Becoming a Practicum Site Supervisor for the McGill University School of Information Studies offers you the opportunity to influence the professional development of future information professionals. Being a Practicum Site Supervisor allows you to:

• Contribute to the profession by supporting the development of emerging information professionals.
• Provide valuable mentorship experiences and real-world opportunities for students to practice their skills.
• Develop and implement special projects.
• Benefit from the energy, skills, knowledge, insights, and perspectives of our Masters students.
• Stay connected with the School and with McGill.

1. Check the information about qualifications, requirements, roles, and responsibilities below, and contact the SIS Academic Practicum Coordinator, as soon as possible, to express your interest in offering a placement.
2. Review the practicum posting guidelines, and send your posting(s) by email to the practicum.sis [at] mcgill.ca (SIS Academic Practicum Coordinator). If you have any questions about the program, postings, or deadlines, please email them toÌýthe practicum.sis [at] mcgill.ca (SIS Academic Practicum Coordinator).
3. Note for NEW sites or NEW supervisors at an established site: Please emailÌýthe SIS Academic Practicum Coordinator before submitting a posting.Ìý

Please note that application to the program is competitive for both students and sites and involves an interview process before the placement is finalized. Placement is not guaranteed; however, the majority of students and sites are matched each year.

Practicum Site Supervisors:

• Are recognized information professionals (e.g., librarian, archivist, records manager, knowledge manager, information manager, digital strategy manager, etc.), normally with:
  a) A Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) or equivalent ALA-accredited degree, OR
  b) Qualifications and specialized expertise directly related to the skill area(s) of the Practicum project, approved by the School as meeting program requirements;
• Are established, normally, with 2 or more years of experience in the field;
• Have the authority to commit the organization to an agreement;
• Have an expressed interest in teaching and mentoring the student; understand that the goal of the practicum placement is to learn as well as to work.

The Practicum Site Supervisor is normally one individual who works most closely with the student and who assumes primary responsibility for the supervision of the student. The Site Supervisor:

• Develops a placement at a beginning professional level, scoped for completion within 100 hours.
• Selects a student through an interview process coordinated by the SIS Practicum Coordinator.
• Works with the student to design a learning and work plan and establish a regular work schedule; signs the Practicum Agreement to indicate consent to supervise the placement.
• Provides meaningful ways for the student to engage in and contribute to the agency or organization’s work.
• Recognizes the student’s status as a practicum student, and ensures all work required of him/her is appropriate for their level of competence.
• Provides the student with adequate workspace and a place to store personal items.
• Provides the student with an orientation– including general functions and goals of the agency, characteristics of the community and its users, and any key information for new workers, e.g., rules and guidelines, dress code, method for students to follow in asking questions, etc.
• Provides ongoing guidance and interpretation to the student, and reviews the progress of the Practicum through regular conferences.
• Offers constructive feedback on the student’s performance throughout the term and at mid-term and final evaluations.
• Schedules an exit interview with the student during the last week of work.
• Submits evaluation documents to the SIS Practicum Coordinator by the specified deadlines.
• Contacts the SIS Practicum Coordinator with any concerns regarding the Practicum.

Information on what to include in your practicum posting is found here, including tips on scoping projects and samples of past postings.

1. Submit a Practicum Site Posting Form, following the posting guidelines, by the submission deadline. For Winter placements, the deadline is normally in September.

2. Conduct student interview(s). Potential students will be selected as suggested interviewees for sites by the SIS Academic Practicum Coordinator. Selection is based on student CVs and practicum site selections. In some cases, sites may also participate in screening of initial applications. Site Supervisors will contact students directly to set up interviews. After the interview(s), Site Supervisors will select preferred candidate(s) and inform SIS Academic Practicum Coordinator (not students directly) of decision regarding each student. The SIS Academic Practicum Coordinator will relay the information to the student, who will accept or decline the offer. Note: Site Supervisors are encouraged to identify preferred candidates as early as possible as students may receive more than one placement offer.

3. Develop the Practicum Work Plan and Agreement with the Student and both sign it . Once a placement offer has been made and accepted by the student, work with the student to prepare the Practicum Work Plan and Agreement.

4. Conduct formal Mid-term & Final Evaluations. Conduct written evaluations of student performance using supplied evaluation forms, discuss these evaluations with the student, and submit them to the Academic Practicum Coordinator by the specified deadlines. The purpose of the mid-term evaluation is to provide feedback to the student for areas of further development and to ensure placement goals are on track.

5. Arrange an exit interview with the student. Schedule an exit interview with the student in the final week of the Practicum; this may coincide with the final evaluation.

Please see the For Supervisors section of the Practicum FAQ page.