By Kiersten Quilliams
Library Specialist

Each semester, faculty can apply for student consultant support through the Knowledge Market website. Dedicated research, writing, and speech consultants meet with a class several times throughout the semester to provide specialized assistance and workshops for the chosen program. During the Fall semester of 2018, the Knowledge Market consultants worked with the Brooks College of Liberal Studies Accelerated Leadership Program. Designed for nontraditional students who have credits towards a bachelor’s degree but have been out of school, working, or wanting to change majors without starting over, this program reaches students who otherwise may not have the resources to finish their degree.

In addition to time away from school, nontraditional or returning students often come back to school with different needs than traditional students. Where the traditional student’s life revolves mainly around the classroom, nontraditional students often have established careers and families, so they must work to fit their education into their existing lifestyle. This also means they may only be on campus once a week and, consequently, often utilize services on campus very differently.

The consultants met with students during the second semester of the accelerated program in order to expose students to the wealth of resources available to them at Grand Valley State University and build skills to support their work throughout the rest of the program. For example, for a resource research assignment students explored resources available across Grand Valley, ranked the ones they felt could benefit the most, and then sought those resources out.

The Knowledge Market consultants worked to support the Accelerated Leadership Program in innovative ways. Since the program took place exclusively on the Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus, the downtown Knowledge Market at the Steelcase Library modified its hours so that it would always be staffed right before their once-a-week class session. Consultants received additional training to enable them to give better assistance to the nontraditional students. For example, nontraditional students are more likely to tie their own personal experiences into research and projects. 

The physical space of the Knowledge Market also acted as an “inclusive and relaxed space” where the leadership cohort could build “relationships, study, and support one another outside of the classroom,” said Professor Danielle Lake.