Academic Coaching

Cultivating Growth, Collaboration & Student Empowerment

ENVD's academic coaching program fosters healthy habits, nurtures personal and professional growth and is rooted in student-coach collaboration. Through coaching, we aim to empower students to take action and make changes to move them towards their goals.

Schedule an Academic Coaching Appointment

Students

I already have an academic coach:
Schedule in Buff Portal Advising

I want an academic coach:
Submit a Self-Referral

Faculty & Staff

Refer a Student to Academic Coaching

Request an academic coaching workshop:
Link to Form TBD

If you have any questions or difficulty signing up for coaching, please reach out to Sara Freix: sara.freix@colorado.edu with your name and student ID number.

Commitments & Expectations

Coaches commit to:

Focusing intensely on our students' needs,
Listening with genuine interest and attention,
Empowering through proactive involvement,
Coauthoring value-driven strategies,
Demonstrating unwavering accountablity and
Responding promptly and effectively.

This coaching service is for ENVD only. These ENVD students receive priority support:

Students mitigating academic standing concerns,
Students on course alert,
Students on incomplete agreement and
Students referred by faculty, staff, Disability Services or Student Support and Case Management.

Students must:

Commit to a minimum of four appointments.
Approach the process with self-honesty and candor.
Be prepared to challenge preconceived notions, embrace goals, reshape habits and engage in skill-building that extends beyond their comfort zone.
Attend initial sessions prepared to collaborately establish goals and a framework for the coaching relationship.
Utilize resources such as office hours, tutoring or support center visits to complement coaching efforts.
Schedule meetings with their academic advisor to discuss academic progress and degree planning.
Regularly check and respond promptly to communications sent to their CU Boulder email.
Show consideration for coaching structures, communication norms and any established boundaries.

Coaching modality and length:

Choose between Zoom or in-person coaching sessions.
- Zoom sessions are available five days a week, while in-person sessions are available Monday-Wednesday.
Appointments are 45-minutes long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does coaching replace academic advising?

No, you will continue to work with your academic advisor. You should be working with your advisor to discuss advising topics, such as course selection, progress towards graduation, etc.

Is a coach the same as a tutor?

No, academic coaches and tutors serve different roles. Tutors concentrate on helping students with particular subjects, academic coaches aim to collaborate with students on their overall approach to learning, studying, goal setting, etc.

Meet the Coach

Sara Friex serves as ENVD's academic coach. She holds a master's degree in educational psychology from Virginia Tech and has a background in coaching student-athletes at CU Boulder. Her coaching style emphasizes collaborative skill building and goal setting, incorporates a strengths-based lens and focuses holistically on the unique needs of the students.