The Success Coach is a specially trained position focused specifically on moving students through the Student Success Coaching Model. In this blog, we’ll examine more thoroughly this vital role in the model’s performance. While principal PA program faculty serve as academic advisors for students, we recommend selecting two faculty members to serve as student success coaches, one for the didactic phase and the other for the clinical year. 

Train the Trainer

Our Student Success Package provides faculty training, with twelve months of follow-up supervision. After experiencing Train the Trainer, faculty will demonstrate they have:

1. Developed skills for counseling students at risk and develop academic remediation plans

2. Deepened their understanding of assessment-related practices defined by ARC-PA to provide modifications to remediation practices and curriculum related to assessment

3. Developed an understanding of good practice in observing and giving feedback to students requiring academic improvement plans longitudinally through the program

4. Maintained the ability to administer the student success skills seminars at the beginning of the didactic year and at designated points throughout the program, including entering the clinical year, and final preparation for PANCE

To the point of today’s newsletter, designated faculty members receive additional training as Student Success Coaches. Those who take on the role of an academic Success Coach must be willing to learn educational theory and apply proven practices in student counseling sessions. This requires diligence and logistical thought. Because this work involves a considerable amount of time and energy, academic success coaches should receive workload release for this responsibility.

A Success Coach performs the following functions:

• Meets with each student to assess their learning styles and current study habits

• Is available for consultation with faculty

• Meets with individual students after such consultations, even without formally enrolling the student into the Academic Improvement Program, to review the student’s learning style, time management, study and test taking skills, etc.

• Provides the faculty with resources and recommendations that empower the faculty to support the academic growth and development of all of their students.

• Creates and implements academic improvement plans, as required per the remediation policies described in the PA Program Student Handbook, and refines same throughout the program based on subsequent academic performance

• Empowers the students to engage in methods that support improved academic performance.

• Engages in follow-up meetings with students, at the discretion of the Coach, but no less than at least every three weeks during the didactic phase and once a rotation in the clinical phase.

• Ensures sending reports of student progress to the advisor, didactic and clinical coordinators (as appropriate), and the program director. The student meeting tracker in the shared Student Success Coaching Model drive ensures accountability and department-wide access to each student’s progress and needs.

The Success Coach is an integral, inspirational part of the Student Success Coaching Model. Those who are enthusiastic about the role have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the success of individuals and the PA program.

In the next issue of our blog, we’ll wrap up the roles of the Student Success Coaching Model by reviewing the most important contributor of all: the student.