First-Year Instruction

Librarians visit every section of ENGL 1001 each semester. Since ENGL 1001 is a required course for all first-year students, this means that we are able to reach nearly all first-year students with at least one face-to-face class session. These sessions serve as the foundation for research skills and critical thinking developed in upper-division courses, and work toward the development of lifelong learning skills. ENGL 1001 content is complemented by our Academic Integrity Tutorial that students take online through their First Year Experience (FYE) classes, and also through the formal orientation completed at the beginning of the first semester.

Goals for each of these programs include:

Orientation:

• Assist students in their transition from high school to college.
• Encourage students to consult with library staff and use library spaces and services.
• Improve retention by familiarizing students with academic support services contained within the library building.

Academic Integrity Tutorial:

• Emphasize academic integrity as a critical component of Fairfield University’s Jesuit community.
• Encourage ethical and effective engagement with sources, thereby assisting students in becoming full participants in scholarly conversations both on and off campus.
• Support the development of skills needed to recognize and avoid plagiarism.

EN/W100:

• Identify information needs in order to formulate an effective search strategy.
• Understand the differences between source types and how they can influence the research process.
• Understand that search terms, tools, and research strategies are grounded in disciplines.
• Locate and effective use search tools to find sources that fulfill information needs.
• Recognize scholarly conventions of attribution and understand its importance to research.
  

For more information regarding information literacy for first-year students, please contact Matt Schirano at mschirano@fairfield.edu or ext. 2587.