End of Program Portfolio Guidelines for
Non-School Media Students
School of Library and Information Science

Successful completion of the end-of-program portfolio is a requirement for the Master of Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S.) degree in the University of South Carolina 's School of Library and Information Science. This electronic portfolio includes a reflective essay and work samples that document competency in the program's five areas:

•  Information and its organization;

•  Provision of information services;

•  Organizational, leadership, and management issues in information agencies and services;

•  Application of technology and research to evidence-based practice; and,

•  Lifelong learning and professional development.

The portfolio is submitted for evaluation four weeks prior to the student's graduation. The immediate audience for the portfolio is instructors and administrators in the School of Library and Information Science, but students might also target the portfolio towards prospective employers.

Students will use Content Collection in Blackboard to create their electronic portfolios. From the start of the program, students should identify and collect work samples to save in the “My Content” area in Blackboard (accessed by using the “Content Collection” tab). By the time students near the end of the M.L.I.S. program, their “My Content” area in Blackboard will contain a variety of work samples. Students will select one example corresponding to each of the five areas outlined above to highlight his/her best work.

End-of-Program Professional Portfolio Content

The end-of-program portfolio should have eight menu items:

(1.) Welcome or Introduction
(2.) Résumé
(3.) Reflective essay
(4-8.) Five work samples (one corresponding to each of the five areas).

The Welcome or Introduction Page welcomes visitors to the end-of-program portfolio. It provides an overview of the content and how to navigate the portfolio. A photograph is also a desirable part of the introduction and should be a head shot or a photograph taken in a professional setting.

2. Résumé

The résumé is a brief overview of professional work experience and educational background. It should include memberships in professional organizations, any professional presentations or publications, and any honors or awards.

3. Reflective Essay: Description, Analysis, and Reflection

The reflective essay is an important part of the end-of-program portfolio. It allows students to highlight the knowledge they have acquired throughout the M.L.I.S. program, to demonstrate professional growth, and to consider how their learning experience will impact their professional practice. Reflective writing is a three step process that includes (1) description, (2) analysis, and (3) reflection. As students select their best work sample for each of the five areas, they should address the following components:

Description (Step One): Description is an overview of the example. It should include an explanation of how the work sample relates to the particular area it addresses and why it was chosen for inclusion in the portfolio. It sets the stage, explains the purpose, and tells “what, when, and who.” It answers the question, “What did I do and why?”

Analysis (Step Two): Analysis is the process of evaluation after the fact that looks at successes and failures, what was accomplished, what worked well and what didn't work well, and the results of planned programs, lessons, collaborations, research, or other activities. What were the results? What did you learn from this experience? It answers the question, “What happened and why?”

Reflection (Step Three): Reflection follows analysis. It is the critical thinking that fosters professional growth and knowledge-building. Reflection is an opportunity to contemplate how to plan and implement activities in the future – the same way, differently or not at all. “Reflection is the ongoing process of thoughtfully considering our practice in the context of personal and professional knowledge, assumptions, and beliefs, with the aim of achieving insights that lead to professional growth” (Heath 39). Information learned from step 1 and step 2 informs and improves future practices. The goal of reflection is professional growth that results in improved professional practice. It answers the question, “What will I do to improve my future practice?”

4-8 Work Samples Documenting Learning Outcomes

Documentation of competency in the five areas is the core of the end-of-program portfolio. Students will choose an example of their best work for each of the five areas. Work samples may include, but are not limited to, research papers, projects, and posters; professional briefs; and recorded presentations.

Portfolio Submission Schedule

Schedule of Workshops

(Workshop dates TBA each semester)