Beyond Retention: Reimagining Academic Coaching for Professional Success

Abstract

The capstone report, Beyond Retention: Reimagining Academic Coaching for Professional Success, examines the coaching program within the University of Southern California’s Master of Public Administration Online (MPAOL) program. Authored by Nicolle Halbur, Dennis Eger, and Nicholas Graham of Vanderbilt University, under the guidance of Dr. Daphne Penn, the study critically analyzes the current alumni-based peer coaching model and its effectiveness in supporting second-year graduate students in their professional development. Originally designed to aid students’ transition into online learning and improve retention, the coaching program has diminishing engagement throughout the second year and lacks support for career readiness. Using a mixed-methods phenomenological approach, the authors derived insights from benchmark studies conducted at 14 universities, interviews with USC faculty, and surveys completed by 114 program alums. Findings reveal five critical issues: role confusion, lack of formal training, inconsistent use of coaches, misalignment with student needs, and insufficient support for employability. The study introduces the Halbur-Eger-Graham (HEG) conceptual framework to redirect the program toward career development through three distinct coaching phases tied to professional identity, skill development, and networking. Recommendations include clarifying coaching roles, offering formal training aligned with career development theory, and implementing a structured second-year coaching model focused on employability. The study positions the MPAOL coaching program to lead a next-generation approach in graduate-level academic coaching by aligning with professional growth and post-graduation success.