Publication Type

Conference Poster

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

11-2024

Abstract

No one left behind! Diversity and inclusion! Level-playing field!

Clichéd or fact?

This is a fact at Singapore Management University (SMU) as student demographics have started to change and classrooms have become more intergenerational, comprising first-generation adult learners, students returning from National Service, increasing enrolment of IB graduates, international students, and those wanting to pursue a higher degree beyond a polytechnic diploma. This diverse learner profile warrants the need to ensure that no one is left behind. SMU’s Holistic Student Development Framework (HSDF) emphasises inclusivity beyond the classroom to recognise out-of-classroom learning through a variety of learning programmes focusing on seven dimensions. This poster introduces these dimensions, and the audience will learn more about how SMU Libraries collaborated with the Student Success Centre (SSC) to create the Head Start: UniReady programmes – a transition programme for first-year students from diverse backgrounds. The goal of this programme is to ensure that these freshmen achieve academic success rather than dropping out due to the challenges and stresses of university life. This further underscores the objective for them to acculturate in an academic learning environment, especially for adult learners experiencing higher education for the first time and national servicemen returning to academic studies after a hiatus. Strategically aligned to the dimension of Academic and Learning Success, three key programmes were offered - Your University-Success Tour Guides, Succeed in Learning: Tools & Mindsets, and Researching Your First Assignment, the latter two being offered by SMU Libraries. The audience will get a deep dive into each programme, notably the one facilitated by the Library Peer Advisors who created an amicable environment where participants learned from their peers who had been there - an innovative peer-to-peer learning experience. The participant feedback evidenced that these programmes created meaningful impact beyond the quantitative data. The authors believe that it is significant to maintain the ‘human’ in [human]istic library services where students still need the help and expertise of librarians beyond AI.

Discipline

Higher Education | Library and Information Science

Publication

Socially Responsible Libraries: Navigating AI, Sustainability and Inclusivity, Singapore, 2024 November 5

First Page

1

Last Page

1

Embargo Period

5-11-2026

Additional URL

https://las.org.sg/conference/

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