Update on GSLIS Leadership: It has been my pleasure to serve as Chair of the GSLIS during this past semester. As you know, The GSLIS is considered a Department within the Social Science Division, one of four academic divisions at QC. In all departments at QC, the chair is elected by the department's faculty. In November 2012, I was elected by my colleagues to complete the remainder of a three year cycle already in progress. My term of office began on January 1, 2013 and will end on June 30, 2013. I did not choose to run for office past that day. It is with greater pleasure that I return to the teaching faculty at the GSLIS on July 1, 2013 and announce that Dr. Colleen Cool will begin a three term as Chair of the GSLIS starting on that day. Update on Accreditation: Today we were notified that the ALA President has appointed an Appeal Review Committee (ARC) which will consider our appeal of the April 13, 2013 ALA Committee for Accreditation vote to withdraw accreditation from our program leading to the degree of Master of Library Science at Queens College. A sample timeline of how such appeals progress may be found at: http://www.ala.org/accreditedprograms/standards/AP3/appealprocess/timeline Frequently Asked Questions: [All of the information provided here is from public and/or published sources or from QC official letters and announcements] When did the current GSLIS comprehensive review for accreditation by the ALA begin? The current review cycle began in 2009, when two GSLIS faculty members were appointed to lead the development of A "Program Presentation" which was written by the GSLIS faculty with the help of students and other stakeholders and submitted to the ALA Committee for Accreditation in late summer 2011. The Program Presentation and the Review were conducted using the Committee's Accreditation Process, Policies and Procedures (AP3), second edition. When did the External Review Panel (ERP) visit the GSLIS and did students meet with them? The ERP visited the GSLIS in October 2011. Students were invited to and attended public activities and were also invited to speak with the ERP members and did so. What was the result of the submission of the ERP visit and the "Program Presentation"? The accreditation decision was published in the Spring 2012 issue of ALA's publication Prism: the Office for Accreditation newsletter at http://www.ala.org/offices/sites/ala.org.offices/files/content/accreditation... It reads as follows: "Conditional accreditation status was granted to the following program:· Master of Library Science offered by Queens College, City University of New York. The next comprehensive review visit is scheduled to occur in 2014." When did this status change? On April 16, 2013, we received a letter from the ALA Committee for Accreditation stating that on April 13, 2013 they voted to withdraw accreditation. The Committee for Accreditation argued that we do not have a "comprehensive planning process." No further explanation of that statement has been given. They have found no problem with our courses, our curriculum or our assessment. What's next? An appeal has been filed by the QC Administration and we cannot comment on it at this time. The ALA is following its published timetable and an Appeal Review Committee has been appointed by the ALA President. A timeline "example" may be seen at http://www.ala.org/accreditedprograms/standards/AP3/appealprocess/timeline The administration of Queens College and the GSLIS faculty are understandably very concerned about this turn of events, and are working to gain reinstatement of accreditation for the program. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this difficult time, and by working together, we are confident that we can get you to your academic goal of a MLS from an ALA-accredited program. Lastly, I ask that you support the new GSLIS Chair to meet the challenges that face us going forward. Roberta Brody, PhD Professor Chair, Graduate School of Library and Information Studies Queens College, City University of New York 6530 Kissena Blvd. Queens, NY 11367 Roberta.Brody@QC.cuny.edu (work) bobbybrody@aol.com (home) 718 997-3790