With a new semester underway, the Student Success Coaches at Elgin Community College are meeting with students and hosting events to help students achieve their goals.
The Student Success program at ECC began with grant funding as students returned to campus after COVID-19 sent everything virtual. During the earlier days of the program, students were required to meet the eligibility requirements of the grant in order to meet with a success coach, although Associate Dean of Student Success Peggy Gundrum said that even students who didn’t meet those requirements would stop in.
“If a student came in and wanted to meet with a success coach, I never turned anyone away,” Gundrum said.
Much of the student population is not yet aware of the success coaches or what they do; they are a department that offers individualized, holistic support for students that spans many areas of their education and life.
“The Success Coach’s job is to provide academic and personal support with the primary goal of helping them achieve academic success,” Gundrum said. “It might be helping them schedule an appointment with tutoring, sitting with them to talk about how to read your syllabus, time management, or how to speak with your instructor.”
Spartan Leader Zoë Blazier has met with a success coach regularly since the fall semester of last year. Her only comment when asked what could be improved in the success coaching program was that she hopes the number of coaches keeps up with demand.
Blazier would recommend meeting with a success coach to any students who are having difficulties with time management, staying on top of assignments, financial aid, classes, or work.
“When you are struggling with something, that’s not a fault, it’s not a problem, and it’s always good to reach out and ask for help,” Blazier said. “ That is how you progress; that’s how you advance.”
As of July 1, ECC has given institutional funding to the Student Success Coach Program. This was also the date that success coaching officially opened to all students. The program does not have a webpage online at the time of writing, but one is in the works. If students are interested in setting up a meeting with a success coach, they can stop by B-120 or send an email to [email protected].
