Peer Academic Coach

Peer academic coaches work in individual and small group settings to help undergraduate students develop and utilize more effective strategies and self-management techniques to enhance their academic performance. They help students develop a comprehensive plan for improvement based on an assessment of their academic habits, practices and goals. They also take into account non-academic needs and issues that may be impacting a students’ academic success and introduce new strategies to help improve their performance or by providing referrals to campus partners. The goal of peer coaching is to help students develop greater self-awareness and self-regulation as well as establish habits and routines that will help them achieve their own academic goals.

General Responsibilities

• Facilitate individual academic coaching appointments to help evaluate students’ academic needs and challenges
• Help students identify specific academic goals or academic behaviors they want to improve and provide strategies and techniques to accomplish this purpose
• Help students learn more effective strategies for self-regulation and personal accountability
• Co-develop an academic enhancement plan for each student
• Document coaching appointment notes for each individual appointment in CardSmart
• Identify underlying issues and non-academic needs that may be impacting a student’s academic performance; provide appropriate referrals to key campus partners (e.g., supervisor, Disability Resource Center, Student Affairs Care Team, etc.) where appropriate

Qualifications

• Undergraduate enrollment at the University of Louisville during semesters of employment
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or a minimum GPA of 3.0 for last semester
• Faculty or staff recommendation attesting to candidate’s work ethic and ability to help others
• Evidence of being responsible, dependable, trustworthy and mature
• Good communication skills, patience and empathy; compassion for other’s personal and academic struggles

Evaluation

Supervisor evaluations of all peer academic coaches are conducted each semester. The purpose for each evaluation is to recognize and indicate good practice and to also help each peer academic coach improve her/his/their leadership skills.