Academic services and learning resources are made available to Mott students to encourage and facilitate student success and meet a wide range of student goals, abilities, learning styles and expectations. Services and resources are provided by the Mott Library, The Learning Center/DisAbilities Services, Writing Center, Tutorial Services and other tutorial support specific to academic departments.

LIBRARY SERVICES (GIR 18)

Mission Statement: The mission of the library is to serve the information needs of students, faculty, staff and community by providing: 1) professional reference librarians always on duty for personalized assistance and/or bibliographic instruction in finding and using materials and information: 2) a broad range of print and non-print materials that support the curriculum and are available for circulation: and 3) attractive facilities conducive to study for individual and group use. Additionally, the library is responsible for acquiring, maintaining, and indexing designated documents from various areas of the college in a Central Files/Archives, which is available to faculty and staff.

The Mott Library is located near the southeast corner of the Main campus and serves students, faculty, staff and the community. Professional librarians are always available to provide personalized assistance in finding and using materials and information.

Library services and resources at MCC include facilities for individual and group study, print and non-print materials available for circulation or reference, and the Flint Area Library Cooperative (FALCON) automated network of more that 500,000 books and other materials. A student lounge contains current newspapers, magazines, and vending machines with snacks and beverages.

The Southern Lakes Branch Campus Library is open 15-20 hours per week. Regular delivery service between campuses provides students with access to materials from the main library. Students enrolled at SLBC have full borrowing privileges at both libraries.

Students enrolled in classes exclusively at the Lapeer campus may view the FALCON catalog and request books through the campus office.

FALCON

In 1988 the Flint Area Library Cooperative was formed "to jointly automate our libraries with a view of saving costs, sharing resources and to better serve our patrons" (Mission Statement 8/22/88). Original members were Baker College, Genesee District Library, GMI, Mott Community College and University of Michigan-Flint. Mott library staff was actively involved in the several years of planning to select a library automation vendor and to develop the organizational, financial and legal structure of a multi-type library cooperative.

In 1990 Dynix was selected as the vendor and a system administrator was hired. In the summer of 1992 barcodes were applied to each library volume. Community volunteers, Mott staff, faculty and student volunteers, and Friends of the Mott Library worked with library staff for nine weeks to apply 63,000 barcodes.

The staff terminals were up and running early in 1992, and the public access terminals were installed, and the circulation module was used in the fall of 1992. Since that date, Dynix has been through several upgrades. PCs replaced terminals in 1997, including three stations at Southern Lakes campus library. Acquisitions and serials modules were added to the original circulation, cataloging and reserve book room modules. The Public Access workstations have Windows format, making them attractive and easy to use. The paper card catalog was abandoned and finally removed in 1996.

Students have access to 500,000+ volumes: the combined databases of Genesee District Library, Lapeer County Library, Baker College and its campuses across the state, Kettering University (formerly GMI) and Mott’s main campus library and Southern Lakes library. University of Michigan-Flint dropped out of the original cooperative; Lapeer County Library became a member in 1997. Some students travel to Genesee District’s branches to borrow materials directly; others use interlibrary loan to obtain materials Mott does not own. Students in good standing with Mott library may apply for an Academic Resource Sharing (ARS) card and become registered borrowers at Baker or Kettering within the guidelines of that program. University of Michigan-Flint and Detroit College of Business are also part of the ARS program. Interlibrary loan (ILL) is an efficient and convenient way for students to access FALCON resources. One Mott librarian spends between 15 – 20 hours a week on ILL responsibilities. She processes FALCON book requests, journal requests from area libraries, medical journal requests from area hospital libraries and Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) ILL for Mott students and fills requests from other FALCON members and OCLC ILL. A delivery service delivers to Mott daily and picks up twice a week. OCLC ILL is a computer network that allows member libraries to interloan books and articles for their patrons. Members share information on their own holdings and commit to interlibrary loan policies and procedures. In 1989/90 39 items were interloaned; in 1997/98 2,195 items were handled for interlibrary loan. That 2100+ figure has been consistent for the past six years.

"OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs" (OCLC Annual Report, 1997/98). Mott Library joined OCLC through their regional office Michigan Library Consortium (MLC) in 1990. Services from these organizations include access to a complete database of MARC records for copy cataloging, the ILL utility, software, training/workshops, group purchasing power for library supplies and cooperative efforts like Access Michigan and Information Access Company databases. In addition, help desks and contact people and resources for technology and other informational needs are available. Links with OCLC are links to the library world. Now that students are using OCLC’s First Search databases for books and periodicals, students are seeing those materials as readily as the librarian once did.

