Academic Coaching Manual 2017 - Texas A&M University
Academic CoachingManual2017
Table of ContentsAbout the Academic Success Center.1Organizational Chart.1Accolade.1Mission.1Vision.2Values.2What is Academic Coaching?.2Counseling vs. Advising vs. Coaching.2Why is Academic Coaching Important?.3Academic Success Center Coaching Philosophies.3Coaching Components.4University Collaboration.4Certificate Program and Workshops.4-5Who uses Academic Coaching?.5Academic Success Center Demographics.6Texas A&M University Demographics.6Hiring Academic Coaches.7Background of Coaches.7Training Academic Coaches.7Meeting with Students.8Appointment Scheduling, Duration, and Record-Keeping.8Before a Meeting.8During a Meeting.8Discussing Grades and Other Important Topics.9After a Meeting.9Coaching Do’s and Don‘ts.10Professional Development.10Training.10Appendix A“Academic Success Center Coaching Intake Form”.11-12Appendix B“Common Questions/Statements During an Appointment”.13Appendix C“5-Day Study Plan”.14-17“Using a Fixed Commitment Calendar”.18-19“Levels of Understanding”.20“SQ4R Reading System (for traditional textbooks)”.21“P2R Reading System (non-traditional textbooks)”.22“Post-Test Analysis”.23“Post-Test Analysis Form”.24
Texas A&M University Academic Success Center // Academic Coaching Manual 2017 //T1About the Academic Success Centerhe Texas A&M UniversityAcademic Success Center is aresource for students who wish toimprove academically. We provide workshops andclasses on study strategies and time management.We also provide tutoring, Supplemental Instruction(SI), academic coaching, and peer mentoring. Ourprograms encourage excellent academic performance,especially, but not exclusively, in courses and subjectswith traditionally high rates of failure.We encourage students to engage in experiences thatfurther their academic goals, and we connect studentsto resources and support across campus. We cultivateskills and attitudes that enhance academic performanceand prepare students for lifelong learning. Our holisticapproach fosters mental and physical well-being andencourages students to identify roadblocks, set realistic,attainable, and personally fulfilling academic goals, andtake ownership of their learning.Organizational ChartAlthough not shown in the figure to the right,the Academic Success Center is a unit withinUndergraduate Studies in the Office of the Provost.Our services are funded by a collaboration betweenthe Divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs.P r o g ra mAccoladeIn 2015, the National College Learning CenterAssociation (NCLCA) awarded the AcademicSuccess Center the “Learning Center of Excellence”designation. As one of two learning centers in thenation to receive this designation that year, the TexasA&M Academic Success Center is recognized as amodel learning center throughout the nation.MissionTo support all Aggies to achieve their academic goalsand fulfill their academic potential.Fig. 1 The Academic Success Center is comprised of fiveprograms and/or services: academic coaching, tutoring andSI, Transfer Student Program, Texas Success Initiative, andinstructional programs. To learn more about our programsand services, visit successcenter.tamu.edu.As a unit of Undergraduate Studies, we affirmtheir mission to “help undergraduates reach their fullacademic potential, enrich their educational programwith deep and purposeful learning experiences,and gain the skills needed to continue professionaldevelopment throughout their lives.”
