VCCS Student Success Center’s Coaching & Advising Team: Empowering Student Support Staff
The VCCS Student Success Center is dedicated to supporting the incredible network of student support staff across the Virginia Community College System. We work to ensure you have the resources and development opportunities needed to empower student success.
Our Focus:
- Supporting Support Staff: We specialize in equipping any staff or faculty that provide direct student support with the tools and knowledge necessary to thrive in their roles through connection and collaboration.
- Enhancing Student Success: By strengthening the support network, we support student achievement and overall well-being through the sharing of knowledge and striving to house inclusivity in our work.
What We Do:
- Provide Resources: We curate a comprehensive library of online modules, handouts, and best practices to equip you in your vital role of supporting students.
- Facilitate Professional Development: We offer collaborative meetings, standalone trainings, virtual workshops, and other programs to enhance your skills and knowledge in supporting student success initiatives.
- Foster Collaboration: We connect you with colleagues across the VCCS, fostering a network of shared expertise and support.
New Student Support Professional?
Welcome aboard! We understand transitioning to a new role can be overwhelming. To help you get started, contact studentsuccesscoaching@vccs.edu.
Looking for Upcoming Events?
Check our calendar regularly for upcoming workshops, training sessions, and networking opportunities.
Have Questions?
We’re here to help! Contact our dedicated team at studentsuccesscoaching@vccs.edu for any questions or assistance you may need.
Together, we can make a significant impact on student success at VCCS!
Chancellor’s College Success Coach Initiative (CSCI)
The Student Success Center supports the ten smallest schools funding for the Chancellor’s College Success Coach Initiative (CSCI) program. This program aims to increase student success, especially for underserved students. Colleges can apply for funding to hire college success coaches who will provide academic and workforce coaching to students. The coaches will help students with things like career planning, financial aid, and completing coursework. The goal is to improve student outcomes such as course completion rates, graduation rates, and credential attainment.
For more information about this program or funding please contact Casey Yocum at cyocum@vccs.edu
Great Expectations
The Great Expectations Program helps young people who have experienced foster care gain access to and succeed in higher education, workforce training and employment opportunities, and assists them in transitioning to living independently. Students work with a coach at one of 23 Virginia Community Colleges who helps them navigate college and access supportive services. They also can receive financial help for housing, transportation, childcare and educational expenses. Great Expectations is available to students in VCCS academic/credit programs and VCCS workforce and career training programs.
National research confirms that young people who experience foster care face an uphill struggle as they age out, suffering higher rates of homelessness, lower educational attainment and reduced lifetime earnings. Since the program’s beginning in 2008, 4,190 VCCS students have been enrolled in Great Expectations. The national college success rate for students without family support is estimated at eight percent. With help from Great Expectations, 16 percent of our participants earn associate degrees. When you include the number of GE participants who earn workforce or career training credentials, the success rate is 23 percent.
Email: studentsuccesscoaching@vccs.edu
Link to learn more: http://greatexpectations.vccs.edu/
Rural Virginia Horseshoe Initiative (RVHI)
Fourteen of the state’s twenty-three community colleges are in Virginia’s Rural Horseshoe, an arc of countryside stretching from the Eastern Shore to the far Southwest and up the Shenandoah Valley. The Rural Virginia Horseshoe Initiative (RVHI) is working to cut in half, from over 20% to under 10%, the number of residents living within the Rural Horseshoe who lack a high school diploma or its equivalent.
The Initiative also aims to double the percentage of rural residents who earn an associate degree or other college certification from 26% to 52%. Through partnerships through the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education and Virginia 529, The Student Success Center works with Community colleges to place career coaches in rural high schools to guide students through the transition to college and offers targeted scholarships for post-secondary degrees and certifications for students of all ages. The Initiative develops workforce training programs that can launch students into sustainable and rewarding careers.
For more information about this program please contact Casey Yocum at cyocum@vccs.edu
Fast Forward
Funded by Virginia 529, the Fastforward program provides career coaches at fourteen Virginia community colleges with crucial support for students enrolled in short-term credential programs. The Student Success Center strengthens this initiative by hosting monthly meetings where these coaches can collaborate, share best practices, and access resources to better assist students throughout their academic journey and into their chosen careers.
For FastForward coaches, a dedicated website with resources is available. Please make sure you are logged into your VCCS Google Account to access the site.
For further information or questions, coaches can contact Casey Yocum at cyocum@vccs.edu.