June 12, 2008: Meeting Notes

The Library's Role in First Year (FY) Experience and Orientation

Attendees

Christine Drew (WPI), Callie Curran Morrell (Assumption), Pam McKay (Worc. State), Patty Porcaro (Holy Cross) Barbara Merolli (HC), Eileen Cravedi (HC), John Coelho (HC), Gudrun Krueger (HC), Alice Barron (Anna Maria), Laura Robinson Hanlan (WPI), Michele Reich (WPI), Carole Myles (Assumption), Jim Douglas (Nichols), Matthew Haggard (Nichols), Donna Sibley (Becker), Jeanette Lundgren (Becker), Dale LaBonte (QCC).

Meeting Notes

To focus the discussion, the group defined First Year Orientation as a short-term program prior to the start of classes. First Year Experience was defined as larger and more sustained program, and might include a First Year Seminar (a for-credit course designed for First Year students).

Most attendees do run some type of library orientation programs for all students, and most of these activities are integrated within the college’s own efforts, rather than being run independently by the library. Most attendees’ colleges also run First Year Experience (FYE) programs and in most programs, the Library plays some type of role.

Examples:

At Becker, there is a FY seminar where students learn “what they need to know on campus” from different departments. The library gets to teach one week’s worth of classes for each section and covers the OPAC, databases, citation, plagiarism, starting points for research, and has different activities for students. They do about 20-22 sessions total.

QCC librarians get one session to talk about the library as part of a FY course. They also often get one in a Career Development course.

WPI does a lot of optional activities during orientation, including tours and handing out prizes, but they don’t necessarily reach every student. This year they are thinking of throwing a first-year party. By next year, all FY students will be in enrolled in a FY research seminar and the librarians hope it will result in students getting more uniform instruction in their freshman year. This FY program has its own Assessment Coordinator, and a few questions on the assessment survey focus on the library, so it is hoped that they can get some useful data.

At Worc. State, there is a FY seminar for which students choose a subject-based class and the Library often gives a BI session to them, based on the discretion of the professors.

Nichols gives a library tour and basic instruction to the FY Professional Development Seminars (about 22). Small groups also complete an activity-based, self-paced tutorial, available at http://www.nichols.edu/library/instructionalservices/PDS1/index.html. Jim Douglas is willing to share the library handouts given to students and parents during orientation if group members are interested.

Holy Cross will be introducing a new FYE this fall, with students living and taking a seminar in one of five possible clusters. Each cluster has its own librarian and it is hoped that as the program takes shape, each librarian will be able to play a significant role in their cluster. In the past they've done a treasure hunt during orientation and Eileen Cravedi is willing to share their treasure hunt worksheet to group members who are interested.

Assumption is also piloting a new FYE program this fall in which a group of self-selecting students will live together and take “paired” classes (currently 3 pairs offered), which will emphasize connections between different subjects. Library instruction is not mandated, but through outreach to the participating faculty the library staff is hopeful that they can offer IL instruction to these new classes.

Please see post below (6/12/08) for further reading and resources on this topic.