As a former English instructor, Flora Mason is familiar with UNLV students and the challenges they face completing their degrees. And as a member of the Libraries Advisory Board, she also knows that today's academic librarian is much more involved with teaching and collaborating on course design than librarians from even 10 years ago.
So when librarians Victoria Nozero and Diane VanderPol developed a pilot program to address retention of undergraduate students, Mason knew exactly how she could help.
She and her husband, Stuart, provided funds to allow the University Libraries to launch the Undergraduate Peer Research Coaches pilot program last year. The opportunity trains selected students as front-line research coaches for their peers.
Gina Cassaro, the first student recruited for the program says, "What I've learned working in the Libraries already has made my classwork more manageable."
Studies have shown that college students who work in libraries, especially assisting in classrooms or at reference desks, strengthen their own research skills and academic performance. Participation in the program, which includes a librarian mentor, encourages the students to stay in school and finish their degrees.
"The most impressive benefit of the program is that it allows us to focus mainly on graduating, while also doing meaningful work," says peer research coach Alyssa Ventura.
Undergraduate students who are overwhelmed by the resources available or who hestitate to ask questions of librarians can turn to their peers for help. The coaches assist with myriad tasks, including conducting library tours, assisting at the reference desks and during instruction courses, and guiding others through research quests.
Going forward, two additional first- or second-year students will join the peer research coaches group each fall. Libraries administrators hope that a focus on bright, enthusiastic students who are considered at risk of not finishing their degree will make a measurable impact on both the student mentors and the peers they will serve throughout the program.