Each library in FALCON has collection strengths. For instance, Mott buys heavily in the nursing area, and less popular fiction. This cooperative agreement stretches budgets just a little further for each library. Although there are titles that are owned by several libraries, there are many that are unique to each agency.

Four work stations near the Reference Desk have been designated as Internet stations. On each station InfoTrac, a periodical database product from Information Access Company (IAC), is available. Through InfoTrac, Mott Library offers students access to SIRS (a collection of magazine and newspaper articles), General Reference Gold periodical collection, Business ASAP and Academic Health Resources. Also available are OCLC’s First Search, several CD-ROM products and access to the Internet. These stations are currently heavily used with over 2,000 hours logged on the InfoTrac indexes in 1997-98. Two more stations were added in Fall 1998 in response to student use. The added stations provide all services except the CD-ROM products.

Periodicals continue to be a popular source for current information. Mott subscribes to almost 400 titles, which are shelved alphabetically on the first floor. Some of the most used titles go to the bindery for permanent retention; about 35 titles are received annually on microfilm, with the New York Times newspaper microfilm received monthly. Electronic access to some titles has not replaced need for paper copy. Students have assignments requiring advertising and access to charts, graphs, photographs, political cartoons, sidebar commentary and editorials, but they still find pleasure in leisure reading and browsing.

The Mott Library has a well-trained, experienced staff. Each staff member has taken advantage of the opportunity to attend training sessions, both Mott sponsored and off-campus. Staying current with technology remains a concern in every field, including the library. The entire staff is committed to service to students, faculty, staff and the community. The library also serves Mott Middle College students and staff, University Center students, as well as the community at large.

The library’s 7 days a week service in Fall and Winter was re-instituted in Winter semester of 1997. Statistics showed the average Sunday gate count was 116, so the extended hours, initially a College Life Enhancement Fund (CLEF) sponsored pilot program, were picked up by the college budget. The library’s current hours are the longest in more than 10 years. In 1997/98 161,350 students walked through the library’s entrance gate. Over 17,200 reference questions were tallied and 35,725 items circulated. Librarians conducted 338 class visits and tours in the library and several orientations for special groups like new faculty or nursing students outside the library.

The depth of the library’s collection is one of its strengths. Faculty have been regularly encouraged to suggest books for the collection. All faculty requests for purchase are filled if possible. In the past 10 years, the library has added an average of 2950 items to the collection each year.

FALCON, access to the Internet and other technology advancements have become the standard expectations for library staff and for Mott library users. All campus computers have access to FALCON, InfoTrac and OCLC’s First Search without passwords. Students and others can access FALCON from the web site www.falcon.edu. InfoTrac and First Search are accessible with the student’s current library barcode as password. The Mott Library web page included on the Mott College web site early in 1999.

The Faculty Reading Room, located on the 2nd floor of the library, was a Committee for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) initiative, carried to fruition in 1995 by the Manager of Reference and Branch Services, who was a member of the committee. Several instructors regularly use it as a quiet get away from hectic offices. There is a PC and printer with full connectivity, some comfortable seating, a phone, and a small collection of books and a file cabinet with teaching and learning sources.

The Friends of the Mott Library

One of the strengths of the Mott Library is the dedication and hard work of the Friends of the Mott Library. This group was established in 1989 and became a part of the Foundation for Mott Community College, operating under the Foundation’s by-laws. The Friends work together to promote the Mott Library on campus and in the community, assist the library by volunteering time and talents, provide funds for special projects and to purchase new equipment and books, strengthen the commitment to life-long learning, and enhance the library services for students.

The membership number has remained around 75 members for a few years, and these members have accomplished a lot. The members are made up of students, alumni, faculty, staff, retirees, community individuals and organizations. A Board of Directors along with the Executive Director of the Library identifies unmet needs of the library and develops fundraising activities and special projects, such as membership drives, book sales, Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, fashion shows and art auctions, to attempt to meet those needs. Some of the projects aided by the Friends include a photography contest, Smithsonian exhibition, and Literacy Day activities.

Another is the Retiree Book Dedication. College retirees are asked to select a book that the Library will purchase in the retiree’s name and add to the library collection. This benefits the students by increasing the library collection and by including books that retirees consider interesting or worth reading.

