Practicum information for host organizations

Information on this page:

About the practicum experience

The goal of the practicum at the Faculty of Information is to provide students with hands-on experience to supplement their theoretical knowledge, and to help them develop professional competencies.

All practicum courses are open to students in their second year of studies at the iSchool. Students participating in the practicum will have completed, or will be in the process of completing, all core and required courses for the Master of Information (MI) degree.

As a supervisor, you will have an opportunity to enhance your management skills and become a mentor to a future colleague. By participating in the educational process, you are contributing to the growth of the information profession.

The main steps for host organizations are:

  1. Host submits a project proposal by the deadline date
  2. Course instructor informs the host whether a student has chosen their project or not
  3. Student writes and submits a work plan to the instructor and host
  4. Student attends classes and works on the project at the host's office
  5. Student submits a final report by the end of the course
  6. Host submits the student evaluation form by the end of the course
  7. For INF2158H course, students present their practicum work at an exhibition to which all hosts are invited to attend

2011/2012 Fall and Winter term schedules:

  • Fall term: September 12–December 9, 2011
  • Winter term: January 9–April 13, 2012
  • Summer term: May 7–June 22, 2012
     

Practicum courses for MI students

INF2173H Information Professional Practicum

INF2158H Management of Corporate and Other Special Information Centres

  • Offered in Winter 2012 term
  • Students will commit 45 unpaid hours to your workplace and project
  • This course is designed for those students interested in working in or learning about special libraries and information centres in a private, public, government or academic setting
  • There is required class time for this course
  • At the end of this course, students will participate in a trade show of displays featuring their practicum work, which will be held in early April, 2012
     

Host organization requirements

Supervisors

  • Supervisors must be professionals in their fields
  • For placements involving library and/or archival work, supervisors must be graduates of appropriate programs at the masters level: Master of Library Science, Master of Information, etc.
  • Upon the completion of the project, the supervisors will be asked to provide an overall evaluation of the student's work
  • The instructor of the course will provide ongoing support to you and the student as needed

On-site work

  • It is anticipated that all practicum hours, or the majority of the hours, will be conducted on-site to enable the student to gain some exposure both to the culture of your institution and to the values of the information profession
  • In order to help students develop an understanding of the culture of information organizations, students should receive an orientation to all aspects of your institution’s services and responsibilities
  • Desk space must be available for students to do their placements, as well as appropriate equipment, software, and access to other necessary tools
  • Placements should allow students to experience the organizational culture as much as possible by involving students in day-to-day tasks such as meetings, in addition to their specific projects

Projects

  • Project description should offer enough information about the required skills and expected outcomes, in order for students to choose the project that fits their needs and skills
  • Based on the project description and outcomes, each student will be required to create a work plan for the project in the first few of weeks of the course
  • All placements must be completed within the time frame and the requested number of hours in which the course is offered
  • Placements in other subjects or fields are subject to approval by the Faculty

Additional information

  • There is no direct cost to the hosting organizations.
  • Instructors will contact you should your placement not be selected. Please note that it may take up to three (3) weeks at the beginning of the term for this to happen, as placement selection may not be final until then.
     

How to submit a proposal

Deadline dates

The deadline dates to submit proposals for each term are:

  • For the Fall term (INF2173H): Friday, August 19, 2011
  • For the Winter term (INF2173H and INF2158H): Thursday, December 1, 2011
  • For the Summer term (INF2173H): Friday, April 6, 2012

Proposal form

  • Please fill out the MI Practicum 2011-12 proposal form to submit your proposal, then save the document and send it as an attachment via email to: isidora [dot] petrovicatutoronto [dot] ca (subject: Practicum)
  • Please re-submit those proposals not selected in previous sessions

Thank you for being instrumental in helping students gain some practical experience before they graduate! If you know of other information professionals who may be interested in participating, please feel free to forward this web page to them.

For more information, please contact:

Isidora Petrovic
Careers Officer, Faculty of Information
Telephone: 416-978-3282
Fax: 416-978-5769
Email: isidora [dot] petrovicatutoronto [dot] ca (subject: Practicum)