Regents push hiring of 100 new ‘success coaches’

The state Board of Regents wants $7.1 million to hire 100 new student counselors – or “success coaches” — at Tennessee’s community colleges and technical centers, reports the Kingsport Times-News.

It’s the most expensive of four “priorities” for new money established at a board meeting next week, totaling $14.1 million. Those items are in addition to requests for new capital project spending – the top priority there being a $17.7 million technology building at Columbia State Community College’s Williamson County Campus.

The success coaches, or relational advisers, would work directly with students to help them navigate financial aid, career exploration and problems that arise, complementing the work of faculty and academic advisers, according to TBR spokesman Rick Locker. The goal of the relational advising model is to increase first-year student retention rates and graduation rates.

The Regents requests now go to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and, if approved there, to the governor for a decision on including them in his next proposed state budget, which will be submitted to the Legislature next year.

Note: The Regents press release on setting its spending priorities is HERE.