Handbook of the Information Science

Doctoral Program
Department of Information Science

Graduate School of Education

University at Buffalo
State University of New York

2022–2023

While this handbook has been developed to assist you throughout this academic program, it does not
constitute the whole of UB or GSE policies concerning students. It is the student’s responsibility to be
aware of and comply with all policies, procedures and deadlines.
 Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 3
Overview of Graduate Program..................................................................................................... 4
Department Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................... 4
Faculty Members ....................................................................................................................... 4
Department Student Organizations .......................................................................................... 6
Alumni Association .................................................................................................................... 7
Professional Associations .......................................................................................................... 7
The Doctoral (PhD) Degree ........................................................................................................... 9
General Introduction and Information ..................................................................................... 9
IS PhD Program Academic Regulations.................................................................................... 9
Overview................................................................................................................................. 9
Planning the Student’s Program ............................................................................................ 9
Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) ............................................................................. 10
Program Requirements........................................................................................................ 12
Individual Study Courses (Practicum, Directed Study, Thesis).......................................... 13
Qualification and Dissertation............................................................................................. 14
Course Work ........................................................................................................................ 15
Student Status in the Program ............................................................................................ 15
Academic Integrity ............................................................................................................... 18
Research Opportunities & Internships ................................................................................... 19
International Students Information .......................................................................................... 20
Campus Resources and Services ................................................................................................ 20
University Policy and Procedures ............................................................................................... 21

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 Introduction

The Graduate School of Education and the Department of Information Science supports and
are committed to creating an inclusive learning environment where diverse perspectives are
recognized, respected, and seen as a source of strength. Further, we wish to affirm our
commitment to creating and maintaining a positive, welcoming, and inclusive environment that
embraces diversity and strives to eliminate barriers to access, advancement, and full
participation on the basis of race, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or
veteran status for student, faculty, and staff.

Established in 1966, the Department of Information Science programs invite learners to explore
the nature of information and its use, the conceptual foundations of information organization,
the information needs of diverse people in a range of contexts, sources of information to meet
these requirements, and the cutting edge technology to store and retrieve information, all in the
context of the traditional values of librarianship, including intellectual freedom and equity of
information access.

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Overview of Graduate Program

Department Acronyms and Abbreviations

- IS: Information Science
- GSE: Graduate School of Education

Faculty Members

Samuel Abramovich (PhD, University of Pittsburgh), Associate Professor

Abramovich’s research includes finding and understanding the learning opportunities
presented by the intersection of the learning sciences and emerging technology, especially
assessment for learning. This includes research on micro-credentials and digital badges, online
rating systems, makerspaces and open education resources — all to help guide education
improvement and reform. He is the director of the Open Education Research Lab, whose
mission is to create a better understanding and improvement of open education in all its forms.

Dan Albertson (PhD, Indiana University); Department Chair and Professor

Albertson studies and writes about interactive information retrieval (IIR), with specific
interests intersecting areas of interface design, human-centered computing and information
management. A considerable amount of his work focuses specifically on visual and video
information retrieval, including the users, information needs and tasks, and designs of retrieval
systems. Albertson also engages rural and other disadvantaged communities in order to help
find solutions for digital information sharing, access and learning.

Samuel Dodson (PhD, University of British Columbia); Assistant Professor

Dodson specializes in human-computer interaction and information retrieval to study how
individuals learn and collaborate in online information environments. In his work so far, he has
enjoyed investigating a range of issues in these areas, from the ethics of search engines to the
information practices of engineers. His research focuses on the implications of how people
make sense of information, as well as the design of systems that support learners’ needs and
potential.

Africa Hands (PhD, Queensland University, Brisbane, Australia); Assistant Professor

Hand’s research centers on higher education and information access. Her current research
agenda examines public libraries as an information resource to college bound patrons based on
experiences working in both higher education (admissions and academic advising) and public
libraries. Her work also explores the experiences of first-generation students - both as users of
academic libraries and students and professionals in the LIS field.

