Conditions and Process for Petitioning for a Waiver of INFM736
(MIM Team Experience Project)

A student can apply with a formal petition in the form of a letter to the Masters Committee for a waiver of INFM 736 based on recent experience working with a team in a work environment. Participating in a team project in an academic class, in a graduate assistant position, or an internship can not count for such experience. The work done with the team should be substantial enough to justify the waiving of the three-credit team work. As a benchmark, each student is expected to spend about 120-150 hours over three months for the team experience project. The experience must be documented by a description of the team's composition and task, the length of time the team existed, and the student's role within the team, as well as the outcome of the work done. The document must be signed by the team's supervisor or other individual in position to attest to the accuracy of the description. If approved, the student must take sufficient course credits to replace INFM 736. At the time of the petition, the student must declare the option that will serve in lieu of the team experience project. The option should be stated in the petition, and it should be approved by the student's advisor. There are three options that are currently accepted:

• Course option: Take sufficient course credits (3 credits) to replace the team experience;
• Field Study: A student can elect to engage in an extended field study of 160 hours (exact number to be determined) under the supervision of a qualified professional information manager. This work would be completed within the framework of an INFM Field Study course and would require class sessions and a final product in addition to the time spent in the field study site. The Field Study replaces INFM 736; INFM 737 would still be required;
• Individual Paper: A student can elect to write an individual paper in lieu of INFM 736 by enrolling in INFM 719 - Individual Study. The paper must be supervised by a college faculty member. The student must get faculty approval before enrolling in a section on INFM 719. The faculty supervisor will assist the student in defining the topic and scope of the paper and will assure that the paper is a significant contribution to the student's academic program and is worthy of three course credits. This option can be tied to the student's capstone project, so that the INFM 737 and INFM 719 will both focus on the same topic, in which case the total work on the paper must be worthy of six (3+3) course credits.

The petitions should be filed with the Student Affairs Office, following the rules and guidelines that apply to other course waiver petitions. Details about the petition filing procedure can be found in the iSchool Master's Student Handbook, or through contact with the Student Affairs Office.

Petition Checklist:

• Formal petition cover letter addressed to the Masters Committee,
• Description of the team project including:
  • team's composition and task,
  • the length of time the team existed,
  • the student's role within the team,
  • the outcome of the work done (achieved results, deliverables, etc.,)
• Signed affirmation by the team's supervisor or other individual in position to attest to the accuracy of the description,
• The option that the student wants to pursue in lieu of the team experience project.

Formal Waiver Process:

• Student files petition with the Student Affairs Office.
• Student Affairs Office records the petition, and forwards it to the Master's Committee.
• MIM Program Sub-committee reviews the petition, and recommends a decision on it to the Master's Committee.
• Master's Committee deliberates and makes a decision on the petition during its monthly meeting. The Master's Committee does not meet during off-semester months, including January, June, July, and August. Occasionally, the committee may have to skip a meeting due to lack of a quorum of members who are able to meet that month.
• Student Affairs Office records the decision, and communicates it to the student.