Conclusion and Recommendations for Applying Key Coaching Elements Across the Institution in Contexts Other Than Coaching

Introduction

After scanning the current and emerging trends in coaching in Chapter Seven I have chosen to close the book with a chapter that suggests ways to develop core coaching elements across the institution. I believe that this approach is critically important to improve retention and student success and to stimulate innovation and change across the institution. I also think the conclusions and recommendations offered throughout this chapter for institutions and administrators charged with improving retention and student success at their institution are important to consider whether or not you decide to implement a coaching program. And, if you decide against implementing a coaching program, the approaches outlined in this chapter will enable you to make meaningful retention improvements based on the coaching model.

This chapter explores the key elements of successful coaching and then works to apply these key coaching concepts and elements across the institution to help institutions look at coaching based solutions in different contexts and through different lenses and perspectives. This chapter also delves into retention issues, challenges and obstacles that may be the purview or responsibility of a range of different departments or academic units across campus. This chapter also evaluates the key components of a highly successful coaching program that may be appropriate for solving retention problems or tackling retention issues through interventions other than coaching. Or put another way, what can a highly successful coaching program teach other student facing departments across the institution that might be effective in engaging and retaining students? Finally, this chapter provides recommendations based on Chapters Two, Three and Four, and from personal experience, about what elements of highly impactful coaching might be difficult to develop or nurture within conventional university campus operations and departments. Or conversely, what elements of highly successful coaching are more likely to be better developed by and more supported at an outsourced coaching provider.