Heidi Julien (PhD, University of Western Ontario); Professor

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Julien’s research focuses on information behavior and digital/information literacy. She has also
conducted research on acceptance of altmetrics in the discipline of information science, and
multiple analyses of methodological practices in information behavior research. Her work in
digital literacy has focused on examining students’ experiences of information literacy,
librarians’ experiences of the instructional role, and information literacy instruction practices
in academic and public libraries in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. Her work in
information behavior focuses on daily life contexts and on people’s affective experiences.

Valerie Nesset (PhD, McGill University); Associate Professor

Nesset’s research broadly investigates information behavior, in the intersection between
information-seeking behavior and information literacy, specifically with elementary school
students. Using empirical evidence attained through her work with young students and
teachers, she has designed a visual process model – Beginning, Acting, Telling (BAT) — for
teaching information literacy knowledge and skills in the classroom. Nesset also explores the
use of participatory design methods to foster meaningful interaction and communication
between two disparate groups — currently, university faculty members and IT professionals. As
the inaugural UBIT Faculty Fellow, she developed and initiated the ongoing UB Faculty IT
Liaison Program to generate opportunities for faculty and IT professionals to meaningfully
interact and share knowledge to better understand and align IT services with faculty needs, and
is investigating ways to apply the methods in other contexts

Dagobert Soergel (PhD, University of Frieburg, Germany); Professor

Soergel makes scholarly contributions in many areas within and outside of information science,
emphasizing connection in a wide field of ideas, including knowledge organization, relevance,
sensemaking, learning, problem solving and IT support for new ways of learning and
assessment. For the coming years, he will focus on contributions of knowledge organization
supported by information technology, to the transformation of learning and education.

Ying Sun (PhD, Rutgers University); Associate Professor

Sun’s research spans several related fields, including information seeking, information retrieval
and data mining. Her work in information seeking and information retrieval focuses on
developing information systems to support task-specific and data-intensive information
applications, such as legal e-discovery, intelligence analysis and medical information retrieval.
Her work in data mining has focused on scientific information presentation in public media,
automatic scoring system for STEM education and academic information on the web. She has
also conducted research on systematic evaluation of interactive information systems.

Amy VanScoy (PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill); Associate Professor
VanScoy studies the professional thinking of information professionals and how professionals’
use of formal and informal theory affects practice. She is interested in how practice is affected
by professionals’ beliefs, values and attitudes and by their conceptualizations of their work.
Using primarily qualitative methods, Dr. VanScoy investigates professional thinking in both
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national and international contexts. Her interest in diversity and inclusion inspired her to
explore the topic within the context of racial and ethnic identity, as well, leading to a research
paper award and a research grant sponsored by divisions of the American Library Association.
VanScoy is interested in improving research and its application to practice. In addition to
methodological papers and presentations, she investigates how various research methods are
used to study practice.

Jianqiang Wang (PhD, University of Maryland); Associate Professor

Wang's research focuses on information retrieval in a multilingual and multimodal
environment. He is particularly interested in developing retrieval models and techniques and
evaluating them to support users’ access to digital information. He has done extensive research
in several areas, including cross-language information retrieval, spoken document retrieval and
e-discovery. Recently, he has extended his work to the study of short text conversation in open
social media domains.

Brenda Battleson White (PhD, University at Buffalo); Clinical Associate Professor

White teaches a range of courses, and serves as the Portfolio Manager for the MS in Information
and Library Science program. She is also the program coordinator for the Undergraduate Minor
in Information Studies.

Department Student Organizations

IS’s Graduate Student Association (IS GSA)

The primary purpose of the Department of Information Science Graduate Student Association
(IS GSA) is to:
1. Advocate IS student interests to the IS Department, Graduate School of Education, GSA
Senate, and ad-hoc University committees to voice students' questions, comments, and
concerns on Departmental and University operations.
2. Provide funding for student events, Department events, and conference reimbursement.
Conference reimbursement is a mechanism to allow students to gain valuable conference
experience without burdening the entire cost.
3. Host social events for its members, either through their own initiative or by supporting
other organizations within the field of library science. This is achieved through parties,
service activities and other sponsored events which provide the chance to network with
those who will be their professional peers.

