ECPI University Puts “Students FIRST” with Information Literacy

Students enjoy lunch together while they learn more about information literacy at Students FIRST Day.

This article was contributed by Dr. Paul Nussbaum, Director of Faculty Development

ECPI University recently launched a University-wide awareness campaign about our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) called Students FIRST – which stands for “Students Finding Information and Resources to Succeed Today.” It began with a well-coordinated effort to introduce the campaign at every location, as well as online, and reached out to every ECPI University student.

The challenge we had as QEP Committee Chairs was to make the somewhat dry topic of Information Literacy come alive in a way that students could see “what’s in it for me?” More importantly, we wanted students to gain awareness of the large number of resources ECPI University has created, gathered, and enhanced as part of Students FIRST. Here are a few quotes from students who took part:

At the advice of my program director I subscribed to several Healthcare websites and now receive daily email updates on critical healthcare issues.
I feel like ECPI University is very involved in its students’ futures and helping them develop portfolios, cover letters, and performing mock interviews and helping find possible employers.
I love the WellConnect Link…it is reassuring knowing that whenever you have a problem or just want to talk to someone, it’s right there.
The e-library sources that EPCI University has to offer are amazing. I just can’t wrap my head around how many sources are available to me!
I will immediately start on getting my portfolio together.
Learning how to use ECPI’s many information literacy tools brings the excitement back to an old man attending college at the age of 42!
All of the teachers and faculty are passionate about their careers. Going to ECPI University is like going to another day of real life Discovery Channel.
ECPI University not only focuses on us now but also preparing us for the future…they will be there for us along the way.
Having an opportunity to obtain certifications in my field of study at a reduced cost, I plan to take full advantage of this benefit.
I enjoyed learning about the possibility of students using ebooks instead of carrying around heavy books each day. I am very familiar with ebooks and think it is a great idea.
I greatly appreciated today’s Students First activity. It is just what I needed to learn the ropes and take advantage of what ECPI University has to offer its students.

A special thanks goes out to the Committee Chairs who continue to lead their teams in working hard on this important multi-year effort, including Laura Glading, Amy Hickman, Sonya Schweitzer, Kenton Scearce, Beth Seufer Buss, and Gerry White.