Academic Success Coaching

About the Program:

Academic Success Coaching at Berkshire is a support that offers students multiple opportunities. Through coaching, students establish connections with several offices across the college and navigate barriers to increase their success. They also identify and build upon their own learning styles while learning to advocate for self. They explore and discover interests, goals, academic, and personal success strategies and work towards success and completion of goals. Students achieve an increased executive skillset by developing organizational and time management skills to help them reach success. Finally, they develop action plans for academic, career and personal development goals to succeed in college and beyond.

Students are encouraged to join SUCCESS at Berkshire Community College (BCC) through targeted outreach that follows an opt-out approach. Eligible students may reach out directly for more information and are automatically enrolled unless they request not to join. All SUCCESS students at BCC are supported by the program during their time with BCC until they earn their certificate or degree. By design, students are aware that they are receiving services through SUCCESS. Other units that support SUCCESS at BCC include financial aid, academic advising, admissions, and multicultural affairs, diversity, and engagement.

Student Eligibility

Students who are eligible for the SUCCESS program at BCC include:

First-time & continuing students
Full-time & part-time students
Orphans – Wards of the Court
English language learners
Students with developmental needs in English and mathematics

Cohort Focus Population

In line with the legislative intent to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable student populations, the following student populations are actively recruited for SUCCESS at BCC:

Economically disadvantaged students
First-generation college students
Minoritized students (i.e., Hispanic or Latino, Black or African American, Cape Verdean, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and multi-racial students)
Students with disabilities
LGBTQIA+ students
Students who are veterans

Support Services

The following supports are available to SUCCESS students at BCC:

Coaching

Basic Essential Needs

Career Advising

Transfer Advising

Scholarship Advising

Case Management

Community Events

Publications

Discussion Groups

Mentoring

Assessments

Tutoring/study groups

4yr school visits

Affinity Groups

Workshops

Student Planning

Peer Mentoring

Student Employment

Professional Development

Support Network

SUCCESS at BCC is supported by eight staff members. The team includes a director, four additional success coaches, an essential needs navigator, a multicultural affairs coordinator, and a clerk. On a part-time basis, three SUCCESS students will also serve as peer mentors this year while continuing to benefit from SUCCESS services themselves.

SUCCESS receives funding through the Massachusetts legislature and is supported by the 15 state community colleges, the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC), the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE), and the SUCCESS Leadership and Coordinating Committees.