IS GSA homepage: https://ubwp.buffalo.edu/IS

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Alumni Association
Alumni of the GSE are automatically lifetime members of the GSEAA (Graduate School of
Education Alumni Association). As President John McKenna (EdD ’08, Educational
Administration) writes, “Whether you graduate this year or your commencement was 10 years
ago, we know that today’s professional market is difficult to navigate. It is during times like
these that we, the Graduate School of Education alumni, can turn to one another for support.”
The Department of Information Science engages regularly with IS alumni, hosting alumni
events, and sharing news online through the IS alumni listserv, IS Facebook and LinkedIn
pages, and the annual Department of Information Science newsletter, The Informed.

Professional Associations
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is the major governing organization in the United
States for library professionals. Their mission is:
“To provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library
and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance
learning and ensure access to information for all.”

The UB-ALA Student Chapter adapts the parent association’s mission while also adding several
other focuses. Predominantly, the student-run chapter plans and organizes events while
providing opportunities for professional development, advocacy, and community service.
Essentially, the chapter works to supplement the IS student’s academic experience with
professional development tools and information. This includes the opportunity to join other
library based organizations as well as to apply for scholarships, grants, or participate in
interesting seminars.

https://ubstudentala.wordpress.com
https://www.ala.org

For more information, contact Dr. Brenda Battleson White ([email protected]).

Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE)

The The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) is the global leader
in education for the information professions. ALISE promotes innovative, high-quality
education for the information professions internationally through engagement, advocacy and
research.

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ALISE is a non-profit organization that serves as the intellectual home of faculty, staff, and
students in library and information science, and allied disciplines. They promote innovation
and excellence internationally through leadership, collaboration, advocacy, and dissemination
of scholarship.

https://www.alise.org

For more information, contact Dr. Heidi Julien ([email protected])

Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)

The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) is the only professional
association that bridges the gap between information science practice and research. For nearly
80 years, ASIS&T has been leading the search for new and better theories, techniques, and
technologies to improve access to information.

Thousands of researchers, developers, practitioners, students, and professors in the field of

information science and technology from 50 countries around the world have made ASIS&T an
important part of their professional development.

Members share a common interest in improving the ways society stores, retrieves, analyzes,
manages, archives and disseminates information.

https://www.asist.org/

For more information, contact Dr. Dan Albertson ([email protected]).

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The Doctoral (PhD) Degree

General Introduction and Information

IS has one doctoral program:

PhD in Information Science: Our doctoral program in information science is an online

program for students who hold a master’s degree in information science, librarianship,
communications, or other cognate disciplines, who seek advanced study in this specialized field.
Our asynchronous, online program has an annual residency week on campus. The program
increases access to doctoral level education for those unable to suspend employment to attend
an on-campus program.

IS PhD Program Academic Regulations

Overview
These are the current academic policies and regulations of the Department of Information
Science (IS) PhD Program as approved by the IS Faculty. The IS Faculty has charged the
Admissions and Academic Standards Committee with carrying out the academic policies of the
Department and applying these regulations.

Students may appeal any decision related to academic regulations to the Admissions and
Academic Standards Committee. If the initial decision is upheld, the student may then appeal
to the IS Chair. The student may file further appeals following GSE and UB
(https://grad.buffalo.edu/succeed/current-students/policy-library.html) procedures.

Planning the Student’s Program

Advisement
New students are assigned a faculty advisor by the doctoral program coordinator. Advisors will
be assigned based on student and faculty interests and faculty availability. Dissertation
committee chairs for students seeking the PhD degree must be members of the Graduate School
faculty.

Students will consult with their academic advisors for guidance related to their program of
study, course selection, and all other academic matters. If the student's faculty advisor is not
available, the Chair or Chair’s designee will act as faculty advisor.