Texas A&M University Academic Success Center // Academic Coaching Manual 2017 //VisionAll Aggies find their success.In pursuit of our vision, we will provideexceptional quality academic support servicesand resources that: Students actively seek, embrace and recommendto others.Faculty and staff select as the first option forstudents in need of support.Employees are proud and enthusiastic to be a part of.Peers regard as a role model for student successinitiatives.2What is Academic Coaching?Academic Coaching is a relatively new componentof student success initiatives in the United States. Itcombines aspects of advising, counseling, education,and coaching into a dynamic and personal interactionbetween a student and a coach. According to theNational Academic Advising Association (NACADA)(About Us, n.d.):“Academic coaching is an interactive processthat focuses on the personal relationship createdbetween the student and the coach. The coachchallenges the student to think about his or herpersonal and/or professional goals in order torelate them to his or her academic/educationalgoals. In this learning process, it is important forthe coach to encourage the student to becomemore self-aware by understanding his or herstrengths, values, interests, purpose, and passion.”Advising vs. Counseling vs.CoachingValuesAt the Academic Success Center, we value:Students: Why we are hereExcellence: Doing our best, with integrityLeadership: Seeking innovation and responsibilityEnthusiasm: Excited to do our jobRespect: Embracing individuals and their diversity ofthought, experience, and cultureIt is important to note that academic coaching isdifferent from academic advising or counseling. Allthree fields often use very similar skills and sometimesencounter the same issues.Academic advisors typically help studentscraft class schedules, answer questions regardingdegree plan progress, identify available educationalopportunities such as study abroad or internships, andguide students toward successful graduation.Counselors mainly focus on mental health issuesand helping students cope with the variety of lifechanging experiences they encounter during theircollege experience.Academic coaches identify any roadblocks toacademic success and give students the necessaryresources to overcome those hurdles.
Texas A&M University Academic Success Center // Academic Coaching Manual 2017 //Why is AcademicCoaching Important?Academic coaching is a unique resource oncampus that helps students navigate obstaclesduring their academic career because of theindividualized and holistic approach coaches use.Some hurdles, like transitions between institutionsor a new environment, are shared by many students;others, such as how individuals react to stress, may bequite unique.Transitioning from high school to college can be atrying time for even the highest achieving students.High school is a highly structured learning environmentin which teachers have more opportunities to meetstudents in and out of the classroom to providereminders and offer additional instruction. In college,however, a majority of the learning takes place outsideof the classroom and material is covered at a muchfaster pace compared to high school. High schoolstudents sometimes have an entire academic year tolearn a core subject, while in college that same materialwill be covered in about half that time.Another challenge new college students may face isthe loss of the security that living at home provides.For instance, at home, many high school students arenot in charge of cooking their own meals, schedulingdoctor’s appointments, or performing daily householdchores. If students are away from home, they may nothave anyone to help them during especially busy timesor to reinforce the importance of doing homework.While not all students come to college with the samebackground, experience, or home life, the transitionfrom high school to college is a major change in astudent’s life; therefore, academic coaching strivesto teach students the skills and habits they need tomaster this transition and foster life-long learning andgrowth.Fig. 2 The figure to the right illustrates the areas ofresearch from which we developed our academic coachingmodel.3Academic Success CenterCoaching PhilosophiesThe foundation of what academic coaches do isfoster professional collaborative relationships withindividual students. This allows the student to feelthey can open up to coaches about what brought theminto the appointment. Positive relationships facilitatethe teaching of strategies and resources, and coachescan follow up by evaluating student success (as definedby the student).At the Texas A&M Academic Success Center, weadhere to the idea that there is not a “one size fitsall” approach. Every student and every situation isdifferent; so, as coaches we approach each studentwith fresh eyes, not a script. This also applies to theway we coach—we are all striving towards the samegoal, student-defined success, but the paths can lookvery different.The field of academic coaching is young and, as aresult, there is no comprehensive coaching model. Ourclient-centered academic coaching process is informedfrom a combination of staff experience as well as severalresearch areas, which are depicted below:HealthcareAdvisingHumanisticTheoryAdult LearningTheoryCognitive ingMotivationalInterviewingCultural DimensionsTheorySolution-focusedTherapy
