SLIS Student FAQs

Students may obtain their Simmons ID card from the Campus Card Office, located on the first floor in the Palace Road Building (Room P-107). SLIS West students will receive their cards during the LIS West Welcome Day, or they can contact Eric Poulin ([email protected]) to request a card.

For online information, visit Student Financial Services – Insurance. For in-person assistance, you can go to the Student Financial Services in the Main College Building. This applies to students on the Boston and SLIS West campuses.

Simmons University has its own Bookstore located on lower level off of the Fens Lobby in the Main College Building. Visit the Bookstore page for more information. SLIS West students are encouraged to communicate with their professors or the SLIS West office regarding textbook options.

Information about student parking can be found at Simmons Parking. To purchase a Mass Bay Transit Authority Pass (MBTA) through Simmons, visit Discount MBTA Passes. If you have purchased an MBTA Pass, you can pick it up at Student Financial Service in W-207, which is located in the West wing on the 2nd floor of the Main College Building (MCB).

Simmons, Boston, MA: SLIS courses are held throughout campus (please see the campus map). Prior to the start of each semester, room numbers are added to AARC and posted on bulletin boards in the Palace Road building (outside of P-111 and the one at the end of the hall near the SLIS Lounge). Course schedules with room numbers are also linked as pdf documents on the Academic Calendar. The abbreviations used for buildings on the Boston academic campus are:

• A: Main College Building—Center section
• B: Palace Road Building
• C: Helen G. Drinan Hall
• D: Living and Learning Center
• E: Lefavour Hall (the Beatley Library building)

Greenfield Community College: LIS courses are held in several buildings. Prior to the start of each semester, room numbers are communicated to registered students at least two weeks prior to the start of the term. The buildings are designated by their full names (“Library,” “Kendade,” etc.).

All LIS students are welcome to enroll in courses at either the Boston Campus or at LIS@SLIS West. You must arrange your own transportation and lodging, if necessary. For more information on traveling to a campus you do not normally attend, please see the Directions page.

Shuttle: Use MASCO shuttle to Ruggles Station, 6:00 p.m.-8:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Train and Bus Options: If you’d prefer not to drive into Boston, this page on commuter alternatives should help.

Escorts: Use the Safety Escort Program from the Main campus to the Residence campus, 4:00 p.m.-midnight. Call 617-521-1112, or pick up a campus phone and dial 1112.

Inclement Weather: Snow policy/cancellations will be announced on WBZ, WHDH, WRKO, WBCN-AM Radio; WBUR-FM Radio; WBZ-TV channel. You can also call the Simmons University Information Hotline at 617-521-3463. For more information, visit the Emergency Preparedness Planning page.

Lost and Found: Protect your belongings. If you lose something, check with the SLIS Student Services Center and the Public Safety Office.

Health Insurance

All students taking 9 or more credits on a Massachusetts-based campus are required by Massachusetts State law to enroll in the Student Health Insurance or be covered by a health insurance plan with comparable coverage. To ensure compliance with Massachusetts law, Simmons University students are automatically enrolled in and billed for the Student Health Plan, which is separate from the Health Center fee. Simmons University Health Insurance is not available to online students.

For more information on these regulations, please visit the website of the Massachusetts Health Connector. The Health Connector also provides information on insurance plans made available throughout the state.

For information on the Simmons University health insurance plan, provided by University Health Plans, visit Health Insurance While in School.

Health Center

The Simmons University Health Center provides some services to all students on a walk-in and by-appointment basis. The Health Center is “staffed by registered nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians. All physicians are Board Certified and have appointments at Harvard Medical School and at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.” If you have a dental problem, contact the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, located on 188 Longwood Avenue, 617-432-1434.

Athletics

For more information about Athletics at Simmons, visit the Athletics page. All current Simmons students are entitled to use fitness facilities, including the Holmes Sports Center facilities.

For directions for registering for your first semester of classes visit Registration for New Students.

