August 22, 2009 By The Associated Press

DAYTON, Ohio (AP)- The University of Dayton is unveiling a program that links first-year students with coaches who can guide them through the transition to college life.

Coaching is offered for six months before the start of classes and during the first semester.

The university developed the program with InsideTrack, a student coaching company in San Francisco. Dayton is one of the nation's first schools to offer success coaches for all incoming freshmen, Kumarasamy said.

The Seattle-based coaches will connect students with the campus service best suited to address their needs.

The coaching is like a car navigation system, said Sundar Kumarasamy, Dayton's vice president for enrollment management.

"It doesn't take you from Point A to Point B, but it gives you the shortest route," he said.

Riley Quinn's success coach makes the first-year student feel like she already has a support system in place at the university.

"Especially being away from home for quite a distance, it will be nice to have somebody there that I can talk to," said Quinn, 18, of Rochester, N.Y. "If I need a little bit of assistance or guidance it's there to help me."

Kumarasamy said the program represents a "significant investment" for the university but declined to disclose the cost.

Students can continue with a success coach after their first semester at a personal cost of $500 per semester, he said.

New students received a pamphlet about the service with their acceptance letter, followed by a preliminary call from their coach.

Students can choose a regular coaching model with structured counseling or a less-structured model that allows them to call their coach whenever they need.

Kumarasamy expected about 400 students to use regular coaching and the rest to use the lower-key coaching option.

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Information from: Dayton Daily News, http://www.daytondailynews.com

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