MLIS Co-op

Employers are in public or private sector organizations all across Canada.  Most of the positions advertised are outside London, generally in the Ottawa and Toronto areas. The ability to relocate is essential.

The number of placements in any term is dependent on the number of positions made available by participating employers. This is a competitive process, not a placement agency.

Co-op must be completed before you begin your final academic term.

Benefits from participating in a co-op:

• Formally integrates a student's academic study with practical experience
• Expands a student's interview skills
• Contributes to a student's professional training by acquiring and developing practical skills
• Creates opportunities to network and build relationships with LIS professionals
• Is a short-term, low risk opportunity to explore a variety of LIS career paths
• Offers competitive compensation
• Offers the opportunity to live in another part of Canada
• Can be an entry point to a continuing full-time position

To be eligible for co-op an MLIS student must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or hold permanent residency status
• Complete a minimum of four MLIS courses (including 9001, 9002, 9003 and either 9004 or 9005)
• Maintain a minimum overall average of 75% with no grade below 70%
• Meet the requirements for the position as noted by the employer (requirements may include such things as security clearance)
• Return to the MLIS program following the final co-op term and complete at least one course counting towards the MLIS degree (some employers require students to return to full-time status)

All MLIS co-op roles must:

• Be a minimum of 14 weeks in length, corresponding to the timelines of the academic term
• Be paid
• Be supervised by an LIS professional or equivalent
• Require the completion of tasks related to the LIS discipline
• Be full-time (normally 35-40 hours per week)

NOTE: Participation in the co-op program is a privilege rather than a right.

Permission to participate is given on a term-by-term basis.

Only students who meet and maintain the required eligibility requirements, who demonstrate professional readiness (i.e., appropriate skills and professional behaviour) and adhere to the procedures and regulations of the program may participate.

General co-op application timelines are outlined below. Specific timelines and deadlines will be provided by the Career Services Officer each term.

Winter Term (Placements beginning in January and ending in April)

• Job postings are released: Early October
• Interviews: Mid-October - November
• Majority of placements confirmed: November - December

Summer Term (Placements beginning in May and ending in August)

• Job postings: Early February
• Interviews: Mid-February - March
• Majority of placements confirmed: March – April

Fall Term (Placements beginning in September and ending in December)

• Job postings: Early June
• Interviews: Mid-June – July
• Majority of placements confirmed: July - August

Students will be evaluated by their placement supervisors and the Career Services Officer and/or the Manager of Graduate Student Services at FIMS based on the following factors:

• Mid-term Report
• Site Visit/Progress Update
• Final Report
• Employer Evaluation

Is co-op a required part of the MLIS Program?
No. Co-op is a co-curricular experiential learning opportunity. Students are not required to participate in the co-op program.

Does co-op count towards my degree requirements?
Co-op work terms appear on your transcript as a milestone and graded as pass/fail. They DO NOT reduce the number of courses you have to take to complete the MLIS degree.

How many co-op terms am I allowed to complete?
Students may participate in up to two 14-week work terms. The terms may be consecutive or non-consecutive.

How much does it cost to participate in co-op?
Students will pay a co-op placement fee and will be registered as “Part-time Co-op.” Program-Related Fees are posted by the Office of the Registrar each year. The board of governors reserves the right to amend fees at any time. Note: The fee is paid for each term of co-op.

Am I required to find my own placement?
No. Most co-op placements are arranged between the Career Services Officer and the employer. Self-arranged placements are permitted if they follow the co-op placement eligibility criteria and are approved by the Career Services Officer.

May I take a course while I am on co-op?
Yes. Students are permitted to take one course during their co-op placement (see additional note below). A regular part-time per course tuition fee charged for the course.

May I take my final course during a co-op term?
No. Students must have at least one course remaining after their co-op term ends (i.e. students must be a “returning student” vs. a graduate after the co-op term ends).

Will going on co-op affect my OSAP or OGS?
Be sure to check with the appropriate office on campus to make sure there are no situations that would prevent accepting employment under the co-op program.