Texas A&M University Academic Success Center // Academic Coaching Manual 2017 //4Coaching Components Scholarships and Financial Aid University Writing CenterUsing the suggested skills outlined Multicultural Servicesby the NACADA (About Us, n.d.), we Student Assistance Servicesconceptualize the components of academic Professional School of Advising Career Centercoaching in the following way: Money Education Center Help Desks Within Departments Relationship building components:Encouragement, humor, empathy, welcomingIn addition to working with the general studentenvironment, support, listening, hope, patience,population,we also collaborate with colleges andtough lovedepartments across campus to serve their students Education components: Informing, referring,specifically. These students may be on academicteachingprobation, and they may be required by their department Evaluation/follow up components: Diagnosis,to complete a “Certificate Program.” Academic coachingaccountabilityis one method students can choose to complete such aAcademic coaching is a practice that is finely-tuned program, which is described in the next section.Academic coaches also fulfill presentation andaccording to the student’s needs each session. Coacheswill use their judgment on how to proceed based on their training requests from a variety of organizations (bothinteraction with the student during each appointment. It on- and off-campus) including academic departments,is possible to move through the categories several times student organizations, and university-related clubs.throughout a coaching session or just stay focused on Coaches help train peer mentors in academicdepartments and learning communities, as well asone area the entire time.It is important to note that this is a fluid process rather residence hall staff. Our “train the trainer” approachthan a series of steps to be followed in each coaching allows coaches to share study techniques with otherssession. As appropriate, coaches engage in all three who work closely with students. This allows staff acrosscomponents—relationship building, education, and campus to triage students in crisis until they can makeevaluation—based on the situation and the student’s an appointment to work with an academic coach.needs. However, positive relationship building is alwaysat the core of what we do with students.University CollaborationCertificate Program & WorkshopsSince colleges or departments may require orWhile one-on-one appointments are the ideal recommend that students work with the Academicsituation to help students achieve academic success, Success Center (often as a condition of scholasticwe recognize that a limited staff cannot meet the probation), we developed a certificate program to meetdemands of all students in need. Therefore, we engage this need. This program outlines a series of steps studentsin university collaboration with other departments can take to earn a certificate through participation inand organizations on campus as well as offer in-house workshops, courses, or academic coaching sessions. Allworkshops to serve more people. As an example, here students, regardless of their academic standing with theuniversity, are welcomed to participate.are several organizations we refer students to: Student Counseling ServicesDisability ServicesVeteran Resource and Support CenterThe following is an outline of the steps students needto take in order to earn a certificate:
Texas A&M University Academic Success Center // Academic Coaching Manual 2017 //Step 1: Attend “Fresh StartOrientation”This one-time orientation class isheld at the beginning of each semesterand explains the certificate process. We offermultiple orientation classes the first month ofeach semester.Step 2: RegistrationDuring the orientation, students are required toregister for one of the following four options:1. STLC 101: This is a semester long, 2-credit hourcourse. Students may only choose this option if thecourse fits their schedule and they register before thedrop/add deadline, which is on the 5th class day ofeach semester. To successfully complete STLC 101,students must earn a letter grade of C or higher.2. Commit to Success (CTS): is a 3-week, 6-sessionseminar. Among the topics covered are timemanagement, note taking, text-book reading, testpreparation, memory, metacognition, motivation,and effective study strategies. CTS has a requiredattendance policy.3. Academic Performance Program (APP): APP is,like CTS, a 3-week, 6-session seminar. APP is open tostudents who have previously completed a certificateprogram or who are close to graduation. APP focuseson topics such as motivation and mind-set to helpstudents develop mental skills conducive to success incollege and beyond.4. Academic Coaching: Students are giveninformation at Fresh Start Orientation about how toschedule the first coaching appointment. At this initialcoaching session, students and their Academic Coachwill collaborate to develop a plan of action to helpdevelop effective study strategies and connect them toappropriate academic resources. There are not a fixednumber of coaching appointments required in orderto earn a certificate. Since this option is tailored tothe student’s specific needs, their academic coach willdetermine when they have successfully completed this5option and have earned a certificate.Step 3: Completion and CertificateOnce students have successfully completed theircertificate program, we recommend they take a copyof their certificate to the college or department thatrequired/recommended working with ASC.“Wednesday Workshops” are not part of thecertificate program and are also open to any student.Every week a different topic is introduced anddiscussed. We offer two workshops on Wednesdayafternoons. The topics are rotated throughout thesemester and include dealing with tardiness, notetaking techniques, test preparation, informationprocessing, memory retention, and concentration.Coaches teach one to two of these each semester.Who uses AcademicCoaching?We work with any student who walks throughour door. This includes traditional, non-traditional,readmitted, transfer, dual-enrollment, provisionallyadmitted, graduate students, veterans, and athletes.While the Academic Success Center does not turnaway any level of student, we work almost exclusivelywith undergraduate students.
