Success coaches guide incoming students

Texas A&M University-Commerce created the new position of success coach this year, eliminating the previous position of academic adviser in an effort to aid freshman and certain transfer students in registering for class.

Dean of the university college Ricky Dobbs, the manager of the success coaches, said they are defined as first line academic advisers for freshmen and transfer students who have not completed their math and English requirements. Dobbs said students start with success coaches, and once they have completed 24 class hours and their math and English credits, they will be under the care of a faculty adviser from their respective major.

A faculty adviser is a professor or dean of a department who guides students specifically in their respective department to register for the correct junior and senior level courses.

"Currently there are four success coaches servicing approximately 1600 students," success coach Erin Fortenberry said.

Faculty adviser and associate professor of agriculture and family education, Dr. Bob Williams, said the number of success coaches is far too small.

"I don't know how the hell four success coaches are going to successfully administer to the volume of freshman and transfer students coming in," he said.

But Dobbs said the new system has worked efficiently.

"Things have gone more smoothly than before," he said.

Williams had a different opinion though.

"I don't think anybody has fully transitioned yet," he said. "We are still working on that process."

Fortenberry said each success coach provides students with the information they need to make a smooth transition to working with the faculty advisers.

"We provide students with the appropriate contact information, as well as encourage them to make contact with their department early on, to make the transition as easy and seamless as possible," she said.

Williams said when the success coaches were academic advisers and worked in their respective departments, they had a stronger understanding of the particular needs of that department.

"I really liked it the old way," he said. "We had the academic advisers right around the corner."

Now Williams said he is worried students will have trouble getting the information they need if he is not around.

"Whenever our students could not find me they could just go there (to the academic advisers)," he said. "Now when Bob is not here they are S.O.L."

Williams also said he does not understand the reasoning behind having transfer students see the success coaches.

"I am really confused why transfer students with a declared major have to go to a success coach anyway," he said. "The whole idea [of speaking to faculty advisers] is to help students get some service and direction."

Dobbs said there might be a few juniors and seniors who end up having not completed their math and English credit requirements, but the real purpose of the success coach is to help new students.

"We want to get them grounded here," he said. Fortenberry also said the purpose of the success coach is to help students become acclimated with the university.

"Primarily we are here to aid students in the transition between high school or junior college to the University campus," she said.

According to Fortenberry, the new system has been very accommodating to incoming students.

"Our new department is very helpful to new freshman and undecided students because now students have one location that they can go to for information about majors that the three colleges offer," she said. "We also provide academic support and bridge the gap between new students and the information that they need."

Despite the hurdles of creating a new position, Dobbs said he has plans to further train the success coaches. He said he wants to have them cross-trained in financial aid and admissions to further ease the process of registration.

"If there is a problem, I want them to know how to fix it," he said.

The success coaches are located in the One Stop Shop building on campus and are available to help students.