From WHAT is the problem to HOW to proceed
"People are more likely to believe what they hear themselves say." Miller & Rollnick, Motivational Interviewing (4th Edition)
Factors to Consider
Study Systems
- unique learning preferences
- personal approach to learning
- utilizing resources
- committing to a system and evaluating it
Identity and Inclusion
- recognizing personal and social identities
- developing relationships that deepen their sense of belonging
- managing the transition to campus
Financial Confidence
- take ownership of financial responsibilities associated with college attendance
- identify and utilize financial resources
Competing Responsibilities
- develop an effective time managment system
- prioritize academic and non-academic commitments
- balance demands based on values and priorities
Major to Career Design
- identifying personal values and interests
- creating career goals
- establishing academic objectives that align with career goals
Health and Resiliency
- building a system of health and wellness
- learning to enhance their mental and physical self
- developing resilliency in overcoming challenges
Support Networks
- understand the value of positive support networks
- developing trusted relationships
- exploring communities that strengthen their commitment to success
Motivation and Achievement
- identify personal motivators
- create academic and non-academic goals
- developing positive academic self-efficacy
*Adapted from University of Oklahoma's ALC Persistence Themes
Reference Guide
| If you hear | Persistence Theme | You could ask ... |
| "I'm overwhelmed." | Health & Resiliency | "What's contributing most to that feeling?" |
| "I don't have enough time." | Competitng Responsibilities | "What demands are competing for your attention?" |
| "I don't know why I'm here." | Major to Career Design | "What originally brought you to college?" |
| "I don't belong." | Identity & Inclusion | "When have you felt most connected on campus?" |
| "I can't study." | Study Systems | "Walk me through how you usually prepare for an exam." |
| "I'm thinking about quitting." | Motivation & Achievement | "What has kept you going so far?" |
Motivational Interviewing
We can ask: "Which part of your college experience feels hardest right now?" That question immediately opens space for the student to identify what matters most.
The Persistence Themes help us identify what the sudent is experiencing.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) helps us and the student identify how to best proceed based on what matters most to the student.
MI is a means of exploring and working with ambivalence -- both wanting and not wanting something.
To help students discover their own reasons for change, Academic Life Coaches must listen for two types of talk:
1. Sustain Talk: language that favors staying the same
"I don't have time."
"Nothing I've tried works."
Don''t argue. Acknowledge it and stay curious.
2. Change Talk: language that moves toward change
"I really want to do better."
"I could try meeting with my professor."
Your goal: Encourage students to hear themselves talk about change.
Use OARS
O: Open questions: Invite conversations instead of yes/no questions.
A: Affirmations: Recognize strengths, effort, and progress.
R: Reflections: Restate, repeat, or slightly rephrase the speaker's exact words using synonyms.
S: Summaries: Pull together key ideas and highlight motivation.
Listen for DARN-CATS
DARN Preparing for Change
D: Desire: "I want to ..."
A: Ability: "I think I can ..."
R: Reasons: "It would help because ..."
N: Need: "I have to ..."
CATS Moving into Action
C: Commitment: "I will ..."
A: Activation: "I'm going to ..."
T: Taking Steps "I already ..."
Motivational Inteviewing is not giving advice without permission, convincing students to change, arguing with resistance, or creating motivation.
Instead, it is helping students strengthen their own motivation for change.
The University of Wyoming has earned its Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year university with the top research universities in the United States.