SOAR to Stronger Partnerships to�Enhance Student Success

Amanda C. Allen, Director of Student Success

Zachariah Bell, Student Success Coach

Ashley Wheeler, Student Success Coach

Agenda

• Welcome and Introductions
• Overview of SOAR Analysis
• Wake Tech Overview
• SOAR Analysis & Activity
• Examples
• Identifying Partnerships
• Q & A

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Overview of SOAR Analysis

• Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results
• Flexible and scalable framework
• Facilitates shared conversations 
• Creates shared visions and strategic initiatives 
• Forward-focused and strength-based outlook 

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Resources and Services at Wake Tech

History of the Care Center

• August 2022 – Official opening of Southern Wake Care Center
• August 2023 - Opening of our newly constructed Northern Center
• April 2024 - Opening of our East Campus and Care Center

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*We also have staff that have transitioned to our RTP & Perry Health Science campuses

Student Success Coaching - �Where We Came From

• Success Coaching across the state
• Student Impact Coaches
• Working with students with academic challenges
• First-semester Curriculum students

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Student Success Coaching Today

• Nine Coaches serving our Curriculum programs
• Care Teams
• Start Strong Workshops
• Individual projects

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Pairing Strengths and Opportunities

Strengths

Opportunities

• Aligned to support strategic plan
• Foundation in Appreciative Framework 
• Diverse staff
• Dept. includes wellness services, food pantry, student support services

• Apart of advising redesign
• Unfamiliar to faculty and students
• Resources and opportunities underutilized by students 

Strength to Opportunities

• Additional support available to market to faculty and students
• Advising redesign establishes new teams and initiatives to address student needs
• Increased need in collaboration across different areas of the college
• Faculty can focus more on teaching and learning w/ support from success coaches
• Coaches can connect students to resources and opportunities 

Strategies for Stronger Partnerships

Aspiration 

Results

• Address basic needs of students
• Provide wrap around support
• Support holistic development of students

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• # of Success Plans connecting students to resources
• # of Engagement events to reach more students
• # of students served
• Increased student success outcomes 

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Strategies

• Onboarding of new hires to include meetings internally, w/ other departments, and shadowing opportunities 
• Ongoing training to include other departments, leverage existing PD, and enhance skills
• Success & Engagement Newsletter to promote resources and opportunities to students 
• Engagement events w/ other departments
• Start Strong Workshops with transition math, English, and ACA courses
• Sharing data and outcomes with Care Team, faculty, and staff

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SOAR Analysis of Success Coaching at Wake Tech

Strengths

Opportunities

• Aligned to support strategic plan
• Foundation in Appreciative Framework 
• Diverse staff
• Dept. includes wellness services, food pantry, student support services

• Apart of advising redesign
• Unfamiliar to faculty and students
• Resources and opportunities underutilized by students 

Aspiration 

Results

• Address basic needs of students
• Provide wrap around support
• Support holistic development of students

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• # of Success Plans connecting students to resources
• # of Engagement events to reach more students
• # of students served
• Increased student success outcomes 

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SOAR Analysis Activity

SOAR questions:

• STRENGTHS: What are we great at?
• OPPORTUNITIES: What are the possibilities?
• ASPIRATIONS: What are our dreams or wishes?
• RESULTS: What are meaningful outcomes?

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Onboarding of New Hires

• Phased 3 Week Process 
• Week 1
• Overview of Wake Tech and the strategic plan
• Office expectations and culture
• Basics of the job & essential technology
• Introductions to co-workers and other staff
• Week 2
• Shadowing with other coaches and different campuses
• Week 3
• Shadowing with supervision

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Peer Leader Program

• Piloted Fall 2023
• Implementation Team
• Success Coaches
• Director
• 5 grant funded Peer Leaders

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• Research & Brainstorming
• Interviewed and selected Peer Leaders
• Developed and provided training
• Coaches provided task supervision
• End of semester
• Debrief
• Evaluate
• Assess

Peer Leader Program

• Developed Partnerships
• Care Center
• Care Teams
• Grants
• Career Services
• Training

• Extending Partnerships
• Care Center
• Care Teams
• Career Services
• Student Activities
• Leadership Team
• Foundation

Identify Potential Partners

• Mission/Vision
• Programs offered 
• How do they align to your office’s objectives? 
• How can partnership be mutually beneficial? 
• What would the outcome of the partnership be? 
• Who are the points of contact? 

Identify Potential Partners

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1. How do they align to your office’s objectives?
2. How can a partnership be mutually beneficial?
3. What would the outcome of the partnership be?
4. Point of contact? 

• Mission/Vision ​
• Programs offered

Questions?

success@waketech.edu

successcoach.waketech.edu

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Amanda Allen

Zachariah Bell

Ashley Wheeler

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