Students may change their advisor during their program by submitting the Change of Advisor
form. Faculty who have served as a student's advisor but believe that they should withdraw from
the advisory relationship are expected to communicate their reasons to the Chair in a letter with
copies going to the student and the student's file.
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For all non-academic questions, such as fee waivers, financial aid, and housing, students should
first consult with UB 1Capen (https://1capen.buffalo.edu/).

Plan of Study
Each student must, in the first semester, develop a Plan of Study with their faculty advisor. This
plan of study should be guided by the program objectives, the student's own learning objectives,
and the anticipated course rotation. In general, the student can register only for courses listed
in their most recent plan. Exceptions are made to accommodate contingencies at registration.

During a student’s last semester of coursework, they must work with their advisor to complete
the Dissertation Checklist and Timeline. The Checklist will replace the Plan of Study as the basis
for evaluation of the annual reviews. The student and advisor should meet regularly to review
and update the Checklist.

Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA)

Grade Point Average (GPA) computation
Only letter grades of A,” “A-,” “B+,” “B,” “B-,” “C+,” “C,” “C-,” “D,” and “F” received in UB
courses are considered in computing the GPA.

UB policy provides for two GPAs: UB GPA and Overall GPA, which are computed by different
rules. The student's status in the program and eligibility for graduation are determined based
on the PhD GPA.
• UB GPA. The UB GPA is computed based on the grades in all graduate courses taken
at UB. If a student repeats a course one or more times, all grades are used in computing
the UB GPA.

• Overall (PhD) GPA. The Overall GPA is computed based on: (1) courses taken at UB
while matriculated in the PhD program and taken with intent to apply the course to the
PhD (all IS courses and outside courses included in the student's plan of study at the time
of registration) and, (2) Transferred courses. If a student repeats a course one or more
times, only the best grade is used in computing the GPA.

Letter grades (weighted grades)

UB assigns quality points to grades as follows: A (4.0), A- (3.67), B+ (3.33), B (3.0), B- (2.67),
C+ (2.33), C (2.0), C- (1.67), D (1.0), and F (0.0).

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Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Grades of S/U are not included in grade point average but are used to evaluate the student's
academic progress, with a grade of S considered equivalent to B (3.0) and a U that is directly
assigned by the instructor (as opposed to a U resulting from an I/U) equivalent to F.

Incomplete (I/U)
An incomplete grade (I/U) will be given upon agreement between the student and instructor.
Incomplete (I/U) grades may be given only when the student is unable to complete assigned
required course work due to illness or other unforeseeable and compelling circumstances but
work the student has completed indicates that the student is on his or her way to a passing grade
(at least B(3.0) for a core course and C (2.0) for an elective course). Students must fill out a
“Request for Grade of Incomplete” form – a contractual agreement between student and
instructor outlining the conditions and deadlines for removing the incomplete grade. The
instructor, at his/her sole discretion, may approve the request and defer giving the final grade
or disapprove the request and submit a grade; the student may appeal the grade (see
https://grad.buffalo.edu/succeed/current-students/policy-library.html Grade). An “I/U” is
not calculated into a student's GPA. Students who accumulate 9 or more credit hours of
outstanding Incompletes will be placed on academic probation. According to UB policy, if an
instructor does not change the incomplete grade to a regular letter grade by the agreed-upon
deadline, the grade automatically becomes a “U” (Unsatisfactory) after one year. A course with
a U grade resulting from an I/U is treated as if it was never taken.

Non-IS Credits Applied to the PhD Degree

All non-IS courses must be approved by the academic advisor.

Transfer Courses
Each incoming student is required to have completed a master degree program in Information
Science or a related field, 30-36 credit hours of which are expected to be transferred toward
the PhD program. The student and the academic advisor shall work together to identify
courses to be transferred. The student needs to fill in Graduate School petition form for (a)
any credits over 10 years old at the student’s admission and (b) for all non-UB transfer credits.

