Retention

Fayetteville State U Adopts Private Coaching to Improve Student Retention

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 08/17/17

Fayetteville State University (FSU) has teamed with a private partner to offer 300 new full-time students personal support via executive-style coaching.

The coaching is being provided by InsideTrack beginning this month and continuing through the 2017-2018 school year.

"FSU and InsideTrack developed the program under the framework of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Re-Imagining the First Year (RFY) initiative, a project aimed at ensuring success for all students, particularly those who have historically been underserved by higher education," according to a news release.

Features of the program will include:

• Structured meetings;
• Ongoing communication via video, voice, e-mail and text; and
• Help in developing skills such as time management, critical thinking, communication and personal accountability.

The program will also use information gathered by the coaches and through InsideTrack's platform to help administrators make improved operational decisions.

"The first priority in our institutional commitment to educational excellence is ensuring that our students are empowered to make informed decisions about their futures and take the actions necessary to achieve their goals," said James Anderson, chancellor of Fayetteville State University, in a prepared statement. "By leveraging InsideTrack's proven coaching methodologies, technology and analytics, we can provide each student with the tailored support they need to reach their full potential."

Fayetteville State University is a historically black university serving more than 6,000 students across more than 60 bachelor's, master's and doctorate programs. Its partnership with InsideTrack is the latter's second with a North Carolina-based HBCU this year, following the organization's work with Elizabeth City State University on enrollment and student success.