Locking in with UP’s Academic Support Coaches

by Relebogile Manana | Apr 17, 2024 | News

On 21 February, among the plethora of emails that students received, there was one regarding the transformation of Faculty Student Advisors (FSAs) to Academic Success Coaches (ASCs). This shift marks a strategic move that aims to enhance the support system for students navigating their academic journeys. In an interview with PDBY, the coordinator of FLY@UP, Tayla Jonker, shed light on the reason behind the change and the comprehensive initiatives that are available to students.

Regarding her role at FLY@UP, Jonker outlined her responsibilities in coordinating various programmes under the FLY@UP umbrella, which emphasised the evolution of support services beyond academics. She highlighted the collaboration with ASCs (formerly FSAs), who played a vital role in providing personalised guidance to students across different faculties. 

Jonker likened the rebranding of FSAs as ASCs to going shopping and buying the product you know and love, simply in new packaging. It has the same essence but a clearer identity. She clarified that the Faculty Student Administration had also been referred to as FSA, and thus, the change was made in hopes of mitigating confusion amongst students. The term “Academic Success Coach” aligns the terminology with a more recognisable concept: coaching. By framing support within the context of coaching, the university aims to make the process easier and to encourage students to proactively seek assistance.

In addressing the reluctance of students to seek help, Jonker attributed it to the overwhelming amount of information that students, particularly Generation Z, tend to take in daily. With the constant consumption of information online as well as in school, she identified this as a prevalent challenge of the digital age. To combat this, FLY@UP introduced a new feature on the Student Portal called “Student Support at UP”, which provides a centralised hub for accessing various support services from the comfort of your own home. The initiative aims to streamline the process of seeking assistance and offers students a user-friendly interface to navigate available resources.

The portlet can be found on the portal dashboard and, once selected and signed into, it offers a drop-down menu with options ranging from mental health support to financial assistance and academic coaching. Depending on the selection, students can access contact details or schedule appointments with ASCs directly through Google Calendar. While the unrest at the beginning of the academic year delayed the full rollout of this initiative, it still clearly has the potential to revolutionise student support. 

The support does not end with this new initiative though, as FLY@UP has various initiatives throughout the year to assist students with navigating university life. From annual activations like “March across the finish line” to the upcoming thrift activation and exam workshops, FLY@UP is dedicated to equipping students with the tools and resources needed to thrive academically and beyond.

Jonker ended the interview by advising students to just start today. There is a tendency for the student population to wait until the very end to get help to make it through the semester, and by then, it is too late. Even if it is just for five minutes a day, she emphasised how important it is to stay on top of schedules and make use of the resources available to students at the university. UP’s branding of “Make today matter” is surely there for a reason. 

For more information regarding FLY@UP initiatives and resources, visit the FLY@UP homepage on the UP official website, the “Student Support at UP” tile on your portal, or FLY@UP’s Instagram page, @flyatup.

Relebogile Manana
view posts