quick ideas for libraries to help with retention efforts
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Quick Ideas to Help with Retention Efforts
on Your Campus
Carissa Tomlinson, FYE Librarian and Liaison to Nursinghttp://tinyurl.com/retentionALA2014
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/empty_shelves/2323457156sa
Major Retention Theorists
•Vincent Tinto, Distinguished Professor Emeritus – Syracuse University
• John P. Bean, Professor Emeritus – Indiana University Bloomington
Background(Before College
Factors)
Family supportIncome
Pre-college successHigh school rank
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rubyblossom/
4233409284/
Bureaucratic Factors(Red tape)
University policies:Ease of registration/
payment Daycare/parking available
Ease of questions answered
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/julia_manzerova/4388356403
Academic Factors(Grades+)
Academic support servicesAcademic roles models
Grades and GPAFaculty & advising
interactions
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_ellis/2269499855
Social Factors(Do they feel like they fit
in?)
Group or community on campusInvolvement on Campus
Close friends, Informal interactions with
faculty and staff
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bunnyrel/4373313530
Environmental Factors(Distractions)
JobsFamily
Significant Others
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lilymonster/3505625308
Attitude and Intention(Do they think they can do
it and do they want to)?
Self ConfidenceSelf EfficacyDrive and
Determination
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/merchau/8548057127
Things to Consider with the Health Professions
Many non-traditional students (age, ESL speakers, ethnicity, first generation)
• Older students may have unique distractions (family, full time job, etc.)• ESL students may have academic and social issues
in terms of both language and cultural differences• First generation and ethnic and racial minority
students can be less likely to see themselves as college students if they are in a school with a white majority
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/13192322445
Things to Consider with the Health Professions
Trained to be practitioners • Students must not only know information, they must
be able to show they can practice what they’ve learned. • Students with cultural and language differences may
have problems meeting the expectations of a practitioner (i.e. strong accents, does not make eye contact, etc)
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/13192322445
Things to Consider with the Health Professions
Rigor of program• Many students are not academically ready
for the rigor of a health professions program. Programs often do not allow for “easy A” classes.
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/13192322445
What can the library do?
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/omcoc/6751047205
Make friends!
Cross campus partnerships are key to student retention.
Background Factors
Find out who are your biggest “feeder” high schools/ community colleges. • Opportunities for
conversation and collaboration.
Massachusetts Library System sponsored: My College Freshman is Your High School Senior
Website: http://www.masslibsystem.org/blog/2013/03/18/my-college-freshman-is-your-college-senior-may-31-2013/
Background Factors
Invite high school students to your library. • Does your school already
work with high school groups? Such as Upward Bound?• Are there projects that
high school students in the area do that need college library resources/skill?
Website: http://libguides.starkstate.edu/content.php?pid=121044&sid=1041407
Background FactorsFind out if your school has
any special “bridge” programs.• STEM• Health Professions• International• General
TOPS Program at Towson
Offer library services/information
OrientationsMentorship programsWorkshopsWebsite informationAdvisory board
Background Factors
Meet the parents• Get involved with parent
programming before and after students start at your school.• High school visits• Parent drive-ins• Family weekend• Parent organizations
Website: http://www.towson.edu/main/lifetu/events/familyweekend/documents/ParentPride_Fall20132.pdf
Bureaucratic FactorsBe ready and willing to answer
non-research related questions• Librarians should be knowledgeable
Consider serving as an advisor
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalnc/8263677901
Academic Factors
Get involved with any remedial/preparatory or College 101 courses
Need to be integrated in FYE courses/ Freshman seminar courses
In addition to library instruction in courses:• Embed in the course
management system• Make office hours
Website: http://libresources.wichita.edu/embeddedlibrarians
Academic Factors
Offer traditional reference desk help and…
Peer to Peer research assistance• Cook Library A-LIST
• 3 students “rove” the library 15 hours a week helping students with their research questions.
