Coaching college students who have expressed an interest in leaving: A pilot study

ABSTRACT

Coaching programmes have become increasingly popular among institutions seeking to increase retention rates. The purpose of this experimental study is to examine the effects of a brief coaching intervention. Participants included first-year students thinking about leaving the institution within the first four to six weeks of school. When comparing the control (n = 45) and treatment groups (n = 46), findings showed the treatment group did not significantly improve retention or GPA. Although low participation may be a factor, discussions and implications are shared to improve coaching models and programmes for students who have expressed an interest in leaving their institution.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic coaching
• retention
• higher education
• high-risk students
• college success coaching

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Alicia Sepulveda, Academic Coach at University of Colorado, Boulder in the College of Arts and Sciences and Doctoral Candidate in Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership, University of Northern Colorado. Her research interests include academic and college success coaching and self, personal development, and finding purpose in college.

Matthew Birnbaum, Department of Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership, University of Northern Colorado.

Jennifer B. Finley, Enrollment Management and Student Access, University of Northern Colorado.

Sherry Frye, Enrollment Management and Student Access, University of Northern Colorado.