Improving student success coaching for college students

As colleges and universities become more aware of the barriers to student achievement and completion, providing personalized support and engagement through one-on-one coaching has grown as a strategy to increase student success.

Over half of colleges and universities (58 percent) offer success coaching to students, according to a 2023 survey from Tyton Partners.

Success coaches are often specialized staff housed in student affairs and trained to support different groups of learners such as first-generation students, minority students or those on academic probation. These professionals can make a significant difference in the student experience, but only when coaching is effective and rooted in research.

What is success coaching? A 2014 study sought to understand the emerging role of student success coaches on college campuses and found, via survey data, that the average success coach focuses on a student’s ability to:

• Develop skills,
• Improve performance,
• Plan and set goals, and
• Navigate campus resources.

Additionally, coaches provide individualized and ongoing support, but they are distinct from advisers or counselors because they are mainly focused on questioning students and identifying where other departments could assist in this work.

In recent years, more success coaches have gained the additional responsibility of serving as referrals to basic needs resources, including mental health support or housing, for learners who face external pressures on their academic success.

Best practices: Inside Higher Ed compiled seven evidence-based practices for college leaders to consider in their success coaching interventions for maximum impact.

1. Train staff holistically. Today’s students present greater mental health concerns and often turn to staff and faculty members for help in addressing concerns in their personal lives. Providing trauma-informed training and creating a supportive work environment can ensure staff are equipped to address all student needs without damaging their own well-being.
2. Prioritize quality. A November report from MDRC found students’ success outcomes were linked to their perceptions of the quality of the coaching they received. Students gauged quality in their general satisfaction, the accuracy of the information provided, availability of coaches, sufficient time allocated to meetings and if coaches followed up on time-sensitive information.

3. Understand frequency matters. MDRC’s study also found that students engaging with their coaches regularly—including through in-person and video meetings, phone calls, texts, emails, and social media interactions—accumulated more credits compared to their peers.
4. Invest in sustainable funding. Many colleges and universities partner with external groups to assist or deliver success coaching, but this can set up temporary services that only last the length of the contract, according to research from InsideTrack. Instead, colleges should secure sustainable funding sources to ensure continued resources for this work.
5. Collect student data. Understanding who learners are and what challenges they may face is essential to identifying the needs and readiness of the college, according to InsideTrack. Administrators can collect feedback through surveys or focus groups.
6. Consider data sharing. For colleges that partner with external nonprofits or groups to coach students, data and knowledge sharing from the institution can help coaches deliver more referrals to campus resources, impacting student success, according to a report from Success Boston. Therefore administrators should consider data-sharing agreements or the inclusion of coaches on college Listservs that provide updates on resources, according to the report.
7. Create consistency across the institution. Coaches should be trained in a shared student support methodology to ensure students have similar experiences across coaches, aligned under a shared language and goals, according to InsideTrack research.

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