Many items have been purchased using funds from the Friends. These include a drive-by book drop; Macintosh computer and software; two facsimile machines for the main campus and for Southern Lakes Branch Campus for resource sharing; library shelving for open reserve/new book section, and a lap top computer for student orientations and to create power point presentations on using the library.

Evaluation

The April, 1998 MCC Student Evaluation of Services done by the Mott Library identified customer concerns and suggestions about improving library services. The concerns were related to two basic areas: the building and items requiring an increased budget commitment. Items related to the building include the need for more study areas, noise reduction, and a change machine. A change machine has already been installed, but the other concerns related to the building require the commitment of capital funds.

The building is old and was designed only to house books in certain areas. The second floor has books on one side and study desks and chairs on the other side. The study desks and chairs are very old and not really comfortable. The area is quite stark, and sound carries due to the tile floors, cement block walls and abundance of windows. Carpeting and new furnishings would reduce the noise level and provide a more comfortable, inviting area to study or do leisure reading.

Other concerns, which require additional budget in the Library, include a need for more books of all kinds such as fiction and general reading; more Internet stations; more weekend hours and additional staff; and better copy machines.

The need for more and newer books is one of the most frequent responses in the comment portion of the survey. Budget could provide more varied books and newer books, but it would also require removing other books from the shelves to provide space. Expanding services to the third floor is being considered to provide additional space. The periodical collection is also important to students doing class assignments and research projects and requires a budget commitment to maintain subscriptions.

Strengths:

None identified.

Threats:

The Learning Center/DisAbility Services Department is a centralized academic assistance service for Mott students. The department offers a variety of free services to support student learning and maximize academic success. The center is located in the Mott Library building on the main campus but provides some support to the Lapeer satellite and Southern Lakes campus. The center is also the department from which several federal and state grant projects are administered. The Learning Center/DisAbility Services Department was created during the 1993-94 academic year by combining several autonomous departments into one with a single executive director. The staff and functions of these various departments were relocated under one roof in the summer of 1994. The major components of the center are: DisAbility Services, Peer and Professional Tutorial Services, services for limited English proficient students and the WICAT Computer Lab. The Special Populations/Perkins, Student Support Services (TRIO), and Upward Bound grant projects are administered by Learning Center staff.

DISABILITY SERVICES

The objective of DisAbility Services is to assure that disabled students are provided with appropriate and reasonable accommodations that make all Mott programs and services physically and programmatically accessible.

Professional and paraprofessional staff provide and/or coordinate a complete array of disability related services including interpreters, recorded textbooks, alternative methods of testing, readers, notetakers, adaptive equipment, evacuation assistance, and orientation to facilities and technology (DisAbility Services Student Handbook, program brochure). The roughly 200 students with disabilities that request services annually (Learning Center/DisAbility Services Annual Reports) are more than adequately served with one or two notable exceptions. The first, according to DisAbility Services staff, is computer access for instructional and personal use for students with significant visual impairments. None of the colleges computer classrooms, labs or Internet sites is accessible to the blind. Second, there is no separate programming for learning disabled students. The department offers a full array of accommodations/services for learning disabled students but no special courses or programs.

DisAbility Services staff is well qualified according to the standards set forth by the Council for the Advancement of Standards for Student Services Programs, and they possess the education and certifications expected in their specialties. There is a heavy reliance on part-time and agency staff to provide sign language interpreting and student workers for note-taker and reader services. Three full time professionals, including an interpreter have primary responsibility for disability services but also work with other disadvantaged students, many of whom are considered developmental. The human and physical resources are adequate compared with similar community college programs, but stretched to the maximum, which leaves very little time and resources for creative activities.

Services for Limited English Proficient Students

The primary objectives of Limited English Proficient (LEP) services are to enhance student learning and accelerate the development of proficiency in spoken and written English language.

Students with limited English proficiency (LEP) are provided three basic services:

Students have unlimited access to the ELLIS Program. Currently very few students fully use the program because no technical support and guidance is available after students receive an initial orientation. Students are generally satisfied with the level of help available according to comments made during interviews conducted by self study committee members, but they think that more weekly time with the professional tutors is needed as well as more conversational groups. According to annual reports, 35 to 40 students request services each year. (Annual Report is in Team Room.)

WICAT Computer Lab

The WICAT Computer Lab is one of many student computer labs on campus. However it has a unique goal which is to provide tutorial support as well as access to word processing and other computer programs.