Texas A&M University Academic Success Center // Academic Coaching Manual 2017 //6Academic Success Center Student DemographicsEthnicityGenderOther1.61%Mixed Race3.61%African ispanic27.72%White/Anglo54.22%Fig. 3 Ethnicity of students who have visited theAcademic Success Center in Spring 2017.Fig. 4 Gender of students who have visitedthe Academic Success Center in Spring 2017.Texas A&M University Student DemographicsGenderEthnicityInternational 8.89%Unknown 0.51%Multi-racial excluding Black 2.18%American Indian 0.23%Native Hawaiian 0.11%Asian 6.46%Female47.67%Male52.33%Black3.78%White 58.05%Hispanic 19.77%Fig. 5 Gender of Texas A&M Universitystudent population for the Fall of 2017.Fig. 6 Ethnicity of Texas A&M Universitystudent population for the Fall of 2017.
Texas A&M University Academic Success Center // Academic Coaching Manual 2017 //7Hiring Academic CoachesBackground of CoachesCoaches at the Academic Success Center arerequired to have a bachelor’s degree and two yearsof experience in advising, recruiting, teaching,coaching, student affairs, or other related areas or amaster’s degree with no experience. Many coacheshave advanced degrees, as well as years of experiencein related fields.We value a diverse staff. Our coaches come froma wide array of backgrounds and have a variety ofexperiences: higher education, counseling, military,leadership, education, psychology, nonprofit, andadvising. Very few of our staff intended to becomeacademic coaches; rather, their innate desire to helpstudents brought them to the Academic SuccessCenter. As a result, each coach has their own preferredcoaching style. This allows students to be able to find acoach that compliments them and allows the coachesto bring a wide variety of knowledge to the entireAcademic Success Center staff as a whole.Training Academic CoachesTraining generally takes three months, dependingon the experience of the new coach. Training methodsare comprehensive and include written materials, oneon-one training sessions, observation, and mentoring.New coaches select a veteran coach as a mentor andmeet with them throughout the training process. Amajority of a new coach’s time is spent shadowingcoaching appointments; trainees are encouraged todevelop their preferred coaching style. For example,some coaches might prefer a more empathetic approachwhile others would do well with an authoritative style.After about one month of shadowing, new coacheswill then begin meeting with students on a limitedbasis, eventually working up to a full schedule overthe course of two months. As a way to refine andstrengthen their coaching skills, mentor coaches assessthe progress of their mentee, answer questions, sit inon early coaching sessions, and provide feedback.In addition to training related to conductingcoaching sessions, coaches are also trained ing (Miller & Rollnick, 2012), listening skills(Bachelor, 1988, Cormier & Cormier, 1991, Egan,1994, and Fine, 1996), college level study strategies(Blerkom, 2012) and in-house processes, programs,and philosophies.We believe training for coaches should be ongoing,so our coaches participate in professional developmentactivities throughout the semester. (See “ProfessionalDevelopment” section.)
