Quick Ideas for Libraries to Help with Retention Efforts

1. Quick Ideas to Help with Retention Efforts on Your Campus Carissa Tomlinson, FYE Librarian and Liaison to Nursing http://tinyurl.com/retentionALA2014 Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/empty_shelves/2323457156sa

2. Major Retention Theorists • Vincent Tinto, Distinguished Professor Emeritus – Syracuse University • John P. Bean, Professor Emeritus – Indiana University Bloomington

3. Background (Before College Factors) Family support Income Pre-college success High school rank Photo from: https://www.flickr.com /photos/rubyblossom/ 4233409284/

4. 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_manzero va/4388356403

5. Academic Factors (Grades+) Academic support services Academic roles models Grades and GPA Faculty & advising interactions Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_ellis/2269499855

6. Social Factors (Do they feel like they fit in?) Group or community on campus Involvement on Campus Close friends, Informal interactions with faculty and staff Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bunnyrel/4373313530

7. Environmental Factors (Distractions) Jobs Family Significant Others Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lilymonster/3505625308

8. Attitude and Intention (Do they think they can do it and do they want to)? Self Confidence Self Efficacy Drive and Determination Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/merchau/8548057127

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. What can the library do? Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/omcoc/6751047205

13. Make friends! Cross campus partnerships are key to student retention.

14. 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/

15. 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

16. Background Factors Find out if your school has any special “bridge” programs. • STEM • Health Professions • International • General TOPS Program at Towson Offer library services/information Orientations Mentorship programs Workshops Website information Advisory board

17. 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

18. Bureaucratic Factors Be 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

19. 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

20. 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.

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. Attitude and Intention Help 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 organizations Mentoring Advising Photo from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/83633410@N07/7658230838

26. References Bean, 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:10.1080/02763877.2011.618787 Jeffreys, 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:10.1080/02763870802546357 Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition, 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

27. 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- 02-2013-0012 Beauvais, 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.2013.12.005 Cameron, 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.x Mckendry, 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.2013.09.009 Shelton, 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