Collaborating Across Academic Units: The Mississippi State University ERLE Project

Mississippi State University (MSU), a public land-grant institution with Very High Research Activity (R1) as classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, is developing and implementing a new transformative strategic plan to further emphasize collaborative, experiential learning to prepare students for relevant careers upon graduation. As an institution located in a rural part of the southeastern United States in an underserved state, first-to-second year student retention rates and six-year graduation rates have been lower than those of peer and peer-plus universities. As such, the university administration has challenged its faculty and academic leaders to think creatively for preparing tomorrow’s workforce. This charge led to a transformative and unique collaboration between the Bagley College of Engineering dean and the MSU Libraries dean to reimagine library space and services with the ERLE (Exploration, Research and Learning Environment) project. ERLE not only promotes hands-on interactions in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEM), but also creates and fosters a community hub for First Year Experience (FYE) and Supplemental Instruction (SI) in courses with low persistence rates, academic advising, career counseling, and overall student well-being and socialization. In mapping out this plan, significant challenges include entrenched legacy practices, organizational stagnation and historic limited library engagement with students and faculty. With an eye towards innovation, entrepreneurship and technology, several new faculty and staff positions in MSU Libraries will allow for this advancement to occur. In this article we outline the steps taken, barriers encountered, and successes achieved.