If You Fund it, They Will Come: Leveraging Grants to Gain Faculty Collaboration

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WHO ARE WE?

WHO ARE WE?

Laura Francabandera

Instructional Technology Specialist,Credo Reference

WHO IS MORGAN STATE U?

Maryland’s Public Urban University

1. 7,546 students ( 35% out of state )

2. Founded in 1867 ---- 1939 became part of the State of MD system

3. Carnegie Classification: Doctoral / Research university

4. Campus covers more than 143 acres in a residential section of Baltimore, Maryland

5. New library constructed in 2008

6. 2 Information Literacy Librarians

7. 1 Administrator – Teaching Librarian

LIBRARIAN STAFFING OPTIMAL #’S

1 Librarian per 500 students

= 14 Librarians

Applegate, Rachel. Charting academic library staffing data from national surveys. College & Research Libraries. 2007.

http://crl.acrl.org/content/68/1/59.full.pdf

THE GRANT SOURCE

“The Department of Education currently administers a budget of $68.4 billion in discretionary appropriations…” --- www.ed.gov

TAKE-AWAY:

• Identify grant sources on campus, locally, regionally, nationally• www.grants.gov• Annual Register of Grant Support• Office of Institutional Research

TITLE III PART B - SAFRA GRANT

SAFRAThe Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act ( H.R. 3221 )

• September 22, 2009

• Create a savings of $87 billion for the federal government by funding student loans

• Through the Department of Education, one element of SAFRA was committed to invest $2.55 billion ( 2.9% of the savings ) in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions through 2019

The Morgan Library successfully obtained approximately $600,000 ( over a 5-year period ) --- 2010 – 2014

TITLE III PART B – GRANT DISTRIBUTION

ECONOMIC/ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT

1. Flat or decreasing budgets

2. Understaffing

3. Growing student population

4. Changing skill set requirements

5. Increasing work demands

2010 = Morgan Library = SAFRA Grant

THE GRANT’S CHARGE

Develop a sustainable Information Literacy Program

1. Teach/Influence a specific number of students each federal fiscal cycle

5 years --- 1,500 – 3,000

2. Purchase a specific number of books to support the initiative

OPPORTUNITY!! --- Morgan Library + Faculty

GRANT FUNDING ON CAMPUS

GRANT FUNDING ON CAMPUS?

1. Competitive

2. Territorial

3. Limited projects funded ( 6 SAFRA projects )

4. Limited to ‘no’ sharing of project funds

5. Limited to ‘no’ sharing of ‘intellectual ideas’

BRIDGING THE GREAT DIVIDE: IMPROVING RELATIONS BETWEEN LIBRARIANS AND CLASSROOM FACULTY

WADE R. KOTTER - 1999

LIBRARIAN-FACULTY COLLABORATION

“…the goal of improved librarian-faculty relations is a chimera.” pg. 295

“…the differences between the roles of librarians and classroom faculty create an inherent set of structural and psychological tensions that can never be entirely eliminated.”

“…there is nothing to be gained and much to be lost if librarians ( or classroom faculty ) adopt the defeatist attitude that each is the other’s eternal adversary.”

KOTTER’S SOURCES OF TENSIONSFaculty…

1. May not know that librarians are willing to help

2. May feel that librarians do not have the time to help

3. May feel ashamed to ask a librarian for help because it might be viewed by their colleagues, and by the librarian, as unscholarly

4. May be reluctant to admit that librarians have any contribution to make

5. May be reluctant to admit that librarians actually made a contribution to their work

WHAT DO YOU THINK?Faculty…

1. May not know that librarians are willing to help

2. May feel that librarians do not have the time to help

3. May feel ashamed to ask a librarian for help because it might be viewed by their colleagues, and by the librarian, as unscholarly

4. May be reluctant to admit that librarians have any contribution to make

5. May be reluctant to admit that librarians actually made a contribution to their work

FUND IT, …THEY WILL COME!

Translation

SHARE YOUR ICE CREAM

WHAT MORGAN STATE AND LITERATI DID …

1. A set of information literacy videos giving students and faculty a basis in finding resource in library, information literacy, and basic info about the grant.

2. Faculty projects: Distance Learning, Social Work, and Education.

3. English Comp modules (set of three)

GETTING TO “YES”

Throw out the old “us vs. them” model of negotiating. There are no “territories” when it comes to student success.

• Separate the people from the problem• Invent options for mutual gain• Focus on interests, not positionsTake-away: Instead of “librarians vs. faculty” think of yourselves as problem solvers and co-collaborators.

GETTING TO “YES”

Do this: “We both know that students are not coming into your class with the information skills they need to succeed. What can I do to help give you back 2 hours of your course time?”

Not that: “The reason students aren’t doing well is because you don’t have library instruction scheduled.”

METHODS / APPROACHES

1. Understand your users / Informal interviews with faculty/students

a. “The library just stays in their space. They don’t reach out to us.” --- F

b. “They don’t seem like they want to help us.” --- Sc. “I’ve asked for things, I don’t ever get a response.” --- Fd. “I really don’t have any time in my syllabus to give to a

librarian. I’ve got too much content to cover.” --- Fe. “I’m scared to ask anything. That guy looks mean at the

desk.” --- Sf. “The book set up looks confusing/intimidating.” --- STake-away: Deal ‘head on’ with the issues

articulated by your patrons,…real or perceived.

METHODS / APPROACHES

1. Understand your users

Staffing reality – 1 person with 2 w/ limited skills

Credo’s Literati

Take-away: Deal ‘head on’ with the issues articulated by your patrons,…real or perceived.

METHODS / APPROACHES

2. Understand your environment

* Know your org charts and levels of authority.* Know your institutional culture* Know how the library fits within the university* Know the library’s past experiences with faculty

Take-away: Know your institution and infrastructure.

METHODS / APPROACHES

3. Identify your communication strategy

* Identify the key people that make things happen* Do a “top-down, bottom-up” approach* Keep a call/email log

Take-away: Identify the key people and prime movers of your institution

METHODS / APPROACHES

4. Plan your program

* Make a plan for the entire program* Find a vendor partner like Literati* Now-Next-Later approach to planning

Take-away: Identify the key people and prime movers of your institution

NOW

NEXTLATER

METHODS / APPROACHES

5. Hit the Pavement

* Start calling, emailing, and talking to the key contacts

* Always talk about your main points/problem solvers* Keep asking – do not give up

Take-away: Get out there – do not expect them to come to you.

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