Students Policies and Procedures
Student Procedures and Guidelines
- Applicants must apply to the Partners Program at the same time application is made to the MLIS Program. A student must be a U.S. citizen admitted to the MLIS Program without academic provision and registered as a full-time student (12 credits/term*) attending classes on the Oakland campus. A student may register for up to four on-line courses over the three terms of study with only 2 on-line courses permitted in any given term.
- To apply, prospective students must complete the pertinent section in their application for admission on Apply Yourself. The deadline for applying to the Partners Program is January 15. No Partners Program applications will be accepted beyond the deadline.
- Once eligibility is determined, student applications are screened by the LIS faculty and distributed to Partner institutions based on Partner needs and applicant interests, skills, and background. The review and interview process takes approximately 8 weeks to complete and students are generally notified by mid-April whether or not an offer of placement will be extended.
- Student applications are reviewed by the Partner institutions and in most cases telephone (or in-person where feasible) interviews are conducted at their discretion. Once a candidate is selected for placement and the student accepts, a letter containing details of the placement and scholarship is sent from the LIS Program Chair requiring formal acceptance by the student of the scholarship. No offer of placement is official unless extended by the Partners administration.
- Some placements may receive an hourly wage as determined and paid by the Partnering institution. The majority of placements, however, carry a stipend or no additional funding. A tuition scholarship is awarded for every Partners placement regardless of availability of additional funding from the Partner. A 10-hour/week placement carries a tuition scholarship equal to 3 credits of tuition/term for each of the three terms of study - fall, spring, and summer. The scholarship value can be determined by multiplying the per credit rate for part-time students by three.
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Placements are for three consecutive terms of study: fall, spring and summer, therefore, all Partners placements must begin in the Fall term that the student begins their MLIS Program.
- Any student offered a salaried position over 10 hours per week, as agreed upon by both Partner and student, receives the additional hourly wage but no additional tuition scholarship is available. Any conditions outside the parameters of the Partners Program, such as summer employment must be agreed upon by the hiring institution and the student per normal employment procedure. The Partners Program is in effect for the academic terms as stated above – fall, spring, and summer.
- It is the student’s responsibility to make contact with the placement supervisor prior to the start of classes to set a start date no later than the second week of classes and exchange any necessary information, clearances, etc. particular to a Partner institution.
- To receive renewal of the financial scholarship each term, the student must maintain a 3.0 GPA and earn a grade of at least a “B” in each core course and a grade of at least “C” in each elective course, with no grades of “G” (incomplete) and meet weekly work requirements with satisfactory performance as determined by the Partner supervisor.
- In the event a student’s employment is terminated by the Partner institution for unsatisfactory work performance, scholarship withdrawal will be assessed based on timing of termination relative to the school term, as well as other factors resulting in dismissal. Student will be advised by the LIS Program Chair as soon as a determination is made.
- A student who withdraws from the Partners Program once the term begins will have their tuition scholarship rescinded and removed from their University account.
- The student is responsible for notifying the University financial aid office of their scholarship award to update their FASA file.
- The Partners Program Office is located in 605D IS Building. JoAnn Kavalukas, program administrator, can be reached by e-mail ppartners@sis.pitt.edu or at 412-624-1442.
- The SIS Financial Aid Office is located on the 5th floor of the SIS Building, Room 519. Questions can be addressed to Corey James either by telephone (412-624-9388) or by e-mail (cjames@sis.pitt.edu)
*Although nine credits is considered full-time status, to complete MLIS graduation requirements in three terms, a student must register for and complete twelve credits in each term. The partners placement and scholarship is for three terms only and is not renewable in the event a student continues study into a fourth term.
