APSU and College Possible partner to embed near-peer success coaches on campus
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. 鈥 Hampton Freeman, a student success coach embedded at Austin Peay State University, said it takes about 10 minutes for students to relax and trust him.
鈥淲hen they come in, they鈥檒l put their bookbag down very neatly and make sure they鈥檙e sitting up straight,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hen later, I鈥檒l notice them scooting back, crossing their legs, and you can just see from their posture, they鈥檙e comfortable.鈥
That comfort likely comes from the fact that Freeman, a May 2019 Austin Peay graduate, is only three or four years older than the students he helps. Four months after earning his undergraduate degree, he returned to campus to guide Pell-eligible and first-generation college students through rough patches in their academic careers. Freeman and three other student success coaches are now living on campus, advising 480 freshmen on everything from how to register for classes to how to relax after a stressful exam.
鈥淚 tell my students I鈥檓 a mentor; I don鈥檛 want you to look at me as an adviser because that鈥檚 not my job,鈥 DeNesha Bell, a success coach, said. 鈥淚鈥檓 more of a mentor, guiding you, giving you advice on college and how to get through it since I recently graduated. You鈥檙e not talking to someone who鈥檚 10-plus years removed telling you how to navigate things.鈥
The four coaches are AmeriCorps volunteers, and they arrived on campus this year thanks to a new partnership between Austin Peay and College Possible, a national nonprofit that connects high school and college students with success coaches close to their age. The nonprofit calls these coaches 鈥渘ear-peer mentors.鈥
鈥We look for some history of innovation鈥
In 2016, College Possible launched Catalyze, an initiative to improve student success and retention through near-peer coaching. According to the nonprofit, only 12 percent of college students from low-income backgrounds earn a degree, compared to 58 percent of students from high-income backgrounds. Between 2017 and 2018, College Possible noticed an increase in retention rates at schools with near-peer mentors. During the last academic year, 92 percent of the program鈥檚 fall participants returned for the spring semester.
This successful model attracted the attention of Dr. Loretta Griffy, APSU associate vice president for student success, because in 2018, 48 percent of Austin Peay students were eligible for Pell grants and 29 percent were first-generation college students. Last year, Griffy invited College Possible representatives to campus to see if the University would be a good fit for the Catalyze program.
鈥淲e are not partnering with every school that reaches out to us,鈥 Jeron Schmidt, College Possible鈥檚 Catalyze Partnership Manager, said. 鈥淲e vet partners and look for high numbers of Pell-eligible students. We look for some history of innovation or trying initiatives. Austin Peay has tried several things, but they鈥檝e been unable to scale these programs for a variety of reasons. It was clear they had a desire to improve student success metrics.鈥
The two organizations developed a partnership, and over the summer, Griffy and Schmidt identified three recent APSU graduates and one recent University of Cincinnati graduate to serve as Austin Peay鈥檚 first near-peer success coaches. The four individuals joined AmeriCorps, the federal government鈥檚 voluntary civil service program, and they were sent to College Possible鈥檚 Minnesota offices for a week of intense training.
鈥淚t was seven hours a day for a week,鈥 Aubrey Lewis, College Possible success coach, said. 鈥淲e talked about student perspectives and how a student might feel, and we talked about culture and how to be inclusive. We talked about crises during that week, and how to take care of ourselves and how to be a great coach.鈥
Embedding coaches on campus
For the program to work, the College Possible coaches need to be active members of the Austin Peay community. Griffy wanted the four near-peer mentors to become familiar faces on campus so she found them office space in the McReynolds Building and, working with Student Affairs, she secured them on-campus housing at Austin Peay鈥檚 Emerald Hills apartments.
鈥淲e want them on campus, interacting with students,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 think if we don鈥檛 have our coaches embedded on campus, both in professional offices and residing on campus, they won鈥檛 be visible. We want them to work-out here, go to athletics events, lectures, behave as if they鈥檙e part of campus.鈥
Each College Possible coach is assigned about 120 students for them to mentor and develop one-on-one relationships. The purpose is for them to be a visit, phone call or text away whenever a student encounters some sort of barrier.
鈥淭hey want us to be as close to the students as possible,鈥 Edward Greer, College Possible success coach, said. 鈥淲e are frequently out and about, talking to students or working with advisers within the colleges we work with.鈥
When students meet with their coaches, they get advice and encouragement from someone who was recently in their same situation.
鈥淚 give an example of my freshman year, when everything was great,鈥 Bell said. 鈥淢y sophomore year, my GPA dropped tremendously. Had I given up, I wouldn鈥檛 be sitting here. I just want them to know I鈥檓 in their corner. You have another person to vent to or lean on or advocate for you.鈥
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