How will I find accommodation in another city?
It is the student’s responsibility to find their own accommodations; however, a member of the MLIS Student Council helps co-ordinate housing information. They currently maintain a housing Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2206919419749756 

A co-op placement is an arrangement between the employer and the student employee facilitated by the Co-op Office. The program requires a minimum work term of 14 weeks of full-time professional work, which corresponds to the academic term. Terms of employment are established by the employer. By mutual agreement, a student may be reappointed to a second work term, with the approval of the Co-op Office.

Salary is set by the employer. The Co-op Office is able to advise on the range of current rates. Benefits are set by the employer but normally are those required by law.

Work assigned to co-op students may encompass a wide range of jobs from preparing and conducting studies that include surveys, indexing or cataloguing projects, to setting up Web pages on the Internet, database design or regular archival, library or information science work.

Employers in the public or private sectors are encouraged to post positions with the LIS Co-op Program. Any bona fide employer can be a co-op employer, provided the work is related to the academic discipline of the student. It should be noted, however, that a qualified individual is required to supervise/mentor the work of the co-op student for the duration of the work term.

As the co-op experience is a competitive employment process, students are flexible as to the location and type of employment. All communication between employers and students is mediated by the FIMS Co-op Office.

• Students are available for placement year-round.  Work terms are January-April, May-August and September-December.
• Co-op students can provide temporary assistance for peak periods, maternity or other leaves, and for the completion of special projects requiring qualified personnel.
• Co-op students bring to your organization knowledge of current technology, enthusiasm and a willingness to work.
• Co-op is a cost-effective means of evaluating potential employees. If a co-op graduate is later hired to a permanent position, significantly less training time is required.
• Co-op placements can be part of your institution’s recruitment strategy.
• Your business may be eligible to receive a tax credit from the Ontario government.  The Co-operative Education Tax Credit provides Ontario employers operating unincorporated businesses with a refundable tax credit of up to $1000 per co-op student.

Students are permitted to participate in one or two work terms.

Submit your job posting and a copy of the employer application form to the FIMS Co-op Office (fims-coop@uwo.ca), including:

• a contact name, title, and address
• background information about your organization
• an outline of job responsibilities
• the required qualifications
• the rate of pay

Once all information has been received, the co-op office will set up an employer account for you on Western Connect, portal for all administrative aspects of the co-op process.

1. Approved job postings will be advertised on Western Connect for the duration selected. Western Connect will notify you and release the student applications following the pre-determined deadline.

2. You choose which candidates you wish to interview and select preferred interview dates & time. We work with you to schedule and confirm the interviews with the selected candidates.

3. Interviews can be either in-person at Western, or via telephone / SKYPE

4. Following your interviews, contact the co-op office with the name of your preferred candidate and we will facilitate the offer at that time.

5. Once an offer has been confirmed by both parties, it is considered as a successful placement.

*All communication between employers and students regarding co-op matters (student eligibility, interview, supporting documents etc.) is to be handled through the co-op office until the placements have been finalized.

General co-op application timelines are outlined below. Specific timelines and deadlines will be provided by the Career Services Officer each term.

Winter Term (Placements beginning in January and ending in April)

• Job postings are released: Early October
• Interviews: Mid-October - November
• Majority of placements confirmed: November - December

Summer Term (Placements beginning in May and ending in August)

• Job postings: Early February
• Interviews: Mid-February - March
• Majority of placements confirmed: March – April

Fall Term (Placements beginning in September and ending in December)

• Job postings: Early June
• Interviews: Mid-June – July
• Majority of placements confirmed: July - August

Employers evaluate students on their on-the-job-performance. In addition, the Manager of Graduate Student Services monitors the progress of students through an on-site or telephone interview with supervisors and students each term. The co-op employer/co-op program relationship provides an open avenue for feedback in order to ensure that the program is responding to the specific needs of both employers and students.

Each student is required to submit a final report which is evaluated for accuracy by the employer and forwarded to the Manager of Graduate Student Services.

Please download the Employer FAQ (pdf).