Transfer of a course is by no means automatic; it must be recommended by the student’s

advisor and approved by the Doctoral Program Director and the Graduate School. The
possibility of transfer courses should be discussed between student and advisor by the end of
his or her first semester. In order to transfer credits, the student must submit to his or her
faculty advisor a Request for Transfer of Credit form
(https://ed.buffalo.edu/content/dam/ed/main/docs/current-students/forms-
checklists/TransferofCredit.pdf) and official transcript(s). The faculty advisor will forward
these documents with a recommendation to the Doctoral Program Director, who will forward
them to the Graduate School for a final decision.
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Courses shared with another UB graduate degree (limit 6 credits)
Up to six credits earned while matriculated in the PhD program may be shared with other UB
degrees (10% of the sum of the credits needed for both programs)
(https://www.buffalo.edu/grad/succeed/current-students/policy-library.degree-
requirements.html - General Graduate Degree Requirements). These credits may be any
combination of IS credits applied to the other degree or other degree credits applied to the
PhD. Shared courses must be approved by the "receiving" program. The programs involved
will communicate as needed to make sure that the total of shared credits does not exceed the
maximum. Non-IS shared credits taken before matriculating into the PhD program are
considered transfer credits but non-IS shared credits taken while matriculated in the PhD
program are not transfer credits.

Program Requirements
Credit-hours required for the degree
The PhD degree requires 72 credits completed with a grade of B or better or with a grade of S.
To count towards the degree, a course must have been taken with intent to apply to the PhD (all
IS courses and outside courses included in the student's plan of study at the time of registration
as well as transfer courses). Courses with grades other than A, B, or S do not count toward the
72 credits. If such courses were taken with intent to apply to the PhD, they are included in the
computation of the PhD GPA. All such courses are included in the computation of the UB GPA.
See Grades and Grades and Grade Point Average, (p. 3) for information on the UB grading
system and definition of UB GPA and PhD GPA.

Students may transfer 30-36 credits from a master's degree in information science,
information studies, librarianship, or a cognate discipline. Transfer of credits from a degree
that is more than 10 years old requires approval from the Graduate School.

Grade requirements for graduation

A 3.0 or better PhD cumulative Grade Point Average (PhD GPA) is required for graduation (See
Grades and Grades and Grade Point Average).

Course load

During the coursework period, students carrying 12 credit hours (9 credit hours for Graduate
Assistants) in a semester are considered full-time. A student may take no more than 12 credit
hours a semester, 8 credit hours in any single 6-week summer session or 12 credit hours in the
entire summer. Students working full-time on a doctoral practicum, preparation for a doctoral
qualifying exam, doctoral research, or dissertation writing must be registered for at least one
credit to be certified as full-time.

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Seven-year time limit
All coursework within the program must be completed within seven years or 14 semesters from
the beginning of the student's first semester in the program. A student may petition for an
extension of the time limit.

Required courses for graduation

For the PhD in Information Science the following core courses are required:
LIS 601 Qualitative Methods in Information Studies
LIS 602 Quantitative Methods in Information Studies
LIS 603 Theoretical Foundations of Information Studies
LIS 604 Statistics I
LIS 605 Statistics II

To fulfill the PhD requirements, a student must complete all required core courses successfully.
Successful completion of a required core course is defined as completion with a grade of B (3.0)
or better.

Waiver of a required course

If the student has knowledge and skills that fulfill the objectives of a required course; the
course may be waived. The student must discuss the possibility of a waiver with their advisor
and submit a waiver request (https://ed.buffalo.edu/content/dam/ed/main/docs/current-
students/forms-checklists/LISPetitionCourseWaiver_2014May.pdf) with supporting
documentation to the lead faculty for the course soon after admission, no later than two weeks
before the start of the student's first semester or immediately after admission. An examination
may be required before a decision is made. The lead faculty will communicate his or her
decision to the student in writing (print or email) with copy to the IS office. The decision
document will be placed in the student's file. A course waiver does not imply credit for the
course (exception being transfer credit courses).

