Tour Marquette University's Raynore-Memorial Library and Archives: Wednesday, November 8

Join a group tour of Marquette University's new Raynor-Memorial Library and Archives, including the new learning commons. Coordinated by Katie Blank (kmblank@uwm.edu), vice president of the SAA, the tour takes place Wednesday, November 8, 2006 from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m..

Space is limited 25 guests, so please RSVP to Katie. The group will meet in front lobby of Raynor Library.

To get an idea of the library in advance, click here.

Grad Student Organization hosts Interview Workshop Oct. 14

The Graduate Student Organization is sponsoring a Fall Interview Workshop on Saturday, October 14, 8:30 – 12:30. There will be opportunities to have resumes evaluated and to meet with professionals or faculty with professioanl backgrounds in academic, public, and corporate settings. Please contact the GSO President, Adam Brisk, for more information (studentorg@sois.uwm.edu) and watch for flyers and more details as the date approaches. Refreshments will be provided!

Student Organization initiates "Brewed with SOIS" series: Prof. Dimitroff

The Student Organization has provided informal access to faculty in its new "Brewed with SOIS" series held at The Grind in the Golda Meir Library. The series "designed as a meeting place for SOIS Faculty and students to gather together and build professional relationships; a bridge between future information professionals and today’s respected researchers and instructors."

Alexandra Dimitroff, an associate professor and SOIS faculty member since 1990, fielded questions about careers and libraries. Her expertise in medical librarianship, special libraries, and public services and her reserch accomplishemnts make her an excellent student resource here at SOIS. A complete article about this meeting and series by Katie Blank will appear in the next newsletter.

Carmen Orth-Alfie: Student Ambassador and Student Panel member

One of our students, Carmen Orth-Alfie, flew in from her home in Kansas to serve as a Student Ambassador for the Fall Orientation and a student panel member for the recent SOIS Faculty Planning Retreat. She wrote the following to Dean Britz:

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Dr. Britz,

It is with all sincerity that I thank you and everyone at SOIS for hosting my visit to Milwaukee. My husband and I were truly humbled by the warmth and hospitality. The benefits I have received from the visit are beyond measure. The experiences of being a student ambassador during the orientation and being a student representative during the faculty retreat give me great pride in being part of the SOIS. I hope that I have made a positive contribution to SOIS and that other distant ed students will be given similar opportunities in the future. I am a firm believer in having opportunities for participation at all levels of an organization and it was encouraging to observe that student input is valued at SOIS. The energy and enthusiasm of my fellow students was contagious. With your continued support, Adam and the other students will be able to attract others to step into these leadership roles.

Thank you for providing opportunities for faculty and student to interact. It was great to see so many of the faculty participating at the orientation. As a distance ed student at times I can only assume the best about the faculty and proceed through the program on faith. It was nice to witness first hand the commitment the faculty have to the SOIS program and their students. I am thankful for their support and encouragement and look forward to my online classes.

It was an honor to be invited as a distance ed student representative at the faculty retreat. I applaud the open and constructive debate on how to make the UWM SOIS program even better. I have given more thought to the some of the issues raised during retreat and welcome further discussion. On the issue of comps vs. portfolio I plan to send additional comment to Prof. Wolfram and Prof. Johnson. I have also thought some more about research opportunities and collaboration. It was encouraging to see the faculty searching for ways to support student research and develop additional opportunities for faculty and students to work together. While there are obstacles to overcome when collaborating virtually the efforts made by the faculty and students helps to put the SOIS distance ed program on the cutting edge.

I am grateful the faculty experiment with new forms of online delivery and are open to
opportunities to learn together. The confidence they exhibit by taking these
risks creates an encouraging learning environment. Please extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the faculty and staff at SOIS.

Sincerely,
Carmen Orth-Alfie

SOIS Faculty Planning Retreat

On August 28 and 29, the SOIS held its fourth annual faculty planning retreat at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. Attended by faculty, teaching academic staff, adjunct instructors, and some students, it provided an opportunity for the School to focus on the exciting year ahead. Many curricular and programming issues were discussed, including the launching of the planning phase for a new Ph.D. in Information Studies. Additionally, a representative group of local and visiting online students provided valuable input for the planning process.

Society of American Archivists 2006 Meeting attended by Cooper Cary and 6 SOIS students

The Society of American Archivists held its 2006 Annual meeting in Washington DC July 30 – August 6. A joint meeting with the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA) and the Council of State Archivists (CoSA), the meeting drew over 2,100 attendees. Among them, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee was represented by six Archives Program students and Amy Cooper Cary, Archival Studies Program Coordinator. The students, active in the SAA Student Chapter, especially appreciated an opportunity to meet with students from the SAA Student Chapter of the University of Wisconsin Madison’s Archives Program, and Proffesor Ciaran Trace.

Milwaukee and Madison students met informally throughout their attendance at the meeting, but also enjoyed the first annual UW-Madison / UW-Milwaukee Archives Student Breakfast. The breakfast, held prior to SAA President Richard Pearce Moses’s plenary, was attended by students, Trace, Cooper Cary, longtime Milwaukee instructor Tim Ericson, and longtime Madison instructor and Director of the Library and Archives at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Peter Gottlieb. The breakfast gave students an opportunity to meet informally and discuss professional issues with faculty.

From the perspective of the UWM SAA Student Chapter attendees, the meeting was a great success. Students will be considering ways to share their experience with incoming archives students, including a brown bag lunch presentation, and are working on writing an article for submission to the SAA Newsletter, Archival Outlook. UWM Students also want to find new ways to connect the SAA Student Chapter located in Milwaukee with DE students in the Archives Program. The Chapter is also preparing for next year’s SAA Annual Meeting, which will take place in Chicago. UWM and UW Madison are working together to arrange a UW Mixer for students and alums in 2007.

For more information about the UW Milwaukee Archival Studies Program, contact Amy Cooper Cary at amyccary@sois.uwm.edu