official Capstone Experience WebCT "course" to submit all components of the Capstone Experience for evaluation. The Capstone course is also the official online communication venue for Capstone-related activities once the exam period commences.

Registration for the Capstone Experience

You MUST complete the online application during the week it is open to be eligible to do the Capstone Experience. See dates in the calendar below.

Qualifications for Taking Capstone

STOP! NOTE!!! To be approved for Capstone, you MUST have your Practical experience completed or be registered for the SLIS 5090 course. A waiver of practicum must be approved and on file the semester PRIOR to submitting the application below to be cleared for capstone. If you are a School Library POS student you must have the proficiencies checklist completed PRIOR to submitting the application below to be cleared for capstone. All other students, please follow guidelines listed below:

Each POS has different guidelines for Practical experience requirements. Check with your POS advisor if you are unsure of your requirement.
If you are doing a Practicum - SLIS 5090 - you must have it completed or be registered for it in your last semester.
If you are waived from Practicum, your approved Field Experience Waiver Form must be completed, approved, and in your file in the semester PRIOR to the semester in which you do Capstone.
- SLIS 5090.701 Course Description and Requirements
- Field Experience Requirement Request for Waiver Form

Each student's academic record will be checked for errors or missing coursework/course credit to ensure you have the required status to participate in the Capstone Experience. Problems that may prevent participation in the Capstone Experience include:

Not having enough hours on your record in combination with your last semester course(s) to graduate, Students have responsibility to ensure the necessary credits have been earned for graduation, i.e., YOU must double-check your record prior to submitting an application for capstone.
STOP! NOTE!!! Incompletes ("I") on your record, etc. YOU must double-check your record, clear up any incompletes by speaking with the faculty involved, etc. YOU must resolve any incompletes to be fully processed and submitted to the registrar's office. This must be completed PRIOR to submitting an application for capstone. After you submit the application for capstone if there is an incomplete in any course you will NOT be cleared and will have to wait until the next semester.
If you are unsure of your status, check with the SLIS office and/or your official transcript.

√ Quick Qualification Checklist :

	Have no incompletes on your record
	Registered for Capstone Experience
	Practicum has been waived or approved the semester prior to taking Capstone (confer with your Advisor) School Library POS students: Proficiency Checklist is approved and on file.
	Self-check of your degree plan
	Completed or registered for your final credit hours before or during your Capstone semester.
	The LIS office has your correct personal information, including correct mailing address

Structure of the Capstone Experience

The Capstone Experience is comprised of two activities:

Part One: Essay Examination
Students must prepare formal answers to three (3) Essay Questions designed to synthesize knowledge from their coursework and educational experience. This part is conducted over the WebCT website over 7 days (see calendar below for dates).
Part Two: End of Program Questionnaire
Each student must complete the End of Program Questionnaire. The End of Program Questionnaire is a survey of LIS graduates concerning the courses, program, faculty, facilities, and educational technology.

NOTE: Each student must submit three (3) completed essays.

Evaluation of the Capstone Experience

Each Capstone Exam question is evaluated and graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis by two (2) faculty with expertise related to the question subject matter. All essays are numbered and evaluated without knowledge of students' identities.
Students must receive a Satisfactory grade on all three (3) essays in order to pass the Capstone Experience. Students who receive an unsatisfactory grade on one (1) or more essays will not pass Capstone. Students who do not pass Capstone may re-take Capstone only once.

Dissemination of Results of the Capstone Experience

The Capstone Experience Committee notifies the Dean of the College of Information, Library Science, and Technologies of the results for all students. The Dean notifies the Graduate School of the official results. Students are officially informed of their results in writing from the Dean after the completion of the Capstone Experience.