Individual Study Courses (Practicum, Directed Study, Thesis)

Independent Study (LIS 611)
An independent study is a 3 credit elective. The course allows exploration of a topic for which
no IS course is available or for the pursuit of research.

To register for IS 611, students must find a faculty supervisor. The form to be submitted includes
the title of the directed study and an abstract.

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To register for LIS 611 the student must submit the appropriate form (see
https://ed.buffalo.edu/current-students/is-students/forms.html) to the IS office with all
applicable signatures.

Qualification and Dissertation

Qualifying Requirements:
The student will assemble a committee conforming to UB graduate guidelines in place with
the additional requirements listed below and then decide on a research topic and produce a
dissertation prospectus (short research proposal) on a specific topic of specialization. This will
serve as a pre-proposal for the dissertation. This requirement must usually be met no later
than the end of the fourth semester in the program for full-time students and no later than the
end of the ninth semester for part-time students. Students will earn 3 credits for producing
the short research proposal.

Qualification Process:

1. Complete all core (required) courses in the program.

2. Decide on a research topic in consultation with advisor.
3. Produce a short research proposal (dissertation prospectus) that articulates the
research questions to be pursued in the dissertation, includes a short literature review,
outlines one or more possible theoretical frameworks that will inform the research, and
summarizes the methods expected to be applied. This research proposal is expected to
be approximately 20 pages in length.
4. Select advisor and dissertation Committee. The Committee composition must be
approved by the Director of the PhD program. The Committee may include up to one
external member.
5. Pass an oral examination on background knowledge required to conduct the research
outlined in the research proposal. The Committee will provide a written list of topics to
be covered in the examination. This requirement must usually be met no later than the
end of the fourth semester in the program (for full-time students) and the ninth
semester for part-time students. The PhD program Director may grant an additional
year. The examination may be retaken once within 12 months. Upon successful
completion of the oral examination, the student may file for candidacy.

Dissertation
In 12-18 dissertation credits, the final dissertation proposal must be produced and approved
by the Committee, the dissertation data must be collected and analyzed, and the dissertation
must be produced.

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The final proposal will be a refinement and expansion of the dissertation prospectus, and will
include a fully articulated set of research questions, literature review, theoretical frameworks,
and detailed methods section. This final dissertation proposal must be completed by the end
of the sixth semester in the program (for full time students) and the eleventh semester (for
part time students).

When complete, the candidate will defend the full publication–ready dissertation at a public
defense that will include an oral examination by the PhD Committee. The public defense will
be held online via video conference; it may also be held in a hybrid mode (with some attendees
online and some in person) at the agreement of the Committee and the candidate.

The dissertation will be an original contribution to the field of Information Science as

determined by the PhD candidate’s dissertation committee. In addition to ensuring the
originality of the work, the dissertation committee will ensure that the cannons of
organization, presentation, and documentation usually prescribed for publications in the field
of Information Studies are followed. Likewise, the candidate and the committee will certify
that the dissertation is substantially free of errors and ready for publication upon submission
to the Graduate School.

Course Work

Time on task
As a general rule, time on task per credit hour, including class time and out-of-class readings
and assignments, is 3-4 hours per week for 15 weeks, or 45-60 hours total. For a 3-credit course
this means 9-12 hours per week, so a course load of 4 courses per semester corresponds to a
demanding full-time job.

Repeating courses
A student may repeat a course only once (for a total of two attempts). A student may want to
repeat a course in order to remove a grade below B (3.0) in a core course, a grade of
Unsatisfactory, or to improve their record. All course registrations will appear on the student's
transcript. The best grade in each course will be used for computing the MS GPA; all grades
will be used for the UB GPA.

Required core courses: Course resignations

Students may resign from required courses only once. Upon resignation, the student will be
placed on academic probation and the course must be taken in the next available semester of
registration.

