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Serving Distant Learning Business Programs and
Students, RUSA/BRASS, ALA Atlanta, June 15,
2002Marilyn Hankel, Associate Dean of Library
ServicesUniversity of New Orleansmhankel_at_uno.edu

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INTRODUCTION

• BRASS Distance Education Guidelines Committee
  Survey Overview
• Jamaica Executive MBA Program of the University
  of New Orleans

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OVERVIEW OF SURVEY

• Definition of Distance Education - ACRLs
  Guidelines for Distance Learning Library
  Services, www.ala.org/acrl/guides/distlrng.html
• Based on survey results, decided there is NO need
  for separate guidelines for business distance
  education, but we developed a checklist.
• Details can be found in article written by the
  BRASS DEG Committee in the Winter 2001 issue of
  Reference User Services Quarterly, pp. 145-158.

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SUMMARY POINTS FROM SURVEY

• MBA most common program
• Geographic locations - most in state, then
  out-of-state, in same city, another country
• Methods of delivery - traditional format of
  instructors and students in room away from home
  institution, then web-based tutorial,
  correspondence, broadcast television, and video.

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SUMMARY POINTS (cont.)

• Services - circulation, reserve, ILL, document
  delivery, database access, email reference,
  online chat, instructional services
• Coordinator - distance education librarian,
  business librarian, both, or no one
• Challenge to get print-based information to
  distant students
• Globalization is having a big impact

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JAMAICA EXECUTIVE MBA (JEMBA) - UNO

• 18-month program began in 1997 in Kingston,
  Jamaica and continues today
• Classes held in hotel conference room
• UNO business faculty fly to Kingston on weekends
  to teach classes
• Classes held every other weekend
• UNO established an office in Kingston
• Students get laptops internet service

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ACCREDITATION - SACS (Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools)

• What arrangements have been made for ensuring
  that students have access to appropriate
  resources?
• Are students making use of these resources?
• Are these resources made available through
  technological means?
• Are the resources adequate to support the program?

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SACS (cont.)

• Has the institution provided reasonable financial
  support for the learning resources and services
  to support these activities?
• Are students in the distant learning activity
  adequately informed about available resources and
  how to access?
• Is training available for accessing resources?
• SACS web address - www.sacscoc.org

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CHALLENGES TO MEETING SACS REQUIREMENTS

• Technical issues with providing database access
  and document delivery from the home campus
• Problems finding reliable Internet Service
  Provider in Jamaica initially
• Contracting with local institutions for library
  services explored

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UNO LIBRARY SERVICES PRIOR TO SACS VISIT, 1999

• Circulation of books - business faculty carried
  them down with them
• Email reference, ILL, document delivery
• Instruction - printed handouts about library
  services as well as sending information by email
  to registered students
• Coordinator of JEMBA program provided some
  limited library instruction after working with
  the library before going to Jamaica

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SACS RECOMMENDATIONS AFTER VISIT, 1999

• UNO must provide JEMBA students with life-long
  learning opportunities in information access
• Recommends that librarians work cooperatively
  with business faculty in assisting students to
  use library resources
• Suggests that a full-time librarian teach
  electronic library skills

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FIRST TRIP TO JAMAICA, JULY 2000

• Library presentation scheduled during general
  orientation session for new JEMBA students
• UNOs College of Business made all the travel
  arrangements and paid for my travel expenses
• Prepared a PowerPoint presentation
• Also planned for live Internet demonstration
• Visited UNO JEMBA office, and they provided me
  with a laptop and technical assistance

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ACCREDITATION - AACSB

• Accreditation visit in November 2000 for the
  College of Business, and no questions about the
  JEMBA program and library services
• Although supplied statistics on library
  resources, only interested in usage
• AACSB web site -www.aacsb.edu/accreditation

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SECOND TRIP TO JAMAICA, JULY 2001

• Presentation again scheduled during general
  orientation session
• Prepared a JEMBA web page that provided easier
  access to all of the library services and
  resources rather than just going through the main
  UNO Library web page

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SERVICES USED

• We know that some business faculty have brought
  library books to JEMBA students when they go down
  for classes
• We get quite a few emails from the JEMBA students
  with reference questions and with access
  questions
• Little ILL or document delivery requests probably
  because they dont plan ahead

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CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE ACTIONS

• The JEMBA program has resulted in better working
  relationships with the UNO EMBA faculty and staff
  involved including those on the main campus and
  in Jamaica
• Need to do assessment of the effectiveness of the
  library instruction and all of the librarys
  resources and services for the JEMBA students
• Requires regular communication with JEMBA
  students and staff when things change