Peer wellness coaching is one of several new initiatives introduced this year aimed at increasing student resiliency and sense of belonging at UTampa.

Five students have trained as peer wellness coaches, who are able to help students assess their own wellness status, examine improvement opportunities and set goals. Coaching is open to all students, but it is primarily aimed at supporting second-year students.

Maria Silva ’27, a psychology and communication media studies double major, is one of these coaches. She previously worked for Wellness in a role that supported first-year commuter students. 

“The main thing that made me want to be a coach is to continue helping them,” she said. The experience aligns with her goal of becoming a mental health counselor.

“I do think that the coaching is a really great experience for that, especially because we are also students, so we understand,” Silva added.

Jordan Graney ’27, a sociology major, said she wanted to become a peer wellness coach because there were a lot of opportunities and resources that she wasn’t aware of as a first-year student.

“Being an advocate and helping connect, being a bridge to all the outlets and things that campus has to offer, is awesome,” she said.

Chloe Bennett ’27, an allied health major, indicated that students may feel more comfortable seeking help from a peer than a counselor. 

“I was once someone who was in need and who would have really appreciated that resource (peer wellness coaches) at the time,” she said.

Additional campus initiatives have also been launched this fall as part of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), UTampa Cares.

There are programs focused on skill building to support student emotional well-being; more support for faculty and staff to refer students to resources; and resilience reset workshops, which are designed to teach students useful skills for addressing concerns, such as anxious feelings, stress and loneliness.

New, too, this year, is academic success coaching, which aims to support first-time-in-college students in setting goals, identifying potential barriers, building skills and engaging with campus resources.

Academic success coaches are assigned by last name, and coaching meetings can be initiated through self-selection, invitation, response to an early alert or a midterm progress report, or proactive outreach.

Coaches regularly reach out to students to provide timely information about academic and enrollment procedures and processes, including withdrawal deadlines, removing holds and registering for classes.

The early alert system allows faculty teaching select courses to refer students who may need academic support. Once an alert is submitted, they receive outreach to offer support and connect them to campus resources. 

Additionally, faculty and staff will now have a one-stop resource to provide additional support for students. 

The Community of Care Toolkit provides knowledge, skills and resources to be better equipped to refer students to necessary resources.

“Sometimes faculty members recognize their students are going through something, but (they) don't know what to do or what resources are available — or (they) felt like the resources were all over the place and hard to locate,” said Colter Ray, director of communications and speech studies. “Maybe even more important is that students also know these resources are available to them, so they don't ever have to suffer alone or feel like they have no support.” 

In his classes, when he senses students are beginning to feel burned out, anxious or overwhelmed, he can turn to the microlessons and activities in the Community of Care Toolkit.

For more information about these programs, visit utampa.edu/utampacares.