From At-Risk to At-Promise: Academic Libraries Supporting Student Success

In higher education, the movement toward a holistic approach to creating programs and services that help students reach their goals is broadly referred to as student success. In many cases, these efforts involve collaborations between student-focused campus services such as advising and counseling, and libraries. In this book, authors Vecchione (research and innovation, Boise State Univ.) and McGraw (academic advising, New Jersey Institute of Technology) provide an overview of student success in higher education, show why libraries are natural partners in these endeavors, and explain how partnerships can be developed. In part one, the authors address the factors behind the development of the movement, suggesting a departure from the at-risk/deficit model to one that views students as at-promise, acknowledging and building on their existing skills and strengths. The authors use parts two and three to situate libraries in this re-framed model and map out what successful collaborations can look like. The authors conclude with a call for regular needs assessments and making student success a common goal for libraries.