Texas A&M University Academic Success Center // Academic Coaching Manual 2017 //8Meeting with StudentsAppointmentScheduling, Duration,and Record-KeepingThe Academic Success Center uses threeonline systems to ensure academic coaches cansuccessfully prepare for and record appointments.Specifically, these systems are used for scheduling andviewing appointment details, viewing student recordsand class schedule, and recording notes summarizingwhat happened during each session.Initial appointments with an academic coach arescheduled to last up to 45 minutes; however, mostcoaches complete them 5-10 minutes early to allowtime to write notes and prepare for the next session.Follow-up appointments, if necessary, are scheduledat the end of each appointment and generally last nomore than 30 minutes. Depending on the need, followups can sometimes be scheduled for the next week orcan be many weeks away. Usually, we try to followup every 3-4 weeks, as needed. Again, this is wherecoaches have the flexibility to evaluate each individualstudent’s situation and make an appropriate plan forthem.Coaches average 20 initial appointment spots aweek on their schedules, with follow up appointmentsfilling in the gaps as the semester goes on. Coachesschedule no more than 9-10 students a day in orderto have time for other duties. Our peak times areusually the first couple of weeks of the semester andthe weeks around the release of midterm grades. Ourdirect contact hours increase significantly as we startto schedule follow-up appointments with students.As previously mentioned, our office works closelywith academic departments across campus in assistingstudents who are not in good academic standing.Departments will require these students to meet withus and complete the certificate program. Students whoselect academic coaching as their preferred methodfor completing their certificate program must follow afew guidelines to successfully complete their program.Students not on probation decide if they wish to meetagain; however, students on probation are required tomeet with a coach at the coach’s discretion. Each coachwill determine how often they need to meet with thestudent and how to evaluate a student’s progress.Coaches may evaluate success based on the student’seffort in trying new study habits, improving theirgrades, or using relevant campus resources.Before a Student Meeting Review the student’s transcripts and any otherinformation from the student’s last contact with ouroffice, if available. Mentally reset from previous meeting.During a Student MeetingDuring an initial meeting, coaches assess the student’sneeds by reviewing the intake form (Appendix A) andasking clarifying questions. For any meeting, however,it is important that coaches frame their questions to beopen-ended and allow the student to describe wherethey feel they need the most academic assistance. Whileby no means comprehensive, a list of commonly usedquestions can be found in Appendix B.A general outline of the coaching session is asfollows: Develop rapport with the student by buildinga foundational relationship focused on positiveintentions Identify the area of needs and address the potentialskills to provide to the student Provide the student with applicable skills toimplement immediately after the meeting. Thiscould be through worksheets, study strategies toimplement, and/or referrals to campus resources/other departments. (Appendix C) Schedule a follow-up appointment, if necessary.When a student walks into our office, chances are
Texas A&M University Academic Success Center // Academic Coaching Manual 2017 //9Discussing Grades and Other Important Topicsthey are interested in improving theirgrades. Whether their overall academicstanding is in need of improvement, or theyunderperformed on a single exam, grades aregenerally the common denominator; however,poor grades are often the symptom of biggerproblems. Although we may address issues unrelatedto study strategies, grades are the measurement ofsuccess used on campus when it comes to retention,financial aid awards, etc.As coaches, we coach for progress, not grades.Grades are not our focus, but we acknowledge thatthey do have an impact. We hope that the resourcesand strategies we provide help the student overall;better grades should follow as a result. Coachesprovide examples/resources, but students have theultimate responsibility to use what is discussedduring coaching sessions.To the right are six topic areas that are commonlydiscussed in coaching appointments. Many issueswill fall under multiple areas. The coach determineshow to proceed based on the information providedby the student.After a Student MeetingCoaches write session notes after each meeting todocument any pertinent demographic information,why they came in to see a coach, their concerns andstruggles, what was talked about during the meeting,and any plans for future meetings.Sample notes: “Student is a freshman Chemistrymajor from Houston. He is not on probation andis not required to complete a certificate program.Student is taking CHEM 101, BIOL 111, ENGL 104,HIST 105, and KINE 199. He reports strugglingwith time management and prioritizing, resulting inturning in assignments at the last minute. We talkedabout using a planner, creating a fixed commitmentcalendar, and establishing a routine. Our next meetingis on July 7th at 1:30. We will discuss implementedstrategies and any other y/TraumaPhysicalFinancesReadjustmentOther ofessorsReferralsStudy GroupsDepartmentsGeneralUniversity InfoStudyStrategiesTimeMgmtMotivationExam PrepHabits/RoutineSelf-EfficacyNote ss FocusTest TakingSaying “No”Goal SettingPost TestAnalysisBalanceEnergy onomyFig. 7 Issues negatively affecting academic performance thatare commonly addressed during coaching sessions.
