IMLS SPARKS Ignite IL Framework Cooperative Project for At-Risk Student Success in Smaller Colleges

Five liberal arts colleges in Maryland and Pennsylvania -- McDaniel, Goucher, Ursinus, Washington, and Washington & Jefferson -- came together for this cooperative project which aimed to develop new best practices for ensuring that information literacy education programs at smaller institutions support the success and persistence of at‐risk students in their critical first‐year. Led by Jessame Ferguson at McDaniel College and assisted with the help of consultants Lisa Hinchliffe, April Cunningham, Brian Ault, and Joel Wright, the core members of the team, listed below, used the newly adopted Association of College & Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education to develop and test new assessment methodologies and engaging educational experiences for first‐year students. The project took place from December, 1 2016 - November 30, 2017.

The documentation below includes the original proposal, the Final Performance Report submitted to IMLS, and educational resources that were developed and used for this project. Creative Commons licenses are specified for each document.

For further questions, please contact Jessame Ferguson at McDaniel College.

Project participants:
Jessame Ferguson, McDaniel College (Lead)
Jessica Barbera, McDaniel College
Pamela Flinton, Goucher College
Jim Huff, Goucher College
Diane Skorina, Ursinus College
Christine Iannicelli, Ursinus College
Kerry Gibson, Ursinus College
Ruth Shoge, Washington College
Marianne L. Sade, Washington College
Ronalee Ciocco, Washington & Jefferson College
Samantha Martin, Washington & Jefferson College