Capping Project Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 The following section provides information on frequently asked questions in relation to the Capping Exercise and is divided into the following sections:

  • General questions/before you start your Capping Exercise
  • Working with the Instructor
  • Capping Exercise - Instructor and eClass
  • Capping Exercise Dates, Paperwork and Review Process
  • PLO and Artifact Related Questions
  • Capping Exercise Structure

Note: Some questions in the FAQ are repeated in multiple sections

General questions/before you start your Capping Exercise

What is the Capping Exercise? What is LIS 600?
The required Capping Exercise for the MLIS degree is an ePortfolio representing examples of the student's course work, leadership and innovation potential, communication skills, and involvement in professional life. It is also known as LIS 600.
What benefit does the Capping Exercise play in my education?

The Capping Exercise provides many benefits to students. It provides students an opportunity to synthesize and reflect on what they have learned in the MLIS program. The exercise demonstrates students’ competence in the current digital information environment.

The Capping Exercise also serves important roles in relation to the overall quality of the MLIS program at SLIS. It fulfills Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requirements for course-based Master's degree, and it also provides ongoing demonstrable evidence of program quality in relation to ALA accreditation.

Who is the Instructor for LIS 600?
The designated instructor for your LIS 600 Capping Exercise is listed in Bear Tracks.
Where can I find information regarding the work that needs to be done to complete my capping exercise?
There is extensive information about the Capping Exercise on the LIS 600 Course page, and this FAQ section will answer many common questions. Note that you should also discuss your Capping Exercise with the LIS 600 course instructor early in the term in which you are registered in LIS 600.
How early do I start working on my capping exercise?
The work starts in the first term itself. For example: you start by collecting artifacts from your coursework that you complete during your program and exploring opportunities for experiential learning starting from the first term. Normally students are expected to begin developing their ePortfolio during their second semester. The ePortfolio must be completed and submitted during their final term of coursework.
When should I register and complete LIS 600?
You must register and complete LIS 600 in your final term i.e., the term in which you will complete your last (13th) course of the program.
Should I consult with the instructor before completing my capping exercise?
It is important to discuss your capping exercise with the course instructor early on in the term in which you are registered in LIS 600. You are most welcome to seek advice on the capping exercise from the course instructor anytime during your MLIS program. If you are not yet registered in LIS 600 please contact us for the current course instructor.
Does LIS 600 count as one of my required 13 classes (39 credits)?
No, LIS 600 is a zero-credit (★0) course. It must be done in addition to your 13 classes (★39). LIS 600 is required for all course-based MLIS students, and it must be completed in your final term.
Will I receive a letter grade for LIS 600?
No. The course is not letter graded but has Credit (CR) / No-Credit (NC) grade.
Can I fail LIS 600?
You must complete LIS 600 to the instructor's satisfaction, and this may require revisions of some elements of the Capping Exercise.

Working with The Instructor

Can I use the same course for multiple PLOs?
Generally you should use different courses as the sources of artifacts for PLOs; however, if you wish to have the same course be the source of artifacts for an additional PLO you must discuss this with the instructor in advance of submitting the capping exercise.
I have a course assignment I believe fits well for a certain PLO, but the Course Outline and the LIS 600 PLO to Course Mapping document don’t seem to suggest that the course aligns with that PLO. Can I use it anyway?

Your instructor has the professional judgment to advise you on the suitability in cases where an appropriate mapping is not explicit.

 LIS 600 PLO to Course Mapping

Capping Exercise – Instructor and eClass

I have registered for LIS 600 in BearTracks, what should I do next? When should I contact the instructor?

Please review information on the LIS 600 course webpage. Ensure that you check the agreement form deadline and capping submission deadline.

Please email the course instructor at the start of the term in which you are registered to take the course. For example: if you are registered for Winter Term, please email the instructor at the start of Winter Term that you are registered in LIS 600.

I don’t see LIS 600 in eClass. What should I do?
There is no eClass section for the LIS 600 course. The LIS 600 course webpage has up-to-date information required to complete your ePortfolio.

Capping Exercise Dates, Paperwork and Process

What are the different forms that I need to submit in the context of my Capping Exercise and when do I need to submit them?

Primarily, there are two forms: Capping Exercise Agreement Form (On-campus Students or Online Students) and Data Collection Form.

The Capping Exercise Agreement Form due date for each term is available on the agreement form itself. There are two versions of the agreement forms, one for the online students and one for on-campus students. Links to the forms are available on the LIS 600 course webpage.

You are required to submit the Data Collection Form after the instructor approves your capping exercise.

What are different deadlines related to capping exercise?

Please note there two important due dates related to the LIS 600 course:

  • Capping Exercise Agreement Form Submission Due Date. This is the deadline to submit the signed capping exercise form to the instructor.
  • Capping Exercise / ePortfolio Due Date. This is the deadline to submit your capping exercise / ePortfolio to to the instructor.

Due dates are also listed in the capping exercise agreement forms. 

