Welcome Mason Colleagues!
Faculty/Staff Resources
Referrals
If you have a student of concern within one or more of our focus areas, please fill out our referral form. A Success Coach will follow up with the student of concern within 24-48 business hours.
NOTE: If you are reporting a situation involving imminent threat of harm to self or others, please call GMU Police at 703.993.2810 or 911 first. This site is only monitored during our normal business hours, Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and 8:00am to 5:00pm Friday.
Focus Areas
School Community: fitting in, belonging, feeling connected to the institution, understanding expectations and rules
Commitment to Graduation: personal motivation for completing school
Career: recognizing the connection between graduation and career opportunities
Managing Commitments: successfully balancing school with competing priorities (family, work, etc.)
Finances: paying for school and managing personal finances
Well-being: getting adequate sleep, nutrition, exercise and stress management
Effectiveness: the ability to complete tasks and meet deadlines
Academics: reading, writing, test-taking, and study skills
Civic Engagement: service learning, volunteering, advocacy, and engaging with the local community
Frequently Asked Questions
What is success coaching?
Success Coaching helps students transition to college, make the most of their student experience, and work through their own definition of success while at Mason.
What is the role of a Success Coach?
A Success Coach helps students identify resources to enhance their Patriot experiences. Coaches work with students to help them develop and implement personal, career, and academic goals. We provide support and encouragement to help students continue writing their story while at Mason.
Who gets a Success Coach?
All incoming freshmen and transfer students are assigned a Success Coach. However, ALL Mason undergraduate students have access to a Success Coach and can make an appointment with the coach that corresponds with the first letter of their last name. Students can find their coach here.
When should I submit a referral?
Whenever you have a concern about a student in any of our focus areas and you would like someone from Mason to follow up with them, you can submit a referral to our office.
What happens after a referral is submitted?
After the referral is submitted, an email will be populated to our main email address and the case will be forwarded to the appropriate Success Coach. The Success Coach will follow up with the student within 24-48 business hours.
How can a Success Coach assist a faculty member?
Success Coaches can serve Mason faculty in many ways!
- We can come present to your class to talk about our services or conduct a workshop around one or more of our focus areas. Email mycoach@gmu.edu to request a presentation with the date, time, name of class, and the audience of the class.
- If you have a student of concern, we can follow up with the student directly to check-in on them. You can fill out this referral form or send an email to mycoach@gmu.edu with the student’s information and we will follow up with the student.
- We can help facilitate conversations between you and the student of concern to include goal setting, academic strategies, and time management strategies.
How do students find their coach?
Students can find their coach on our website at https://coaching.gmu.edu/findyourcoach/. Students can also use the link under the coach’s name on our contact page to make an appointment directly with their coach.
How do I request a coach to speak to my class or unit?
We are always happy to come present to your class or unit to talk about our services or conduct a workshop around one or more of our focus areas. Email mycoach@gmu.edu to request a presentation with the date, time, name of class/unit, the audience of the class/unit, and the topic you would like us to address.
What does a coaching appointment look like?
Appointment example (each meeting will differ depending on student’s needs):
- The coach will introduce themselves and explain what coaching is and their role
- Students will discuss why they chose Mason, their major, where they are meeting from (home, apartment, res hall, etc.) and get to know the Success Coach better
- Coaches will review the focus areas and determine with the student which one they want to focus on during the meeting
- The Coaches will have a strategic conversation with the student about their area of focus
- The Coach and student will work together to strategize a best path forward and create goals for the student
How do students find out about their coach?
Students find out about their coach in multiple ways:
- Orientation
- Preamble
- Mason welcome events
- Tabling displays around campus
- Introduction video emails
- On our website
- Referrals
- Email campaigns
- SSC programming efforts
What are the benefits of coaching? Why should I encourage students to meet with their Success Coach?
Students who meet and engage with their Success Coach are more likely to…
- Graduate
- Establish and act toward achieving goals
- Become more self-reliant
- Gain more college and life satisfaction
- Take greater responsibility and accountability for actions and commitments
- Communicate more effectively
- Learn critical problem-solving skills