15th Distance Library Services Conference

Outreach to International Campuses: Removing Barriers and Building RelationshipsSusan Mee

Global Education LibrarianRochester Institute of Technology

Background:

• First Distance Courses – 19792 courses and 56 students

• 1994/1995: 129 online courses and 3,200 students

• 2010/2011: 657 online courses and 9,815 students

International Campuses

• Dubrovnik, Croatia• Prishtina, Kosovo• Dubai, UAE• Zagreb, Croatia

American College of Management & Technology - Dubrovnik

• Undergraduate degrees - Information Technology

- Tourism, Hospitality & Service Management• Students receive dual degrees: RIT & ACMT,

both accredited degrees• 30% of students from approximately 20

different countries

American College of Management and Technology (ACMT)

-Dubrovnik, Croatia-Founded in 1997

American University in Kosovo

– Undergraduate degrees: – Information Technology– Media and Graphic Communications– Public Policy, Economics and Management

• Graduate degrees:- Professional Studies, Public

Administration

• Only private, not for profit university in Kosovo

• Students from 21 countries• Classes taught in English

American University in Kosovo (AUK)- Prishtina, Kosovo- Founded in 2003

RIT Dubai

Undergraduate programs:-Business & Management, Engineering-Computing & Information Technology

-Graduate degrees:-Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, MBA-Service Leadership & Innovation-Networking & Systems Administration

RIT Dubai-Dubai, United Arab Emirates-Founded in 2008

American College of Management & Technology - Zagreb

Undergraduate degrees:-International Business-Information TechnologyGraduate degrees:-Service Leadership and Innovation-Human Resource Development• Zagreb is the capital and largest city in the

Republic of Croatia, population of 1.3 million in metro area

American College of Management & Technololgy (ACMT ) – Zagreb Campus-Zagreb, Croatia-Opened September 2011

The Challenges

• Delivering library instruction to the international campuses• Canned versus live/interactive

• Providing support to faculty and students• English is not the native language• Time zone differences• Same general calendar, Different holidays

Resource Support

• Electronic Resources• Databases, ebooks• ILL/IDS

• Collection Development• Not everything available in e-format

Cultural Differences

• Recognizing differences• Faculty are both US and European• Former Communist States – – Different education systems– Incoming students varying skill sets– Differing expectations

Plagiarism

• New concept to many• Copyright & Plagiarism are unfamiliar

terms• Citing work: Often no prior experience• Different cultures view this differently….

Library Accessible to the Remote User

• Research databases• E-books• Online Tutorials – LIV@RIT • Virtual Reference• Live Chat

Delivering the Library

Challenges:

• Overcoming Google and Wikipedia• RIT Library “too confusing” and

“complicated”• Library is not the preferred “go to” source

Technology Tools - delivery vehicles

• DVDs• Adobe Connect• Collaboration Grids• Adobe Captivate, Camtasia• LibGuides, LIV@RIT Tutorials• Skype, SeeVogh, JoinMe• Trillium, Meebo Chat

LIV@RIT

Real Time Library Instruction

• First Year Library Orientation• Live, Interactive Sessions• Presentation• Questions and Answers

Live Instruction via the Collaboration Grids

RIT Research Computing:

http://rc.rit.edu

Collaboration Grids

Modern European History Class

• Students had begun their research• Library Instruction Session• Students prepared with questions • Troubleshoot student research problems

live• Found professor-approved research results!

Technology is Only One Component

People Access & Building Rapport

• Takes time• Build trust and confidence• In person connections important• In person valued over online• -Courses and Services

On-Site Visits

• Invited by the campuses• Faculty initiated• Faculty workshops• Faculty 1:1 meetings• Many, many student class instruction

sessions• Partnering with faculty:

co-teaching/gradingassignments

AUK Students

Working and Learning Together…

Onsite Visit Outcomes

• International campuses do not feel the RIT Library is their library• -Meet the Librarian page• -LibGuides – by College• Including international campus holdings to RIT

Library catalog• DML (institute repository) now includes

communities for each international campus

Meet the Librarian Page

LibGuide Collections by Community

MyLibrary – linking application: Librarians embedded in every course by default. Customized library and contact information based on course subject.

myLibrary tab

Integrated Catalog

Ongoing Support

• Virtual Library Reference and Office Hours– Piloted first with ACMT Dubrovnik• Collaboration Grids

– Continuing with AUK• Skype – in the AUK Library or any location

Virtual Reference

The Data

International Campus EnrollmentsCampus Fall 2010 Fall 2011 % ChangeACMT Dubrovnik

384 302 -21%

ACMT Zagreb NA 79 Overall SameAUK 561 595 +6%RIT Dubai 172 204 +17%

Library Website VisitsCampus Fall 2010 Fall 2011 %Change

ACMT (Dubrovnik)# Students:

1,297 384

2,438 302

+88%-21% students

ACMT (Zagreb) -- 292 N/A

AUK# Students:

4,508* 561

5,871* 595

+30%+6% students

RIT Dubai# Students:

1,064 172

1,314 204

+23.5%+17% students

Library Database UsageCampus Fall 2010 Fall

2011% Change

Winter 2011/12

% Change

ACMT Dubrovnik

1,128 – only Campus

1,090 -3.5% 1,394 +28%-21% students

ACMT Zagreb NA 418 NA 524 +25.5%

AUK 2,305* 4,546* 197% 5,956* +131%+6% students

RIT Dubai 748 1,165 +56% 628 -46%+17% students

Information Delivery RequestsCampus 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 Fall 2011 Wtr 2011

ACMT Dubrovnik

37 21 70 - Year 21 - Qtr 42 - Qtr

Patron Type Faculty: 37Student: 0

Faculty: 21Student: 0

Faculty: 46Student: 0

Faculty: 18Student: 3

Faculty: 16Student: 17

ACMT Zagreb

N/A N/A N/A 9 1

Patron Type:

- - - Faculty: 8Student: 1

Faculty: 1Student: 0

AUK 0 0 8 - Year 31 - Qtr 13 - Qtr

Patron Type - - - Faculty: 6Student: 25

Faculty: 5Student: 8

RIT Dubai 0 0 1 - Year 0 - Qtr 2 - Qtr

Patron Type - - Faculty: 0Students: 1

- Faculty: 0Students: 2

The Numbers are Increasing…

• Making connections• Building relationships• Providing service• Outreach over distance• Takes time, effort, consistency• Usage and stats indicate improvement –

-Still work to be done -International Campuses are using the

Library and its Services

Efforts Continue –

• More outreach• More service• More relationships, more partnering with

faculty, cross-campus collaborations• Striving to remove perceived barriers• Streamlining access• Message is critical: The RIT Library is Your

Library – wherever you are physically located!

Questions?