Library: Library Assessment Plan: UNV 101

UNV 101 Assessment

UNV 101 Library Orientation Activity:

The UNV 101 Library Orientation activity has been facilitated for first-year students in a variety of formats, both in-person and online since 1998. The Library Orientation Activity is a required Module in the UNV 101 curriculum, and is considered the foundation on which further instruction is built through the English Core sequence of ENG 110, 120 and 201, as well as subject-specific instruction in different disciplines. The importance of the undergraduate student’s ability to utilize their campus library resources (services, spaces, collections, and librarians) throughout their college career cannot be overstated. It is essential to the success of Pace students as they become active scholars and working professionals. The Library Orientation is facilitated on the NYC and Pleasantville campuses. UNV 101 is a 1-credit, Pass/Fail course and does not contain academic assignments that would require use of research tools from the Library. One of the course learning outcomes states students will “capitalize on the academic and personal support services offered at Pace to promote success.” It is in this module of UNV 101 that the Library Orientation is ideally facilitated. The Library Orientation offers an introduction to the facilities, resources and services provided by the Mortola and Beekman Libraries. The goal of the Activity is to familiarize students with their home campus Library and to build the student view of the Library as a valuable resource, and library staff as helpful and approachable.

	UNV 101 Orientation
Student Learning Outcomes	Navigate the library's physical spaces, including the circulation and reference desks, study rooms, group or quiet study areas, the stacks, the printers. Perform a sample search for a print book in the stacks by title, author, and call number. Perform a simple search in the Library's Book & Media tool. Interact with at least one library staff member throughout the process, either with First year Outreach Services Librarian or by checking out the Staff Listing.
Type of Assessment	Activity questions, Self-reported comfort levels survey
Assessment Description	At the end of the activity students are asked to respond to three reflective statements: a) if they learned something new about the library, b) are they more likely to use the library resources for their assignments and research, and c) are they more likely to ask for help at the library. The activity and results are assessed through end-of-semester reflection and discussion by the members of the Library Instructional Services Team and the UNV 101 Coordinators.
Responsibility	Head of Teaching and Learning Services, First Year Outreach Services Librarian
Results Distribution	UNV 101 Coordinators, University Librarian, Head of Library Assessment, Head of Teaching & Learning Services, First Year Outreach Services Librarian
Assessment Schedule	End of Fall and Spring semesters
Last Assessment Occurred	Spring 2024
Action Taken Based on Assessment Data	During summer 2024 a major overhaul of the Pleasantville based Library Orientation activity and re-design of the New York City Scavenger Hunt activity were conducted to address learning gaps identified through both student and peer leader feedback. The revamping and re-design included the creation of a required online Library Tutorial, and an optional in-person activity facilitated through the use of a paper zine. The new activities addressed the following: Searching for books in the library catalog Locating Books in the library stacks Physically checking out books Determining how academic subjects are organized in both the Library Stacks and within the Library Congress Classification system In Fall 2024, librarians are collaborating with Learning Commons staff on a small pilot program where departments will co-design a writing assignment for small population of specific majors (5-7 sections of UNV 101). Results will be reported in Spring, 2025.