by Ashley Wood/reporter
The journey from high school to the first year of college can seem overwhelming without someone to help guide the student.
The districtwide goal of TCC is to help students straight from high school adapt to life in college and not be misguided, South Campus vice president of student development Larry Rideaux said.
“It’s a journey which along the way has milestones, and we are committed to help those students,” he said.
Rideaux said the program gives students consistency from someone who has been with them from day one for each step.
“It holds the student and the advisor accountable for the process as a whole,” he said.
That student will see an advisor or success coach twice a semester to ensure the student stays on course with classes and doesn’t feel overworked, Rideaux said.
“Case management tracks the student from day one until either they transfer to a four-year university or graduate with a certification,” he said. “Success coaches are hired specifically for this so new students get a chance to maximize their college experience.”
Dr. Jade Bourne, South Campus counseling director, said students will see an advisor twice a semester until they have 30 credit hours and are TSI-complete.
“It is to help the students stay enrolled and get the accurate resources that they need,” he said.
The success coaches are the first people students will interact with, Bourne said.
“They will help the student enroll, get the resources they would need, go through the financial aid process and follow up with reminders to speak with advisors,” he said.
The student will have the same advisor through the whole process until they reach their 30 credit hours unless they choose to change, Bourne said.
South success coach Samantha Estrada said a coach gets to see students before they apply so the coach can accurately determine their needs.
“A big problem in the past was that the student would test for programs when they didn’t need to, so now we can help steer them into the correct direction,” she said.
Estrada said coaches meet with the student not only before they go to an advisor but also after so they can help ensure that all paperwork and financial aid has been completed and accepted for that student.
“We are able to see the paperwork that has or hasn’t been turned in, and we can send them where they need to go to fill it out,” she said. “The FTIC center gives a group presentation that the coaches present and get them ready for testing.”
For more information on the FTIC program, students can contact any campus counseling/advising office.