While all students enter the LIS program with different talents, skills, and abilities, LIS instructors expect all students to possess a baseline of knowledge, skill, and familiarity with technology. Read about the SLIS Tech Competencies.

Students can add or drop classes by signing into WorkDay. Before doing so, visit Forms and Policies for the most up to date Add/Drop information. If you have trouble adding or dropping a class on WorkDay, please contact [email protected] and we will be happy to help you. Information on Simmons’ refund policy can be found at Student Financial Services – Refunds.

Boston Campus:
Katherine M. Wisser, MS Program Director
Office: C-330D
Phone: 617-521-2887
Email: [email protected]

SLIS West:
Eric T. Poulin
SLIS West Program Director
Phone: 413-533-2400
Email: [email protected]

Yes. Fill out a Change of Advisor form, available on the Forms and Policies page under the Advising/Program Planning Statement tab. Once completed, submit this form either to the SLIS Student Services Center in the SLIS Suite; via email to [email protected], via fax to 617-521-3762, or mail it to the SLIS in Boston  (300 The Fenway, Boston MA 02115).

If you are changing your academic program (for example: changing your concentration to or from the Self-Directed, Archives Management, Cultural Heritage Informatics, Information Science & Technology, Libraries & Librarianship, or School Library Teacher), you are also encouraged to change your advisor to a faculty member better suited to offer guidance in your new area of focus. Students moving into or out of the SLT concentration are required to change advisors.

For information on other policies and access to relevant forms, such as Name/Address/Phone Changes, Registration, and Leave of Absence refer to Forms and Policies.

To complete your Program Planning Statement, LIS students must do the following:

1. Speak with SLIS Advising. Call, email, or stop by their office to set up an appointment ([email protected]).
2. With SLIS Advising, you will complete a LIS Program Planning Statement.
3. All forms are submitted to the SLIS Student Services Center and a copy is sent to you for your records.

Program Planning Statements are not binding. A student can change direction and/or deviate from the courses reflected on the Program Planning Statement with no repercussions.

If you find yourself struggling in a course, be sure to communicate your difficulties to the professor and/or your faculty advisor. If you need additional assistance, you can make an appointment to speak with SLIS Advising or MS Program Director Dr. Katherine M. Wisser. If you are afraid that you will not be able to complete your coursework, discuss the issue with your professor and ask about submitting an Incomplete Form (find on the Forms and Policies page). If eligible and approved, the incomplete will allow you a limited extension in which to finish your assignments. As long as you complete your assignments by deadline, the incomplete will not affect your grade.

If you know you have a disability, visit Accessibility Services to fill out the appropriate paperwork. You will be eligible for reasonable accommodations (as applicable) in your classes once this paperwork is complete. The Center for Student Success has resources for all students, such as the Writing Center and Tutoring Center.

LISSA Officers and the leaders of the various student groups are good resources to contact if you have any questions. For information about them, visit Student Associations.

Once you have filled out a course evaluation, you are able to access other course evaluations through your link to EvalKit.

To view the SLIS Faculty Directory for a brief background on each faculty member (full-time and adjunct) visit SLIS Faculty Profiles.

If this is the case, we recommend that you contact SLIS Advising ([email protected]) or the SLIS Registration Team ([email protected]) for guidance. You are required to take the core courses (LIS 407, 415 and 488) within your first 18 credits.

This is another good question to discuss with SLIS Advising, who can help you take your experience and workload into account.

Once you have completed nine credits in the program, you can fill out a petition to waive a particular requirement and submit it to Dr. Katherine M. Wisser, MS Program Director, for discussion and review with the appropriate faculty. You will need to supply information to support your petition. It’s also a good idea to speak to your faculty advisor about your petition. If your advisor agrees, your advisor may advocate for you. Carefully read the instructions on the Petition for Transfer of Credit/Waiver Form. You will receive a letter stating whether or not your petition has been granted.