The lab consists of 30 networked computer stations that provide access to word processing (WordPerfect 5.0) and a comprehensive computerized tutorial program called AIMS. WICAT is the manufacturer. The lab is heavily used by students (approximately a thousand each year according to the Learning Center Annual Report) needing easy access to the word processing for their reports, papers, resumes, etc. The AIMS tutorial program receives minimal use by a handful of instructors and Upward Bound (a special program for high school aged students) students. Very few faculty are familiar with the content of the software, and most of those who are familiar with it find it inconvenient for use as part of their instructional plan. The software covers most general areas of study including math through trigonometry, science, grammar and reading.

The computers, though, are outdated and can not accommodate tutorial products that are now on the market. Technical support is not readily available. Due to the age of the computers, and minimal use for tutorial purposes, technical support is a secondary concern. The primary concern is that the entire system needs to be replaced with hardware and software that will support current instructional needs. The WICAT Lab does serve well a significant number of students who do not have home computers, especially those students who also need tutorial help in using the word processing programs. The friendly and patient student assistants who work in the lab are able to communicate well with the novice word processor and coach them through completing a document.

Assessment of Learning Center/DisAbility Services

The goal of this area is to enhance student success through the provision of the support services centralized in this location.

A student satisfaction survey was conducted of all the above areas along with other services of the Learning Center in February of 1998. The overwhelming majority of respondents (72 out of 73) were very satisfied with the services they received and described the staff as friendly and helpful. Better computers and more time and staff to lend support were recommended.

Strengths:

None identified

Threats:

The primary goal of the Writing Center, under the auspices of the Division of Humanities, is to provide one-on-one help with any composition project that students have for any class. Students are encouraged to drop in whenever help is needed with writing for any class. The Writing Center supplements writing instruction at the college and provides extra help to students by providing a supportive environment with professors, student tutors, computers, and other resources they need to succeed as writers. In addition, Writing Center staff answer questions by telephone, including those that come through the National Grammar Hotline. Writing Center staff view writing as a social process, and the Writing Center serves as a place and a catalyst to enable that process.

Assessment of the Writing Center’s effectiveness takes several forms: a daily record of student visits is kept (see graph below), students have the option of responding to an on-going survey intended to keep staff in touch with student concerns and to assess effectiveness of the services (see Appendices), and the staff meets informally regarding individual student needs.

According to both this fall’s campus wide survey and the Writing Center’s on-going surveys, most students who use the Writing Center are satisfied with the service and report that it was a positive experience (see Appendices). Over half identified the staff as the most satisfying aspect of the Writing Center, while others appreciated availability of computers and the quiet, convenient location

While pleased with the Writing Center, students and faculty recognize that it lacks adequate resources to meet student needs. According to the on-site survey, over a third of respondents noted problems with the computers, and twenty percent felt more staff was needed. Since funds for student assistants were dropped some years ago, the students hired as tutors must be eligible for work-study funding. The eligibility requirement and the low pay level combine to make it difficult to hire qualified tutors.

During busy times, the Writing Center is often crowded, and there are no computers available for student use. It is not uncommon for students to come to the Writing Center and turn away, finding no place to sit or computer to use.

Strengths:

Opportunities or Threats:

None identified.

Recommendations:

A variety of tutoring services is available for students at Mott Community College. Peer Tutoring Services and Professional Tutoring Services are available in the Learning Center located in the Library; tutoring in Biology is offered in the Biology Study Center created within the Biology Department, and tutoring services for nursing students is offered within the Health Sciences Division.

Peer Tutoring Services

The goal of Peer Tutoring Services is to provide learning assistance for those students who are attending classes regularly and who are conscientiously performing their out of class assignments, but who are dissatisfied with their academic performance and are not obtaining their academic goals. In addition to the students who seek out this free service on their own initiative, others come because the Academic Services staff provide information about students in jeopardy of failing. The Peer Tutoring Service responds by contacting the students by mail to make sure they’re aware of the services available to them. When students come to the center for help with their classes, they are tutored by peers who have successfully completed those same courses.

