UCF is implementing a new approach to advising that emphasizes long-term planning and guidance. Here’s what you need to know. What’s happening in Academic Advising at UCF? UCF is adopting a new advising model to provide consistent levels of service and accountability across all undergraduate advising units. Academic Advisors and Academic Coaches are blending their job responsibilities into a new role called "Academic Success Coaches." Academic Success Coaches will stay in their respective colleges, but their leadership is now centrally housed in the Division of Student Success and Well-Being. Why is it happening? Senior UCF leadership heard a demand for more advising availability. In addition to a centralized, standard advising model, $3.5 million is going toward hiring more academic success coaches in the coming months. The university is committed to improving time-to-degree completion for first-time-in-college and transfer students. This is one of several steps toward the goal. What kind of changes will I see? Not much will change during the Spring 2024 semester. Your existing connections and relationships will continue much the same. What do Academic Success Coaches do? Academic success coaches will assist you with establishing goals, creating action plans, navigating university resources, developing a degree plan, and more. Are Academic Success Coaches moving offices? No, Academic Success Coaches will stay in their respective college offices. You will have uninterrupted access to their expertise and knowledge of college, department, and major-related information. How long will this change take? The title and reporting changes for former academic advisors and success coaches have already happened. Academic Success Coaches are undergoing training through the Spring semester for their new hybrid roles. How does this impact students who receive specialized advising? Undergraduate students that receive specialized academic advising and coaching support will continue to work with those offices (Academic Services for Student-Athletes, Burnett Honors College, iSTEM, Office of Military and Veteran Student Success, UCF Global, and UCF Online) in addition to an Academic Success Coach from their college. Undeclared students will work with academic success coaches in the Knights Major Exploration and Transition Center. What else is happening with the model? These changes are part of a bigger, coordinated student success strategy to connect students with the help they need to graduate. For instance, Academic Advocates are a parallel initiative using data and targeted outreach to help students falling behind on their academic path. How do I schedule a meeting with an Academic Success Coach? You can schedule a meeting online through myKnight STAR or contact your college office for more information. Moving forward, we’re focused on students building long-term relationships with coaches who will guide them from first-year orientation to graduation.