Program Mission
Trained peers coach students to identify, develop, and implement effective strategies that support their academic goals.
Philosophy
We believe peers are uniquely positioned to support one another in coaching progress toward academic goals. We believe all students grow and learn when they are engaged and curious. We believe every level of personal and academic progress relies on small, consistently built habits. We believe deep learning requires space to play with ideas and reflect. We believe that human connections are the basis for engagement. We believe coaching grows the coach and the client.
Location
Housed within the JMU Learning Centers on the 1st floor of the Student Success Center, Peer Academic Coaching is available to all JMU students. Sessions can be held in SSC 1155 or online. Contact Morgan Widelo or Laura Miller with questions, or make an appointment today!
Testimonials
"Working with [a peer coach] this semester has been a great experience that helped me grow and learn a lot. First, the peer coach helped me find ways to work around my weaknesses to do better in school. For example, I was having difficulties to study and take notes because of problems with my attention span, but he showed methods and tools that helped me make my studying sessions more productive and take notes more easily. He also taught me how to organize my time better, something that was extremely helpful this semester because I was able to find hidden intervals of time in my routine, which allowed me to allocate more time to study, so I was also able to get more sleep. Finally, thanks to the peer coach, I was able to build some self-confidence and self-awareness. He helped me to see better my strengths and be grateful for every small achievement. Moreover, he helped me to think about my goals for the future, the small steps I can take toward them, and how I can contribute to the world with my college education, something that has really motivated me to keep growing. There are more things I could mention, but all I can say is that thanks to coaching I have seen a lot of improvement in my life, not only academically but also outside of college, and I feel better prepared and motivated to keep growing and succeed at JMU."
—Jorge M P
"Working with PAC I can be my self around all the coaches. Everyone has supported me not just with my academics but how to handle life situations. It has given me a different perspective on life, how to be more positive about things and how to manage many different stressors in my life. Everyone is PAC has been so supportive of my goals in college as well as life."
—Jenna V
"Working with a peer coach this year has been incredibly rewarding and inspiring, and I am incredibly thankful that he took the time to mentor me. Throughout the semester, he has worked with me on a variety of topics, and I have seen improvement in every topic we have discussed. Closer to the beginning of the semester, I was struggling with my Honors Thesis project and wondered if I even wanted to do it at all. Through an incredible conversation with him about Joseph Campbell's idea of "following your bliss," along with some fun Star Wars clips, he helped me uncover that, really, I was unsure of my statistics skills. He then connected me with resources to help. Every conversation with him has gone through a similar arc. We start with an overarching struggle that I'm facing, get to the root of my struggle, and find an actionable step for me to take. Peer coaching has helped me with time management, sleep quality, and overall zest for life. Overall, thanks to my conversations with him this semester, I have increased my energy and confidence to take on my goals and passions. I deeply appreciate his commitment to my growth, and I hope to continue learning and growing."
