Designing the Curriculum for Proactive Resilience in Higher Education: Students’ Experience of a University Student Success Coaching (SSC) Programme

Higher education has experienced a concerning rise in attrition and non-progression rates and increasing and complex well-being issues among students. One strategy employed to address these challenges is providing coaching services that support and promote student resilience. This paper reports on the University of Galway's experience developing the Student Success Coaching (SSC) programme dedicated to its undergraduate students. Rooted in the principles of Design Thinking, SSC encourages students to reflect on their strengths, challenges, and personal development pathways within their academic journey, and beyond. Feedback was gathered from students who participated in SSC through focus groups as part of an ongoing evaluation strategy. This paper highlights how SSC exemplifies how resilience can be framed as a dynamic, forward-moving process about overcoming adversity and cultivating the skills to face current and future challenges. Coaching can support this proactive form of resilience, enabling students to reclaim their agency and approach their academic and personal lives more confidently.