Student Status in the Program

Good academic standing

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A student is in good academic standing if he or she:
• maintains a PhD GPA 3.0 or above (see Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA)
• has a grade of B (3.0) or better in each required core course taken
• has fewer than 9 credits of incomplete grades
• complies with UB regulations (https://www.buffalo.edu/studentlife/life-on-
campus/community/rules.html)
A student in Good Academic Standing is eligible to register for courses unless there are
problems with outstanding bills or other UB administrative requirements.
Note: A failing grade in an elective course does not make the student lose Good Academic
Standing as long as the student's UB GPA remains 3.0 or above.

Annual Review
Each student’s academic progress will be evaluated annually by the Director of the PhD
program, and, if appropriate, the student’s dissertation advisor. This annual review will occur by
mid-May, thereby permitting appropriate academic planning for the following semester, and
allowing for timely responses to inquiries about students in jeopardy of losing federal and/or
state financial aid.

Additionally, each PhD student’s academic progress will be reviewed after their first semester of
enrollment, in order to identify any academic problems early in the program. The Director of
the PhD program will be required to communicate the academic evaluation to the student in
writing.

These elements will be included in the Department’s annual evaluations:

1. Review of the student’s academic record, including:

- checking the overall GPA
- addressing any incomplete and/or resigned courses
- monitoring overall progress toward completing the coursework phase of the program
2. Checking on progress in completing or preparing for the preliminary or qualifying
exam(s) or paper(s).
3. Planning a timely defense of the dissertation research proposal or prospectus.
4. Monitoring adequate progress in research, including timeliness of degree completion.

If the student is not making adequate academic progres, his or her entire record will be reviewed
by the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee. The Committee will recommend to the
IS Chair one of two actions:

1. Place the student on academic probation.

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 2. Dismiss the student from the program

Students on academic probation will be reviewed at the end of each semester. At the time of
review, if a student meets all conditions of Good Academic Standing, the academic probation
will be lifted. Otherwise, the academic probation will remain. Students who repeatedly fail to
meet the conditions of good academic standing may be dismissed from the PhD program.

Continuous registration requirement

Graduate students must register (and pay all tuition and fees not covered by a tuition
scholarship) for a minimum of one credit hour each fall and spring term until all requirements
for the degree are completed. If continuous registration is impossible or inappropriate at any
time, students must secure a leave of absence from the department in which they are enrolled
and obtain approval from the GSE Graduate Degrees Committee. Students may not be on a
leave of absence during the semester in which a degree will be conferred.

Leave of absence
Students unable to enroll in any fall or spring semester must submit a Graduate Student Petition
Form (https://registrar.buffalo.edu/pdfs/gradleaveofAbsence.pdf) requesting a leave of
absence from UB, explaining reasons for the leave and expected date of return. All requests
must be made in advance and be supported with adequate documentation. The phrase
"personal reasons" alone is not sufficient explanation for requesting a leave. Valid reasons
include but are not limited to: health problems, caring for a family member, change in job
responsibilities, relocation. Leaves of absence do not extend the seven-year time limit for
completing the PhD degree.

Normally, leaves are granted for one semester with a maximum of one year, but it may be
possible to extend the leave if circumstances warrant.

The leave of absence petition requires the approval of the advisor, and the Department Chair.

Recipients of GEOP (Graduate Educational Opportunity Program) funding or of Schomburg or

Presidential Fellowships must submit a copy of the approved Leave of Absence to the Graduate
School, Office of Student Services.

Withdrawal from the program

Students can withdraw (resign) from the program by withdrawing from their current courses,
alerting current instructors, and alerting the IS office or Chair. A student wishing to re-enter
the program after withdrawing must re-apply.

Withdrawal from a course

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Students planning to withdraw from a course during a semester may do so through the HUB
registration portal. The Department asks that out of courtesy the student inform the course
instructor.

