Philosophy
Our Executive Function Coach is Heidi Qandah.
Executive function coaching uses an appreciative advising model that guides students in finding what success means to them, identifying challenges, and then planning their best next steps while supported by the coach. The coach partners with the students to establish SMART goals, create achievable plans, elevate their academic strategies, scaffold their progress and growth through reflective thinking.
Student Core Competencies
Executive Function Coaching will address students' core competencies to become self-regulated learners and achieve their academic and professional goals.
1. Building academic self-awareness
- Identifying and accessing resources (i.e., The Hub, Drahmann Center, CAPS, etc.)
- Developing critical thinking and depth of learning (i.e., connecting past information with new ones and gaining a better understanding of those concepts)
- Improving communication with peers and professionals (i.e., engaging in academic dialogue)
2. Building confidence, resilience, and grit
- Confidence is trusting in your ability to achieve what you set your mind on doing while being aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
- Resilience is bouncing back from a setback or a challenge, readujst, and keep going.
- Grit comes from core values that will ignite your passion toward a long-term goal. Resilience is an element of grit.
3. Setting, reviewing, and adjusting goals
- Setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals (S.M.A.R.T.).
- Creating an action plan with specific steps to achieving set goals
- Periodically reviewing progress on the goals and adjusting expectations
4. Developing organization and time management systems and strategies
- Creating work plans and studying schedules
- Managing calendars and to-do lists
- Organizing materials and resources
- Understanding course expectations
5. Developing academic skills and strategies (i.e., study strategies, testing strategies, etc).
- Developing individualized, effective study strategies (i.e., managing distractions, initiating tasks, monitoring progress, and evaluating results)
- Identifying and assessing stressors during exams and establishing tools and techniques to manage them
- Evaluating note-taking skills and improving these skills by learning different techniques