Graduation Application and Degree Plan

Each student will receive a UNT graduation application and a copy of his or her degree plan after clearance to take Capstone. Students are responsible for mailing both the completed application and the degree plan to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies. See calendar below for application deadline. See also the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies graduation website

UNT Library Access for LIS students

REGISTERED FOR COURSES VS. NOT REGISTERED FOR COURSES

● IF REGISTERED FOR COURSES:

You will have all library privileges including access to the online library resource. For tips and tricks on using the online resources visit:
http://www.library.unt.edu/remote/basicstps.htm

● IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED FOR COURSES AND YOU ARE DOING YOUR CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE:

Currently, the UNT database contracts allow for access to be granted for two long semesters from the last time the student was registered. (Both summer semesters -- minimester & summer courses combined -- qualify as one long semester.) As an example, a student registering for classes in January 2009, would qualify for library access through December 2009. If the student completed courses in December 2008 and did not register for a course in January of 2009, access would have library access terminated in August 2009.

● FOR ACCESS PROBLEMS:

Contact the Libraries' LAN/PC Management Department at 940-565-3024 (8am-5pm, M-F) OR complete a problem ticket via this Webpage:
http://irservices.library.unt.edu/report_problem.cfm

● OTHER LIBRARY RESOURCES

ASK A LIBRARIAN PAGE:
http://www.library.unt.edu/genref/help.htm

SPECIFIC REFERENCE DESKS:
http://www.library.unt.edu/genref/refdesks.htm

REFERENCE BY PHONE (INCLUDES TOLL-FREE NUMBER)
http://www.library.unt.edu/genref/phoneref.htm

ONLINE (CHAT) REFERENCE:
http://vrlplus.cb.docutek.com/unt/vrl_entry.asp

EMAIL REFERENCE:
http://vrlplus.cb.docutek.com/unt/vrleb_question_patron.asp?virtual_desk_id=1

The information pertaining to the timeline for access to library services provided by:

Scott Jackson
University of North Texas
Unit Manager, Libraries LAN/PC Management
PO Box 305190
Denton TX 76203-5190
sjackson@library.unt.edu
940-565-3267

For More Information Contact:

Capstone Committee
capstone@unt.edu
SLIS: 940-565-2445
University Metro (817) 267-3731, x2445
Fax: 940-565-3101

Spring 2009 Capstone Calendar
Event	Date/Deadline
There can be NO incomplete on the student record after this date: Monday January 19, 2009 If the registrar shows an Incomplete, the student will not be cleared for Capstone. It is the student's responsibility to insure the Incomplete is cleared and on file with the UNT registrar by this date. It normally takes several weeks for the registrar to process an incomplete after the paper work is officially turned in, so students are advised to plan ahead. See notes above for practicum requirement.	Monday January 19, 2009
Spring 2009 Capstone Application opens at noon on this day.	Monday, January 19, 2009
Spring 2009 Capstone Application closes at noon on this day.	Monday, January 26, 2009
On this date students will be notified of their approval status for Fall Capstone. If approved, they will see the Blackboard Site. If not approved, they will be notified through student eaglemail.	Monday, February 9, 2009
Capstone Experience Examination begins at 12:00 noon on this day.	Monday, February 23, 2009
Capstone Experience Examination ends at 12:00 noon on this day. No essays will be accepted after 12:00. It may take up to one hour for essays to load properly, so students should begin posting their exam no later than 11:00 a.m. and are encouraged to post it the day before.	Monday, March 2, 2009
End of Program Questionnaire Due. It will be in the online Capstone exam site. The graduate school will have a separate evaluation instrument.	Monday, February 23, 2009
Last Day for Students to File for Graduation Without a Fee	Friday, February 20, 2009
Last Day for Students to File for Graduation with a Late Fee ($25.00.) No applications accepted after this date.	Friday, March 13, 2009
Results of Comprehensive Examinations Must be Reported to the Graduate School on this date.	Friday, April 3, 2009
Results of Capstone Experience will be reported to students by this date.	Friday, April 13, 2009
Spring Commencement: see UNT calendar for schedule of events.	May 15, 2009

www.unt.edu/slis
This page last updated May 12, 2008
by SLIS Web Editor
http://www.unt.edu/
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