Assessment involves determining effectiveness and identifying need; to that end, Peer Tutoring Services tracks both the number of students who visit the Learning Center’s peer tutors as well as the number of hours of tutoring provided. For example, in the winter 1998 semester, 371 students used Peer Tutoring Services for a total of 1,501 hours. Further, Peer Tutoring Services does follow-up surveys of students and tutors. Based on these surveys, the supervisor for Peer Tutoring believes they are meeting their goals, although it is believed that the partnership between the tutoring center and Technology Division programs is weak. In response to the surveys, improvements are made based on suggestions that come from both the students served and the peer tutors. MCC’s campus survey and the smaller on-site survey both indicate student satisfaction with the tutoring services (see Appendices). *******

One area that Peer Tutoring Services would like to expand is their connection with faculty because faculty referrals are a fruitful way to obtain qualified tutors. They also want to do more to encourage faculty to advertise the tutor services as well as the tutor employment possibilities. One of the biggest obstacles to employing tutors is the student hiring process because potential tutors first have to go to financial aid and then student employment. The amount of paperwork that students must go through for the amount they will be paid ($5.15 an hour) has caused some promising candidates to lose interest. Ten years ago, college student assistant funds were available for peer tutors, but now only work-study funds are contributed, and the wage does not match what students can make at even low-skill jobs off campus.

Strengths:

None identified.

Threats:

To provide tutorial support in key subject areas, MCC provides professional tutors for people who are eligible for one of the two grants that are currently the only source of support for this program. Housed in the Learning Center, the Professional Tutor program serves 200 students a year under the Student Support Services federal grant and 300-350 through the Special Populations grant from the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. The Carl Perkins grant supports professional tutoring for people who, in pursuing one of the state approved voc-tech programs, need additional services due to disabilities, limited English proficiency, low income status, and academic disadvantage. If students who need additional help are not eligible under this grant, help may be available under Student Support Services, another federal grant aimed toward students working toward an Associate Degree in a transfer program. To qualify, these students must be either low income, disabled, or first generation college students. Two-thirds of the students served by this grant must be low income and first generation students or disabled. The Professional Tutoring Services receive no college support and are entirely reliant on the federal funding received.

Through ongoing assessment of services and identification of unmet needs, the program continually tries to improve and/or change to meet changing needs. In recent surveys measuring student satisfaction with the Learning Center and tutoring services, results have been very positive in both a campus survey and an on-site survey. In the on-site survey (see appendices), 87% of visitors said their experience was always satisfactory, and 13% said it was often satisfactory.

Strengths:

None identified.

Threats:

To allow students greater access to learning models and histology slides used in the Anatomy/Physiology laboratory, the Biology Study Center was originally created within the Biology Department in the Division of Science and Math. Based on students’ expressed desire for this service, the faculty established a "satellite" support center in CM 1219. Since its inception, the Biology Study Center has grown to include other Biology courses (see Appendices) and the installation of two 486 computers which has increased their resource offerings. Although the center has no regular Biology support personnel, several faculty members hold their office hours in the center, and peer tutors from the Learning Center hold some of their hours at the Biology Study Center for student convenience.

Assessment of the effectiveness of the center is difficult because it has no full or part-time Biology support personnel, but they have established a sign-in sheet to assess student utilization. Utilization of the service is heavy, and the room, designed for 10, often has 30 students during periods around exams.

Strengths:

None identified.

Recommendations:

Tutoring services are offered to students within the Health Sciences Division as needed. Tutoring occurs based on student requests, faculty awareness of need and past history with a particular subject area. When specific tutoring sessions are scheduled, announcements are made in class and posted in student-frequented areas. Tutoring occurs in labs and in a two-room, twelve bed mock hospital. In addition, faculty may use their office hour blocks to tutor, sometimes going to the lab to do so. Students are also encouraged to access the peer and professional tutoring available in the Learning Center.

Tutoring is conducted by and R.N. and in a location easily accessible by students. Help is available in person as well as by telephone, and the A.V. Clinical Technician facilitates study groups across classroom populations.

Assessment of success is measured on an ongoing basis by carrying out informal student surveys periodically and also how well students do on the State Boards. Information also comes from annual surveys of employer satisfaction and needs.

Strengths:

None identified.

Recommendations:

Academic services and learning resources available at Mott Community College offer many students the support they need to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. Although a good number of the services and resources areas have identified a need for more financial resources in order to do a better job of accomplishing their purposes, surveys of students generally indicate satisfaction with the academic services and learning resources they have used. (Student Survey results re academic support in Appendices) The on-going assessment of educational effectiveness that is the policy of most of the academic services and learning resources providers suggests that these areas will continue to effectively serve the students of Mott Community College.