Dismissal from the program

A student may be dismissed from the program for any of the following reasons:

1. On the determination in a review of academic probation. Such dismissals are based on

recommendations from the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee to the IS
Chair. If the committee cannot meet in a timely fashion and action is deemed urgent, the
IS Chair may make the decision.
2. The student fails to meet the continuous registration requirement and has not been
granted a leave of absence.
3. The student does not fulfill the degree or certificate requirements within the time limit
considering any time limit extension(s) granted.
4. The student is convicted of a crime or his or her behavior disrupts course activities
and/or presents a danger to other students, faculty, or staff. In such cases, applicable
GSE and UB procedures will be followed.

After receipt of the dismissal letter, the student has two weeks to present to the chair of
Admissions and Academic Standards Committee and the IS Chair the reasons or extenuating
circumstances why he or she should not be dismissed. This may be done either in writing or in
person. The dismissal will then be reviewed.

Reinstatement to the PhD Program

Requests for reinstatement should be sent to the PhD Program Director. They will be reviewed
by the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee and in accordance with UB and GSE
policy.

Reapplication to the PhD Program

Students who have attended the program within the past 5 years and have withdrawn before
completion may request re-admittance (https://www.buffalo.edu/grad/succeed/current-
students/policy-library.html - Returning Student Semester Record Activation and Associated
Fee). If the student is accepted, the number of credits earned previously in the program that can
be applied to the new program will be determined on the merits of the individual case in
accordance with UB and GSE policy. Students who have not been registered in the program for
over 5 years must reapply through the GSE’s regular application process.

Academic Integrity

IS follows the UB policy on academic integrity.

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Academic integrity is a fundamental university value. Through the honest completion of
academic work, students sustain the integrity of the university while facilitating the university's
imperative for the transmission of knowledge and culture based upon the generation of new and
innovative ideas. See UB’s Office of Academic Integrity (https://www.buffalo.edu/academic-
integrity.html) for more information.

When an instance of suspected or alleged academic dishonesty by a student arises, it shall be

resolved according to the procedures set forth herein. These procedures assume that many
questions of academic dishonesty will be resolved through consultative resolution between the
student and the instructor.

It is recommended that the instructor and student each consult with the Department Chair,
School or College dean, or the Graduate School if there are any questions regarding these
procedures.

For the process see: https://www.buffalo.edu/grad/succeed/current-students/policy-

library.html - Academic Dismissal; Academic Integrity and Grievance Policies: Other Related
University Policies.

Research Opportunities & Internships

Open Education Research Lab: The University at Buffalo’s Open Education Research Lab’s core
mission is to actively engage and support the study of SUNY’s Open Education efforts. We
provide consultation and research to the plethora of SUNY Open Educational efforts, with the
aim of developing research that creates a better understanding and improvement of Open
Education.

Faculty Research Profiles: https://ed.buffalo.edu/information/research/centers.html

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International Students Information

Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

https://www.buffalo.edu/international-student-services.html

English Language Institute (ELI)

https://www.buffalo.edu/english-language-institute.html

Immigration and Visas

https://www.buffalo.edu/grad/succeed/start/immigration.html
https://www.buffalo.edu/grad/explore/funding/cost.html

Campus Resources and Services

a. UB Graduate School
https://www.buffalo.edu/grad

b. UB Libraries:
https://library.buffalo.edu

Molly Poremski, UB Librarian, for the Department of Information Science.

[email protected]

c. UB Information Technology:
https://www.buffalo.edu/ubit.html

d. UB Student Services – 1 Capen:

https://www.buffalo.edu/1capen.html

e. UB Office of Financial Aid:

https://financialaid.buffalo.edu/

f. UB Office of Student Accounts:

https://www.buffalo.edu/studentaccounts.html

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University Policy and Procedures

UB Graduate School Policy Library:

https://grad.buffalo.edu/succeed/current-students/policy-library.html

GSE Bylaws
https://ed.buffalo.edu/content/dam/ed/main/docs/policies/GSE-Bylaws-2021-02.pdf

The IS Department reserves the right to amend, alter, and update the policies, procedures, or
other information provided in this handbook as needed. Changes, revisions, and amendments
to the material in this handbook will be published on the IS Department website and in future
editions of the handbook.

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