Summer Success Coach Program as an Enrolment, Retention, and - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Implementing a Summer Success Coach Program as an Enrolment, Retention, and First-Year Student Success Strategy Stephen J. Pasiciel, M.A., M.Sc. Transition Programs Director

Trinity Western University Located just outside Vancouver, British Columbia, Trinity Western University (TWU) is the private, Christian, liberal arts and fully accredited degree-granting University in Canada. 157 acre campus established in 1962; 42 undergraduate majors, 16 graduate majors; extension campuses in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Bellingham, Washington, USA, and Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada. Total student population: 4000.

Presentation Outline The Problem The Program Enrolment Strategy Retention Strategy Student Success Strategy Discussion & Questions

2012 Success Coaches

The Problem: Summer Melt

The Problem: Summer Melt

The Program: Conversations 1. Personal Effectiveness 2. Academics 3. Finances 4. School Policies

The Program: Conversations, cont. 5. External Commitments (off-campus involvement) 6. Internal Commitments (on-campus involvement) 7. Health & Well-being 8. Future Plans

The Program: Objectives For new students To assist and empower prospective and incoming students to navigate the enrolment process. To strengthen their comprehension of the university experience and enhance the likelihood of a successful start to their university career.

The Program: Objectives For Success Coaches To use the genuineness of a current students’ experience to foster excitement for the upcoming year. To understand the differences between the role of the Success Coach and the role of the Admissions Counsellor.

The Program: Process Phone Calls Emails Facebook Texts Events Calling Frequency O-Week

Enrolment Strategy

Enrolment Strategy

Enrolment Strategy

Retention Strategy: The Numbers

Retention Strategy: Important Topics Overall university preparedness (Effectiveness) Preparation for the academic workload (Academics) Buying books (Academics) Thinking/planning internal commitments (Internal) Navigating the Student Portal (Academics)

Student Success Strategy Helpfulness “Having a Success coach was very helpful and I liked having someone give me knowledge about what to expect about the school, and also information I would have otherwise not known about in advance.”

Student Success Strategy Personal Touch “The Success Coach program is great because you guys let students know about everything available on campus before they even get there, and are very supportive. Being a transfer student, I must say that it is a nice change to be treated as a person instead of a number.”

Student Success Strategy Confidence “My Success Coach was very easy to talk to and knowledgeable. I did not feel like I was conversing with a ‘scary upperclassmen’ and I gained a significant amount of confidence in myself for the upcoming year through our chats.”

Summary Empower students to navigate the academic and social systems of your university; Assist students in identifying possible questions and barriers to their success; Address and normalize social fears, both stated and unstated;

Summary, cont. Help all incoming students develop skills to make decisions and achieve their goals; and Enable students to emotionally connect to the university before setting foot on campus.

Discussion & Questions