Academic Coach

The Academic Coach serves as the primary contact for learners from matriculation (orientation) through the completion of their program. The Academic Coach manages a pipeline of learners by coaching, motivating, mentoring, removing barriers, issue ownership through resolution, strategies for completion, and progress. They help learners clarify key decision-points and identify solutions and alternatives which align with the learners’ motivations and goals. The Academic Coach utilizes strong relationship-building and influencing skills resulting in positive learner behaviors and outcomes, contributing to overall learner success and persistence. The Academic Coach is responsible for providing personalized interactions to assist learners in successfully navigating the path to achieve their educational goals. The Academic Coach will provide outreach at key milestones and based on identified behaviors throughout learners’ programs to help keep them on track and to assist with overcoming obstacles they encounter. Each interaction includes exploration of needs and provides personalized solutions to learners to effectively prepare them for long-term success. The Academic Coach also works with faculty and other University partners to address learner concerns and to collaboratively define options to help learners overcome obstacles and achieve academic success. Essential Duties - Academic Planning & Engagement - Assist learners in developing an academic plan that includes all program requirements, enables most direct path to completion, and aligns with their educational and career goals - Leverage tools, systems and software applications to optimize advising engagement. - Build a relationship with the learner to encourage learner success and engagement - Utilize program analytics and outreach protocols to drive purpose-driven and transformational conversations. - Help learners navigate changes in their programs and plans and understand and respond to Capella-initiated changes - Explore alignment of learner’s educational and financial plans in relation to degree completion - Provide resources and refer learners to university support services - Assess learner needs in order to help them make fully informed decisions about their pathways as well as challenging them to make progress toward their goals. - Progress Monitoring & Academic Risk Mitigation - Proactively reach out to learners identified as at-risk, including but not limited to, lack of engagement, academic standing, pace of progress, course completion, gaps in competency development - Highlight and address potential barriers that may impact persistence, success and completion - Encourage learners to develop skills and abilities in direct resolution of challenges and issues; coordinate with faculty, academic leadership and learner-facing team to seek resolution of learner issues. - Coach learners through disruptive life events and challenges. - Provide options based on the unique situation. - Respond to the learner via a wide variety of communication tools and systems including, but not limited to: phone, voicemail, chat, email, casework and social media. - Collaborate with faculty, chairs and other university leaders in handling escalated learner situations and supporting conflict resolution - Communication & Interaction - Respond to the learner via a wide variety of communication tools and systems including, but not limited to: phone, voicemail, chat, email, casework and social media. - Maintain appropriate and accurate documentation of all learner interactions in accordance with departmental best practices - Program, Process, and Policy Subject Matter Expertise - Serve as University Subject Matter Experts concerning programs, processes, and policies in meetings, committees, and informal sessions - Monitor and communicate trends impacting learner persistence, success, and completion; discuss obstacles and challenges to the learner - Support development and