At its meeting of May 11, 1999, the Academic Senate approved the following policy on the Basic Information Competence Requirement.

This policy replaces Academic Senate Policy F82-78, Library Requirement for General Education.

To assure that all undergraduate students have an opportunity to acquire basic information competency, each student shall complete the self-paced instructional package on Basic Information Competencies prepared and administered by the J. Paul Leonard Library faculty. The Basic Information Competence Requirement is a graduation requirement for undergraduate students. It shall be completed by all first-time freshmen by the end of their second semester and by transfer students by the end of their first semester at San Francisco State University. The requirement shall be included in all orientation courses for first-time San Francisco State University undergraduate students.

As an outcome of learning, all San Francisco State University undergraduate students shall demonstrate information competencies that position them for success in their educational programs here or elsewhere, and for lifelong learning. This policy addresses the following competencies outlined by the California State University Commission on Learning Resources and Instructional Technology:

• Determine the information requirements for a research question, problem or issue in order to formulate a search strategy that will use a variety of resources.
• Locate and retrieve relevant information in various formats, using, when appropriate, technological tools.
• Organize information in a manner that permits analysis, evaluation, synthesis and understanding.
• Understand ethical, legal and socio-political issues surrounding information.

The Basic Information Competence Requirement is designed to provide an introductory framework of general concepts to prepare students for university coursework and academic inquiry. It is recognized that departmental faculty need to provide discipline-specific research and information competence skills. The academic faculty and the Library shall work together to implement information competence throughout the curriculum.

Further knowledge in information competence will be developed and applied in general education coursework and information competence skills will be reinforced and enhanced in the major.

The Basic Information Competence Requirement is an undergraduate graduation requirement. It shall be completed by all first-time freshmen by the end of their second semester and by transfer students by the end of their first semester at San Francisco State University. If students do not complete the requirement as indicated, they may be subject to loss of registration priority. The requirement shall be included in any orientation course for first-time San Francisco State University undergraduate students.

All advisors will be furnished with this policy as well as full information regarding Information Competence, its value, and methods to insure its development among students.

Faculty teaching appropriate courses are encouraged to require completion of the Basic Information Competence Requirement before the eighth week of class.

This policy will go into effect Fall no later than 2000.

This policy shall be evaluated by the Academic Senate three years after its implementation to determine its effectiveness.