Texting Partnerships for Academic
Advising and Retention
Janet Stewart & Lindsay Monihen
Systems Librarian / Academic Advisor
Shawnee State University
About
Shawnee State University
• Regional, public state university
• Located in southern Ohio
• 4,000+ students
• Open access admissions
• 80 programs includes associates, bachelors, masters
• 70% of students first generation
• Appalachian region
About
Janet and Lindsay
Janet Stewart:
• Systems and Digital Initiative
Librarian for 15 years
• Over 25 years experience
working in public, school and
academic libraries
• Interested in the application of
technology in Higher Education
• Interested in campus
partnerships to better serve
students, faculty and staff
Lindsay Monihen
• Academic Advisor and Student
Support Coordinator for the College of
Professional Studies
• Specifically advises students seeking a
selective health science program
• Advising for 1 year, 4 months;
8 years in higher education in student
affairs in diversity and inclusion,
campus ministry
Our conversation:
• Understanding texting and the
needs of our students
• Creative solutions through partnership
• Texting and Academic Advising
• Applications to your campus
Use of
texting
• Preference for text
messaging over phone
calls
• Preference for text
messaging over e-mail
• Direct communication
to student regardless of
location
• Texting also popular
among cell phone users
aged 30-49
Why
texting?
• Cutting through the noise
• Supplement to e-mail
• Follow up, support, outreach
• Advisor accessibility
• Options for expansion to
other departments
• Personal touch
Creative solutions through partnership
LibraryH3lp
How it works:
• Service to the Clark Memorial Library
• Web-based platform
• Linked with Google Voice (free account)
• Messages sent from Google Voice,
received through LibraryH3lp platform
• Messages sent directly to mobile device
• “Texting” turns into “chat”
Google Voice
Outgoing messages
LibraryH3lp
Incoming messages
Texting and Academic Advising
LibraryH3lp
How we use it: Admissions & Advising
• Academic alerts
• Application materials (incomplete application documents)
• Placement testing
• Prompt to check e-mail
• Follow up to advising appointments and campus visits
• Orientation questions and support
• Speed up paperwork process for students
• Important notifications
• Schedule registration (clearance, problem solving)
• Connection to resources
LibraryH3lp
Why we dig it: Student Support & Outreach
• Tracking built into LibraryH3lp platform
•
652 chats since August 1, 2015
• Desktop-based (separation from private cell phone)
• Low-cost LibraryH3lp account
•
($50-$150 per user based on plan; $225 annual fee)
• Fast response to student concerns
• Ease of use and training (8 participants)
• Communicates accessibility and altruistic calling for student
Paul, W. Kohle; Fitzpatrick, Colleen. (2015). Advising as Servant Leadership: Investigating Student Satisfaction. NACADA Journal, 35(2), 28-35.
• Partnership with the Clark Memorial Library
• Positive student and parent feedback
• Goal: increased student support and retention
LibraryH3lp
Data Analysis
LibraryH3lp
Opportunities and Challenges
• SIS (student information system) and transitions
• Finding student information and release forms
• Lack of memory for contacts and phone numbers
• Limit of 5 contacts per text message
• Not an intuitive platform (in comparison to Facebook)
• Lack of integration with our SIS
Application on your campus
Library H3lp in Ohio
• Library H3lp is used by over 40 institutions in Ohio
• Flexible and affordable
• Includes a chat service and a FAQ site
• Library H3lp’s support is awesome and they usually
respond to questions within minutes
• More information is available on their website:
https://libraryh3lp.com/
QUESTIONS?