As part of our IMLS-funded research grant, we explore strategies to support holistic notions of student success, particularly at community colleges, which have a disproportionate percentage of first-generation and nontraditional students. Survey data can be a helpful tool in shifting perspectives about this subject and providing important context. A recent study by Tyton Partners, titled “Driving Toward a Degree: Awareness, Belonging, and Coordination” (2023), provides insights that help us shift our focus from purely academic success to a more comprehensive approach that includes attending to students’ basic and non-curricular needs.
Aspects Hindering Student Success
For their study, Tyton Partners conducted two large-scale surveys in Spring 2023, gathering responses from 2,048 students and 1,756 institutional stakeholders, including advisors and non-academic support providers. Their study identified four primary barriers to effective student support services:
- Awareness: Many students were unaware of the comprehensive support services available to them. Less than two-thirds of student respondents recognized academic advising, career advising, or academic registration as accessible services, despite institutions confirming their availability.
- Belonging: Awareness of non-academic support services is closely tied to a student’s sense of belonging, which is a key aspect of retention. The study revealed that only about 60% of students know about the resources accessible through mental health, financial aid, and career services.
- Coordination: Effective support requires integrated and coordinated services. Tyton Partners’ study found that student support offices often operate in silos, lacking efficient referral systems or integration. This fragmentation hinders the delivery of holistic support.
- Turnover: Lastly, high advisor caseloads contribute to burnout and high turnover, diminishing the quality of support available to students.
Enhancing Student Awareness
The disconnect between student awareness and the availability of support services underscores the need for proactive communication. Students often do not utilize services because they are unaware of them, or they do not perceive them as relevant to their needs. Either that, or explanation of these services to students (often during orientation) does not come at point of need and may not be easily recalled.
The Tyton Study provides some recommendations in this regard. First, they suggest promoting all available support services through multiple channels, including classroom announcements, regular advisor meetings, and digital nudges to students. Second, they recommend that student advising sessions cover a broad range of topics, including financial challenges and other non-curricular issues. And third, they recommend creating “one-stop shops” or mini-hubs for student services. This could extend to the digital realm, including non-curricular libguides or “Help Tools” such as the one on Penn State Altoona’s website.
Integrating Support Services to Foster Student Belonging
Holistic student success requires coordinated support services. The study emphasizes the need for better integration of support services, both physically and digitally. As Ashley Mowreader writes in her analysis of the study, “Student support offices are often siloed, but student needs are interconnected.” Developing efficient referral systems between different support offices to ensure students receive support at point of need will increase student use of these resources. It’s important to note that these resources already exist, but students may not necessarily know about or view as relevant to their issues.
Tyton Partners’ study also found that students who regularly access these resources reported a higher level of belonging compared to those who didn’t, or were not aware of them. Encouraging students to utilize financial aid counseling, health services, and career services (and emphasizing their importance in student success) can foster this sense of belonging across the student body.
Practical Implications
Of course, all of these recommendations are easier said than done. After all, the majority of us do not wield the power to make sweeping changes to the advising process or technological systems. So, what can librarians and frontline staff do, on a daily and small scale, to help mitigate systemic obstacles to student success?
First, regularly updating and promoting resource guides and information boards within the library and other common areas can be a small but significant step towards increasing student awareness of available resources. Additionally, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment is key to fostering a sense of belonging among students. This can involve providing personalized support and guidance, ensuring that each student feels valued and understood. Lastly, with respect to the coordination issue, building personal relationships with staff across different support services can better facilitate seamless student referrals.
