3. D.5. The institution provides to students guidance in the effective use of research and information resources.
Information services at Miller College are readily available to students through on-line use of the virtual library, as well as, through close proximity to city and college hard copy collections. The Virtual Library is a link to area libraries and includes all of Michigan and beyond in its scope. Links include Michigan eLibrary (Mel), the internet public library, Albion College Stockwell-Mudd library, Kalamazoo College Upjohn Library, Kalamazoo Valley Community College libraries, Kellogg Community College Library, Western Michigan University and Willard Library (Battle Creek). For instance, the Michigan Mel electronic library (MeLCat) catalog may be searched for books, books on tape, CD/DVD music, magazines and more (See Adjunct Faculty handbook, Miller College Website Virtual Library). Students may access the virtual library through the current student link on the Miller College WebPortal.
Students receive guidance in the use of these libraries through both classroom instruction and on-line tutorials under “Virtual Library: Services sections describing the scope of the library”; research skills tutorial where students learn to search library databases, select appropriate resources, and evaluate and cite information are immediately available through the Miller College website (See Miller College Website).
Evidence:
In addition to on-line guidance, Miller College courses and the core courses in particular, include a review of available resources and contain assignments asking students to synthesize information from multiple sources in supporting a position. LBAR 300: Junior Seminar, functions as an entry point for in-coming students and a key unit in the course acquaints students with available resources and how to use them. Assignments there also rely on the use of multiple sources in support of a position. Direct faculty guidance in the effective use of research and information services is part of the course. All five core courses involve research projects in a manner consistent with the objectives of each course. These include: SCIE 330: Research Methods; ENGL 310: Advanced Composition and Professional Ethics; SOCI-310: Human Diversity; and LBAR 300: Junior Seminar. Courses particular to schools each have an anchor research course. In the School of Business BUSN 499 Senior Seminar includes a global business project, in the School of Education, EDUC 310 and EDUC 311 Reading and Language Arts I and II involve a major research project; in the School of Nursing, the course BSRN 430 is a Nursing Research Project.
Evidence:
Further support for students in the use of research and information services comes from the informal curriculum: the academic tutor is available to assist students in all components of the research process; the Trillium Society, composed of Miller College students, provides academic assistance to classmates and the tutor earns service learning hours.
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