Online Student Due Dates

LIS 600 Registration Term Agreement Form Due ePortfolio Due
Fall October 15 November 15
Winter February 15 March 15
Spring/Summer July 01 July 31

On-Campus Student Due Dates

LIS 600 Registration Term Agreement Form Due ePortfolio Due
Fall October 15 November 15
Winter February 15 March 15
Spring May 01 May 31
Summer July 01 July 31
To whom I should submit the signed Capping Exercise Agreement Form?
Please email the signed form to the instructor.
Can I submit my ePortfolio before the due date?
You are most welcome to submit before the due date. Please note that the instructor may wait to review after the due date, once they have received all the capping exercise due to them in a term.
I submitted by capping exercise 15 days before the due date but I have not heard from the instructor yet.
Please note that the instructor may review capping exercises as they arrive, or they may wait to review capping exercises after the due date once they receive capping exercises from
I am registered to complete LIS 600 in fall term. The due date to submit my capping exercise to the instructor is November 15. Should my capping exercise be approved by this date?
No, November 15th is the due date to submit your capping exercise to the instructor. They will review it and give you feedback, including recommendations for you to revise it, after this date.
The instructor has recommended revisions in my capping exercise. What is the due date to resubmit my capping exercise after incorporating revisions?
The instructor will give you a date/time to return the revised/updated capping exercise to them. It is highly recommended to re-submit the revised capping exercise as soon as possible.
When should I complete and submit the Data Collection Form?
You must complete and submit the Data Collection Form after the instructor has approved your capping exercise. This will ensure that the updated information is included in the Data Collection Form.
Do I have to share my capping exercise publicly?

You are required to share your capping exercise with the instructor for review, feedback and assessment purposes.

You are not required to share your capping exercise publicly except with the instructor.

How long should access to my capping exercise be made available?
You are required to make your capping exercise accessible to your instructor at least until the end of the term. After that, you can decide how long you want to make it accessible.

PLO and Artifact-Related Questions

How do I know what course artifact I can use for different PLOs?
There are several mechanisms by which you can determine which artifacts from different courses might be suitable for different PLOs. Course outlines should provide this information, and there is also the LIS 600 PLO to Course Mapping.
I have a course assignment I believe fits well for a certain PLO, but the Course Outline and the LIS 600 PLO to Course Mapping document don’t seem to suggest that the course aligns with that PLO. Can I use it anyway?

Your instructor has the professional judgment to advise you on the suitability in cases where an appropriate mapping is not explicit.

LIS 600 PLO to Course Mapping

What should I do in the following example situations for my experiential artifact as I don’t have an artifact such as presentation, video, audio, or publication?

Examples Situations: Served in a leadership role in a student organization; attended a conference (e.g., FIP) but did not present; engagement in professional activities (e.g. Partner's Week); attending or viewing recordings of special events (i.e. Speaker's Corner, public talks); attending a webinar, worked on (e.g., SLIS, Faculty and University level) committees or initiatives.

Please include a textual document, approximately 300 words, that provides detailed information about the experiential learning opportunity in the context of the chosen PLO. Please consult with the instructor for further advice.

Can I use the same course for multiple PLOs?
Generally you should use different courses as the sources of artifacts for PLOs. However, if you wish to have the same course be the source of artifacts for an additional PLO you must discuss this with the instructor in advance of finalizing artifacts for capping exercise.
Can I have multiple artifacts per PLO? Can I have multiple files for an artifact?

Students will submit only one artifact per PLO. However, an artifact may have multiple files/documents.

Hypothetical Example: you plan to use “Assignment #2” as an artifact from LIS 598. This assignment has two files/documents, a PDF file and a YouTube video. Please submit/share both the files/documents as they both are a part of Assignment #2.

Can I use group coursework for LIS 600?
Yes, you can use group coursework as an artifact for your PLOs.
Do I need to get permission for group coursework from my group members?
No. You may include artifacts that represent group coursework without permission of other group members.
Can I use something from a non-SLIS class as an artifact?
Yes, you can use course work from non-SLIS courses (i.e., external courses) that are counted towards your MLIS degree program; however, you must ensure that it connects with the PLO for which you are using it.
What counts as an Experiential Artifact?
There are many different items that can count as an Experiential Artifact. For more information see the above section on “Experiential Artifacts.”
Can I use something I created in the course of employment/from work as the basis of an Experiential Artifact?
You may reflect on an experience stemming from the context of work provided that it aligns with the PLO.
Can I use an Experiential Artifact from an experience that I had before I started the program or when I am on leave from my program of study?
No. Your experiential artifacts must be from experiences when you were a student and not on leave from your program of study. Also, they should not be from an experience that you had before you started the program of study.
What should be included in the 50-100 word abstract in the context of the included artifact for a given PLO?

The 50-100 word abstract in each PLO should include a brief explanation of each artifact in relation to the PLO i.e., how each included abstract specifically relates to (or connects with) the given PLO. 

For example: PLO #2 (Ethics, Issues, and Trends) has Assignment #A from the LIS 501 course. Then, the 50-100 word abstract for this PLO should explicitly explain how the Assignment #A is addressing PLO #2 and its stated objectives.

Capping Exercise Structure

How many pages should my Capping Exercise be?

Your capping project should have the following 12 pages:

  • Introduction: 1 page
  • PLO #1 to PLO #10: 1 page for each PLO. Thus, a total of 10 pages (= 1 page/PLO x 10 PLOs).
  • SLIS Values: 1 page
How should I order my capping project pages?

Please arrange your capping project pages in the following order:

  • Introduction
  • PLO #1
  • PLO #2
  • PLO #3
  • PLO #4
  • PLO #5
  • PLO #6
  • PLO #7
  • PLO #8
  • PLO #9
  • PLO #10
  • SLIS Values
What should I include in my Introduction?
Your introduction should introduce the capping project as a reflection of your work over the course of your studies at SLIS in relation to the SLIS PLOs and values. It would be wonderful to introduce yourself as well.
What should be included in the 50-100 word abstract in the context of the included artifact for a given PLO?

The 50-100 word abstract in each PLO should include a brief explanation of each artifact in relation to the PLO i.e., how each included abstract specifically relates to (or connects with) the given PLO. 

For example: PLO #2 (Ethics, Issues, and Trends) has Assignment #A from the LIS 501 course. Then, the 50-100 word abstract for this PLO should explicitly explain how the Assignment #A is addressing PLO #2 and its stated objectives.