Q: What is an Institute?
A: Institute courses allow students to elevate their educational experience. While conferences and webinars offer one-hour introductions or overviews of a topic, institute courses provide comprehensive instruction in a curriculum-based format from top genealogy educators and experts. In this setting, students get the opportunity to dive deeper into a topic, interact with faculty in a smaller classroom environment, and gain practical experience.
Q: What is SLIG?
A: The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is the premier educational program of the Utah Genealogical Association. SLIG offers in-depth intermediate to advanced level courses on genealogical topics through three yearly programs: Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and the SLIG Fall and Spring Virtual programs. SLIG’s programs also incorporate social and networking opportunities, special events or workshops, and easy access to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City during in-person programs.
Q: Can you tell me more about SLIG’s programs?
A: Each of SLIG’s three programs has unique topics and features that make it a rewarding educational experience. Look at this brief overview of what each program has to offer:
- Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy - held in Salt Lake City every January, SLIG's main program offers courses on record groups, ethnicities and locations, methodology, and DNA, with networking opportunities and access to the Family History Library.
- SLIG Fall Virtual - held each fall, this virtual format offers courses over several weeks, allowing time to practice skills and participate in hands-on learning experiences. Courses cover various topics and include specialty courses explicitly developed for SLIG Virtual, like the Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum and the Intermediate Foundations course. SLIG’s virtual experience is also enhanced by opportunities to participate in online groups, chats, and virtual networking events.
- SLIG Spring Virtual - held virtually following SLIG, this program offers education for current or aspiring professionals on topics such as business or project management, forensics, writing, and public speaking. The courses are offered virtually over several weeks, allowing time to practice skills, participate in hands-on learning experiences, and network with other professionals.
Q: When will complete program information be posted?
A: SLIG announces courses for the following year’s programs at our annual SLIG banquet in January. Shortly following the announcement, SLIG updates information on the website with new course titles, coordinator names, and brief descriptions. Full course information, including faculty lists, pre-requisites, detailed course schedules, and other information, are added to the website by June. This information assists students in deciding on the best course for them to attend before registration.
Q: What should I expect at registration?
A: SLIG Virtual registration will open on June 10, 2023 at 12:00 pm MDT. SLIG and Virtual Spring registration will be on July 22, 2023. SLIG will open for registration at 10:00 am MDT, followed by Spring Virtual at 2:00 pm MDT.
Registration is important to attend on time as many courses can fill quickly. We encourage you to create a registration account prior to registration day at registration.ugagenealogy.org. Creating your account ahead of time saves you valuable time when registering. As part of the account creation process you will add in your personal and contact information, agree to SLIG’s policies, and provide important personal information such as dietary needs and disabilities to help us make your SLIG experience better. After creating your account, you are ready to register for a specific program.
During program registration, you will be asked to select your course and choose additional program options. Payment is required at the time of registration. Registration utilizes a simple and easy-to-follow form with clear instructions to help you complete all of the needed information.
If you have any questions before or during registration, our registrar is available via email here.
Q: What is SLIG's cancellation policy?
A: SLIG has very detailed registration and cancellation policies. You can read the full policy and learn about cancellation deadlines for each specific program here.
You may also want to review our Privacy Policy and Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct prior to registration.
Q: What do I do if the course I wanted is full?
A: Because SLIG is such a premier opportunity, some courses can fill quickly. If the course you want to take fills while you are completing your form, you will be automatically added to the course waitlist. If the course is full before you register you can add yourself to any course waitlist from the registration home page at registration.ugagenealogy.org. Just log in and select ‘Waitlist Add/Drop’ from the menu of options on the left-hand side of the screen.
SLIG has so many excellent courses that it is unlikely you will only have one you want to attend. We encourage you to still enroll in another course, even if you join a waitlist. If a seat becomes available, you can choose to switch courses.
Q: Are there scholarship opportunities at SLIG?
A: Yes. There are multiple scholarship opportunities available to assist you in attending SLIG. There are currently five SLIG-specific scholarships: UGA Jimmy B. Parker Scholarship, Laura G. Prescott Scholarship, MyHeritage Chris Darrington Scholarship, SLIG First-Time Institute Attendee Scholarship, and SLIG Intermediate Foundations Scholarship. All SLIG-specific scholarship applications are due by May 1, 2023. Additionally, several other organizations provide scholarships that can apply to SLIG. You can view more information and apply here.
Q: Do members of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) receive a tuition discount?
A: Yes. Each UGA member gets a discount on all SLIG programs. Discounts are applied automatically during registration. Use of the same email for your UGA membership and UGA-SLIG registration account is required. Discount amounts vary based on the budget of a particular program and range from $25 to $50 per course.
Q: How do I become a UGA member?
A: You can view UGA membership options and sign up online here: https://ugagenealogy.org/onlineJoin.php. If you have questions, please contact membership@ugagenealogy.org.
Q: How can I stay up to date with the latest information on SLIG?
A: SLIG offers many ways to keep up to date on our programs and news. You can:
- Follow the SLIG blog here.
- Sign up for SLIG e-News here.
- Follow our Facebook page here.
- Follow us on Twitter here.
Other common questions may be answered on other areas of the website. Travel, special events, and programs specific details are updated throughout the year.
Q: Whom do I contact if I have specific questions about SLIG?
A: We are happy to help with any questions. View our contact us page here for specifics or email the SLIG Director.
