Are you working in a library or archive and want to earn a master’s degree online? Consider applying to the University of Alabama SLIS’s SJ4A Scholarship Program: Training of Community-Embedded Social Justice Archivists (SJ4A) [a.k.a. Archival Studies Social Justice Master’s Scholarship Program].

Project website: http://socialjusticearchivists-sj4a.ua.edu/ 
 
PROGRAM GOAL To recruit 12 Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) paraprofessionals working in an archives settings to earn a library science master’s degree with an archives concentration in the University of Alabama’s (UA) School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) synchronous distance education program. 
 
PROGRAM BENEFITS Full tuition scholarship for two years, living subsistence, stipend for books and supplies, laptop computer, conference travel support, part-time program with a structured, individually tailored archives and social justice curriculum with formal/informal professional mentoring by educators and practitioners.
 
Archival studies courses in the SJ4A Program
• Introduction to the archival professions, institutions, and functions
• Collections development and preservation
• Development of archival outreach programs

• Organization, description, and representation of archival materials, with an emphasis on community focused approaches

 Social justice courses in the SJ4A Program
 • Community-engaged scholarship, services, and programs
 • Social justice, inclusion, and advocacy
 • Applying diversity leadership theories and praxis in organizations
 • Outreach services to diverse constituencies

APPLICATION & ADMISSION For additional admissions information, please see: 

https://slis.ua.edu/mlis-admissions-faqs/. 

For submitting your application materials, including the SJ4A program essays, visit URL: https://slate.ua.edu/apply/ (Spring 2023 application forthcoming). 

The SJ4A application essays are available via the project website at URL: http://socialjusticearchivists-sj4a.ua.edu/.

 Eligibility & Requirements
 • BIPOC paraprofessional currently working in an archive or library in the United States
 • Completed bachelor’s degree
 • Normally, a 3.0 cumulative GPA in graduate and undergraduate coursework
 • Committed to applying principles of social justice and equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in your future work
 
 How to Apply
 • Complete applications for admission to UA Graduate School and SLIS
 • Send transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
 • Submit three academic and/or professional recommendations
 • Complete application for the SJ4A scholarship program, including program essays, and submit through UA SLATE: https://slate.ua.edu/apply/ (Spring 2023 application forthcoming)

CONTACT For more information, please contact Dr. Bharat Mehra (205-348-5259; bmehra@ua.edu) or Dr. Robert Riter (205-348-6232; rbriter@ua.edu), SLIS, UA.