Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Archives: Principles and Practices (Face-to-Face)

INFO 4100-01

Course: INFO 4100-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: LIB
CRN: 13526

Course Description

This course includes lecture and discussion, hands-on-activities and provides an introduction to archives. The course will cover the history, development, and nature of work in the profession and in the real world, discussing how archival institutions work with the general public and with historians in particular. The basics of collections management and development, intellectual control, preservation, conservation, and technological applications will be presented. (Fall [As Needed], Spring [As Needed], Summer [As Needed]) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

There are weekly readings provided in the Canvas Modules and listed in Weekly Readings. Many of the readings are chapters within library ebooks. Off campus you will need to login for access. Links to readings may point to the full book, rather than individual chapters, so please navigate to only the required chapter/section. Please note that the classroom is not equipped with a projector or white board. Student's should come prepared with paper copies of readings or laptops with readings already loaded.

Learning Outcomes


By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Apply an awareness of archival theories and practices to the use of archives and primary sources 

  2. Find, access, evaluate, interpret, and ethically use primary sources within specific disciplinary contexts in order to create new knowledge or to revise existing understandings 

  3. Develop critical thinking skills relevant to interpreting primary sources for inquiry 

Course Requirements

Assignments

There are weekly assignments based around the a handful of object selected by students at the beginning of the semester. The assignments are scaffold to create familiarity with objects, followed by practicing skills and workflows used by archivists in the routine performance of archival work. Many of the assignments will result in real world products that contribute to the work of SUU's Special Collections. Each Friday's class will be devoted to working on the weekly assignments to ensure access to objects and instructor guidance. The individual assignments will be the basis for the final portfolio. Weekly assignments account for 80% of the final grade. 

  • Generative AI Use: There are specific assignments that allow for the use of AI and require a detailed account of how it was used to craft the writing. AI may be permitted on a case-by-case basis for other assignments with the instructor's pre-approval. Any assignment that is found to have used generative AI tools in unauthorized ways violates the academic integrity policy and will be handled accordingly. When in doubt about permitted usage, please ask for clarification.


Participation & Attendance

Archival work (both as a researcher and archivist) is learned by doing. As such, this class is designed to be based on collaborative learning through discussion and hands-on experience, which requires regular attendance. Participation points will be awarded twice throughout the semester, at mid-terms and finals. Participation grades will depend on being prepared for weekly readings, actively engaging in discussions and in-class learning activities, as well as being on task during classes devoted to working on class assignments. Participation assignments account for 10% of the final grade. 

Portfolio

In lieu of a final exam, students will prepare a portfolio based on the weekly assignments and self-reflection prompts. The organization and design of the portfolio is intentionally left open to students to use their own organization and creativity in creating. The portfolio will demonstrate the broad array of skills and theories learned over the course of the semester and the student ability to be proficient archive users. The final portfolio accounts for 10% of the final grade.


 | Excellent (A, A-)  |   | Average (C+, C, C-)
| A  | 100%  | to 93%  |   | C  | < 77%  | to 73%
| A-  | < 93%  | to 90%  |   | C-  | < 73%  | to 70%
| Above average (B+, B, B-)  |   | Below average (D+, D. D-)
| B+  | < 90%  |  to 87%  |   | D+  | < 70%  |  to 67%
| B  | < 87%  |  to 83%  |   | D  | < 67%  |  to 63%
| B-  | < 83%  |  to 80%  |   | D-  | < 63%  |  to 60%
| Average (C+, C, C-)  |   | Fail (F)
| C+  | < 80%  | to 77 %  |   | F  | < 60 %  |  to 0 %
Note: You will receive a letter grade based on the table above. 


Course Outline

  • Module 1: What are Archives?
  • Module 2: What Do Archivists Do?
  • Module 3: Assess & Appraise
  • Module 4: Arrange
  • Module 5: Describe
  • Module 6: Collection Steward
  • Module 7: Advocacy & Awareness
  • Module 8: Digital Collections
  • Module 9: Displays & Exhibits
  • Module 10: Difficult Conversations
  • Module 11: Professional Ethics
  • Module 12: Access
  • Module 13: Reference
  • Module 14: Reflect

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late work:


Weekly assignments are due the Monday following the Friday when they are worked on in class. This is intentional, so that students are only working on one assignment at a time and do not fall behind. Late work will not be accepted without a student-initiated prior discussion with the instructor. During the discussion the instructor and student will agree to extensions or other accommodations as necessary. Late work for participation and attendance assignments or the final portfolio will not be accepted.


Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend class, be on time, and ready to participate. Failure to attend or actively participate will impact the participation grade. 

Student Responsibilities

Personal items and Special Collections Rules:


This class takes place in Special Collections and students are expect to respect the standard Reading Room Rules. Please be aware that this may change the way you prepare for class. The Reading Room Rules are:

  • Coats, handbags, briefcases, backpacks, ink pens, markers, food, liquids, and other personal belongings are not allowed in the Reading Room. Lockers are available for personal effects. 
  • Only notepaper, pencils, laptops, cameras (without flash), and silenced cell phones are permitted in the Reading Room. Photography of collections is permitted, except when prohibited by restrictions. 
  • Materials may be used only under library staff supervision in the Reading Room. 
  • All materials and personal belongings must be clearly visible to the staff at all times. On request, all personal notes, papers, and personal reference books must be presented to the staff for inspection before the researcher leaves the Special Collections and University Archives. Theft or mutilation of materials is a crime and violators will be prosecuted. 
  • The researcher must use great care in handling materials and follow any directions from reading room staff. Researchers should always retain the existing order in folders and boxes and be careful not to mark or fold materials. The researcher’s hands must be clean. 
  • Only one box, folder, or item of research material is allowed on the research table at any one time, and the researcher is responsible for all materials until they are returned. Another box/folder/item will be given to the researcher when requested and the previous box/folder/item has been returned.  

Statement of risk


Working with archival objects can be potentially dangerous for individual health and the safety of the objects. Because of the nature of historical objects, there is risk of potential exposure to containments such as mold, pests, and unidentified chemicals. Proper handling procedures, such as lifting techniques and wearing of gloves or other PPE can mitigate those risks. If a student has any concerns, please inform the instructor for further instructions. 


ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.