The Faculty of Information Alumni Association (FIAA) is an organization comprising more than 5,000 graduates of the Faculty of Information and its predecessors. Primarily, our association represents the alumni and communicates alumni concerns to the Faculty.  Although the FIAA will become very important to you when you graduate, there are some terrific programs that you’ll want to take advantage of during your time here. Your Alumni Association Representative on the MI Student Council (MISC) is Margaret Lam who will help with promoting FIAA events relevant to current students as they come up at the Faculty of Information.

Some of these programs are as follows: 

Job Shadowing Program - allows students to observe a working day in the life of an information professional. Sponsored by FIAA, the annual Job Shadowing Program takes iSchool students into libraries, archives and information systems-related workplaces for a half-day or a day to observe the life of an information professional at work.  In 2008, we had 85 host institutions offering almost 200 shadowing opportunities! Students review the available job shadowing opportunities in late January and make their selection by the February break.  If you have any questions about this program, please contact jobshadowing@ischool.utoronto.ca

Conference grants - FIAA offers grants to Masters students who have been asked to attend conferences in order to: present a paper or poster session; participate as a  speaker or panellist. Grants are to be used to subsidize the travel costs to attend the conference. Up to ten grants may be awarded each year (5 in the fall semester, 5 in spring). A student may receive only one grant during their Masters programme. Application forms should be available on the iSchool website or from alumni@ischool.utoronto.ca.

The Student Jubilee Award -  is offered every year by FIAA to a student in the MI program. It recognizes a significant all-around contribution to the life of the Faculty in such areas as student life, participation in the activities of the Student Council, Faculty Council and their committees or in the University as a whole. It also considers active participation in professional organizations, academic excellence and publishing. The winner of the award will receive a framed citation and a cheque for $500.00. If you would like to nominate a fellow student for consideration, please fill in the form from alumni@ischool.utoronto.ca  before 5:00 p.m. on March 31, 2010.

Ask An Alum program is where you can contact an alumni to get advice on career direction, types of information organizations, and questions about the profession.