Texas A&M University Academic Success Center // Academic Coaching Manual 2017 //10Coaching Do’s and Don’tsDOFocus on enhancing the student’s performance.DON’TProvide advice on degree planning and course selection.Stay informed on the latest research.Use your own style when implementing the approachdescribed in this manual.Provide students with tangible skills to apply immediatelyafter meeting via an informational handout, a writtenplan of action, or other relevant resources.Focus on building a foundational rapport to ensure asustainable, long-term coach and student relationship.Counsel on mental health needs.Discuss student meetings with parents without thestudent’s permission.Conduct favors for students when they are seeking tocomplete a certificate program.Complete a certificate program for probation studentswho do not meet the expectations for completion.Refer students to other resources when appropriate.Fig. 8A list of things to do and avoid during an academic coaching session.Professional DevelopmentFor professional development, coaches aremembers of Texas A&M’s “University Advisors andCounselors (UAC)” organization and participate inthe organization’s ongoing activities, meetings, andyearly symposium. In addition, coaches are membersof a variety of other professional organizations andattend national conferences conducted by NCLCA(National College Learning Center Association),NACADA, FYE (First-Year Experience), and TASS(Teaching Academic Survival Skills), as well as otherregional, state, local/university conferences that focuson student success and diversity.TrainingsWe have weekly team meetings where we focus on avariety of topics such as: Guest speakers from campus offices/departmentsfor updates. Fun on- and off-campus team building exercises. Round-table/brainstorming discussions on studystrategies. Learning our strengths, communication styles,personality types, etc.As a team, we have continued to improve on ourcoaching styles and ability to share our knowledge withother departments. To continue to grow professionally,we take any opportunities to learn more about ouruniversity and the coaching profession as a whole.
Appendix A //Academic
Teas AM University Academic Success Center Academic Coaching Manual 2017 // 3 Why is Academic Coaching Important? Academic coaching is a unique resource on campus that helps students navigate obstacles during their academic career because
training and can present risks to their coaching business. There are specific coaching niches such as substance abuse recovery coaching or ADHD coaching where the coach has specialized training to address the client's distress and in those circumstances, it may be appropriate for them to begin coaching at this level. 2. Resilience Coaching
Coaching program flow This is a generic coaching program flow that can be tailored to organisational and individual needs. Typically coaching programs are six months (nine hours of coaching) or 12 months (15 hours of coaching). Coaching Approach Overview and outcomes In my approach, responsibilities are shared. The coachee drives responsibility
Contents. Introduction 2 Part 1: Coaching - the current position 3 Part 2: Defining and demystifying coaching 11 Part 3: The key players in the coaching relationship 18 Part 4: Making the case for coaching 23 Part 5: Preparation and setting the scene 29 Part 6: Choosing the right coach 32 Part 7: Coach selection and matching 38 Part 8: Managing the onward coaching engagement 46
P Coaching con PNL. P Los anclajes en la sesión de coaching. P 2019 Niveles lógicos. P Creencias poderosas y limitantes. P Las posiciones perceptuales en la sesión de coaching. P Integrando las técnicas básicas de PNL en la sesión de coaching. Tema 8 14 y 15 de junio de 2019 Coaching en las organizaciones educativas y coaching de grupos y .
P Coaching con PNL. P Los anclajes en la sesión de coaching. P 16 Niveles lógicos. P Creencias poderosas y limitantes. P Las posiciones perceptuales en la sesión de coaching. P Integrando las técnicas básicas de PNL en la sesión de coaching. Tema 8 29 Y 30 DE MARZO DE 2019 Coaching en las organizaciones educativas y coaching de grupos y .
sales coaching. Sales managers need to understand why coaching has such a high return on investment. Let’s start by defining sales coaching: Sales coaching focuses on helping reps develop the skills, knowledge, and use of strategies that improve sales results. Based on this definition, the reasons why reps benefit from sales coaching are
Six Coaching Practices in Higher Education Coaching Beliefs Coaching Progression Over Time Coaching . Next Steps Accountability. Option B: Content-Based Coaching Approach Overview, Expectations, & Story Purpose/ . Moving Forward Strengths and Values Time Purpose Your personal preference
“Accounting is the art of recording, classifying and summarizing in a significant manner and in terms of money, transactions and events which are, in part at least, of a financial character, and interpreting the result thereof”. Definition by the American Accounting Association (Year 1966): “The process of identifying, measuring and communicating economic information to permit informed .
