First Year Program 2007

The First Year Program Library session is an active learning lesson plan customized

for each FYR cluster. Clusters are learning communities consisting of two Liberal Arts

Core Curriculum (LACC) classes plus a one credit FYR class.

During the Library session, students receive a brief introduction to finding different formats
of library materials, via the Library web site, or using the Library of Congress Classification
System. Students are divided into five groups, and each group is given a different assignment,
requiring them to find and collect two-four Library items relevant to their cluster (i.e. when we
teach the Art/Music cluster, students are asked to find an Oversized art book and a music CD,
while other clusters may find a video and/or DVD relevant to their two LACC classes).

When students return to the User Education Room with their Library materials, each group
shows their peers what they found, how their material may be used, and how/where they found
it. Sample cluster assignments are provided below, along with handouts for the Library of
Congress Classification System and the Top 10 Things Every Freshman Should Know About
the J. Eugene Smith Library.

First Year Program Resources include links to The National Resource Center for The First-Year
Experience and Students in Transition as well as their listservs. “ The National Resource Center

for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition has as its mission to support and advance

efforts to improve student learning and transitions into and through higher education. We achieve

this mission by providing opportunities for the exchange of practical, theory-based information and

ideas through the convening of conferences, teleconferences, institutes, and workshops; publishing

monographs, a peer-reviewed journal, an electronic newsletter, guides, and books; generating and

supporting research and scholarship; hosting visiting scholars; and administering a web site and listservs."

The link, First-Year Program: Plagiarism & Cheating, leads to an active learning exercise which
may be lead by Peer Mentors, FYR faculty or librarians (by request). Students are led through a
series of discussions which help them understand the implications of plagiarism, cheating and
copyright.

Peer Mentor Resources include Tips for Successful Peer Mentoring, Activities Peer Mentors Can Lead, and

Discussion Generators for various topics suggested by the First Year Program Committee (FYPC).

Top 10 Things Every Freshman Should Know About the J. Eugene Smith Library

Library Of Congress Classification System

FYP #1: English & Education*

FYP #2: Business & Sociology*

FYP #3: Chemistry & Poli Sci*

FYP #4: Art & Music*

FYP #5-Economics & Biology*

First Year Program Resources

First-Year Program: Plagiarism & Cheating

Peer Mentor Resources

Contact Information:

E-mail Susan Herzog or Janice Wilson.

Call Susan (x54470) or Janice (x55550)

Page created and maintained by Susan Herzog
J. Eugene Smith Library
Eastern Connecticut State University
Template designed by Lynn Lampert

Last Update: August 8, 2007.

* Adapted from Gradowski G. (1998). Crime and punishment. In Gradowski G., Snavely, L. & Dempsey, P. (Eds.). Designs for active learning: A sourcebook of classroom strategies for information education (p. 10). Chicago: Association of College & Research Libraries and Prorak, D. (1998) Focus on Skills: Using the Classification System and Finding Periodicals. In Gradowski G., Snavely, L. & Dempsey, P. (Eds.). Designs for active learning: A sourcebook of classroom strategies for information education (p. 19-22). Chicago: Association of College & Research Libraries.