Academic Factors
• Pre-orientations/ Bridge• Cohort groups• Remedial/Prep classes• Residence halls/floors• Student groups • Study lounges
Find out what programs your school has targeting non-traditional/ at risk students especially in the first year:
SAGE Program at Towson
Photo from: http://www.towson.edu/sage/index.asp
Offer library services• Orientation• Workshops• Research Assistance • (librarian or peer)
Service• Mentorship• Facilitate book clubs • Serve on advisory board
Academic Factors
Find out what your health profession departments are doing/wanting to do regarding retention and volunteer to help.• Towson University: IDEA Center: Center
for ESL nursing students to get extra attention with language groups, speech practice, study skills.• Participate in orientation• Offer workshops • Serve on advisory board
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowercolumbiacollege/4473932900
Social Factors
Create social spaces for students especially for those who do not have social spaces on campus (dorms, student lounges, etc). • Group study space• Coffee shop/ eating area• Space for socializing• Formalized space for student
groups• Holding events/ meet-ups for
health professions/non-traditional/ commuter students to meet Photo from:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/uofdenver/3770483632
Environmental Factors
Long hours should including early mornings for commuter students
Make it easy for students to study without distractions• Quiet rooms• Lots of outlets• Movable furniture• Study group incentives
Website: http://library.columbia.edu/services/study-spaces.html
Attitude and IntentionHelp lessen “Library Anxiety”
• Be open, available, and ready to help• Offer help a variety of ways
(peer to peer, reference desk, in the classroom, though student affairs, etc.)
• Work to make the library and it’s services easy to use and the point of need
Support the support organizationsMentoringAdvising
Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/83633410@N07/7658230838
ReferencesBean, J. P. (2003). College student retention. In J.W. Guthrie (Ed.), Encyclopedia of education (pp. 401-407). New York, NY: Macmillan Reference USA.Bean, J. P. (2005). Nine themes of college student retention. In Alan Seidman (ed.) College student retention. (pp. 215-244). Westport, CT: American Council on Education and Praeger Publishers.Blackburn, H. (2010). Shhh! No Talking about Retention in the Library! Education Libraries, 33(1), 24-30.Grallo, J., Baker, P., & Chalmers, M. M. (2012). How do I get a campus ID? The other role of the academic library in student retention and success. Reference Librarian, 53(2), 182-193. doi:10.1080/02763877.2011.618787Jeffreys, M.R. (2004). Nursing student retention: Understanding the process and making a difference. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. Love, E. (2009). A simple step: Integrating library reference and instruction into previously established academic programs for minority students. Reference Librarian, 50(1), 4-13. doi:10.1080/02763870802546357Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition, 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Some additional reading
Haddow, G., & Joseph, J. (2010). Loans, logins, and lasting the course: Academic library use and student retention. Australian Academic and Research Libraries, 41(4), 233-244.Knapp, J. A., Rowland, N. J., & Charles, E. P. (2014). Retaining students by embedding librarians into undergraduate research experiences. Reference Services Review, 42(1), 129-147. doi:10.1108/RSR- 02-2013-0012Beauvais, A. M., Stewart, J. G., DeNisco, S., & Beauvais, J. E. (2014). Factors related to academic success among nursing students: A descriptive correlational research study. Nurse Education Today, 34(6), 918-923. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2013.12.005Cameron, J., Roxburgh, M., Taylor, J., & Lauder, W. (2011). An integrative literature review of student retention in programmes of nursing and midwifery education: why do students stay? Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 20(9/10), 1372-1382. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03336.xMckendry, S., Wright, M., & Stevenson, K. (2014). Why here and why stay? Students' voices on the retention strategies of a widening participation university. Nurse Education Today, 34(5), 872-877. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2013.09.009Shelton, E. N. (2012). A Model of Nursing Student Retention. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 9(1), 1-16. doi:10.1515/1548-923X.2334