UNC Greensboro (UNCG) announced the launch of the new Academic Success Coaching Program designed to transform the first-year student experience and prepare new students for success at the university level and beyond.
The program, funded from a $1.2 million Edward M. Armfield, Sr. Foundation grant, will launch as a pilot program in the fall of 2019 with 10 graduate student coaches serving 150 first-year students.
Additionally, UNCG recently received a $250,000 grant from the Cemala Foundation to scale the program after the first year.
“As a campus community, we are increasingly focused on student success and ensuring that all students have an opportunity to maximize their potential,” said UNCG Provost Dana Dunn. “This program will change the way we invest in our first-year students by providing personalized, intentional support. While we are starting with 150 students in the fall, the ultimate goal is to scale this program so that we can offer it to all new students.”
The program, led by experienced advisor and student success coach William “Scott” Holloway, is grounded in standards for executive coaching and research-based skills and abilities that, when improved, increase the likelihood of student persistence and graduation. Through a holistic approach, the program will reach beyond issues of academic preparedness with a focus on developing students’ coping ability, academic achievement, hope, problem-solving ability, and emotional wellbeing.
Originally published April 5, 2019.