San Diego-Based University Upskills Student Support Workforce through Innovative Coaching Microcredential

National University unveils "Whole Human Support" microcredential, with intensive training delivered by InsideTrack, to boost outcomes for nontraditional, working, and military students

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- National University (NU)—a nonprofit, Veteran-founded institution serving over 50,000 nontraditional, working, and military students annually through its degree programs and 80,000 more through its workforce and professional programs—today announced the results of a new university-wide professional development initiative designed to scale holistic student support through a coaching microcredential program now available to advisors and other student-facing staff. The microcredential is an extension of NU's "Whole Human Education™ model, which emphasizes wraparound services that support students academically, personally and professionally.

"Most of our students are ANDers – taking on the challenge of learning and working, parenting, changing careers, caring for family, and/or serving in uniform or in their communities. Whole human education is about seeing and supporting the whole person, not just counting credits," said Dr. Mark D. Milliron, president and CEO of National University. "By equipping staff with new tools, shared language, and nationally-recognized credentials, we're building capacity to meet our hardworking students where they are—changing lives and career trajectories."

National University's student population mirrors national trends toward older, working learners balancing education with other responsibilities. Roughly 80% of NU students take all of their courses online, and a significant number are military-connected. These students bring unique needs and aspirations that require proactive, personalized support systems to keep them on track toward degree completion and long-term career advancement.

To help meet the wide-ranging educational, career and family needs of its students, NU partnered with InsideTrack — the highly respected national nonprofit known for applying executive-style success coaching in higher education — which brings more than two decades of experience improving student outcomes and building institutional coaching capacity. Over nine months, InsideTrack delivered intensive training sessions for student-facing staff members across advising, academic coaching, enrollment, reentry, faculty development, and library services.

Each participant earned four stackable InsideTrack microcredentials designed to build and strengthen practical skills for student support. These included Coaching-Powered Relationships, focused on building trust and connection with students; Holistic Assessment, aimed at identifying and addressing academic, financial, and personal barriers; Coaching to Advance, designed to guide students toward achieving their goals; and Building Motivation, helping learners connect their studies to larger life and career aspirations.

This coaching approach is already changing how NU delivers support, creating more consistent and personalized student experiences. According to post-training surveys, 84% of participants reported confidence applying their new coaching skills to day-to-day work, and 100% indicated plans to use the tools regularly with students and colleagues. As one participant noted: "It's changed how I listen to students and the conversations we have—there's more focus on goals and motivation, not just logistics."

To ensure long-term impact, three participants completed advanced facilitator training and are now delivering microcredential workshops internally. These in-house facilitators have already conducted 11 workshops for more than 100 colleagues, accelerating adoption and ensuring the program scales efficiently across the institution.

"Students are managing work, family, and life while pursuing their studies—and that takes incredible strength," said Dr. Matthew Bruce, associate vice president of academic engagement and support at National University. "By investing in a microcredential series to upskill our staff and rolling it out across the institution, we're equipping teams to support students with empathy, consistency, and purpose—no matter where or when they engage."

Building on the success of the initial microcredential training, NU has launched the Whole Human Support Credential—a fully customized, internally-led training program grounded in InsideTrack's coaching methodology. This next phase aims to credential dozens more student-facing professionals in advising, coaching, enrollment, and leadership roles, ensuring consistent, high-touch support for learners throughout their journey.

"Every interaction a student has with faculty and staff—whether it's a financial aid advisor, a faculty member, or someone helping them access library resources—is an opportunity to encourage and connect them to their goals," said Ruth Bauer, president of InsideTrack. "By equipping every student-facing role, including faculty, with the skills, tools, and mindset of coaching, we're helping institutions create more empowering experiences that enable students of every background to achieve their full educational and career potential."

NU's Whole Human Education model offers an array of support services to meet the needs of military students, working adults, and students of all ages and stages, including its flexible four-, eight- and twelve-week courses, offered online, on-site, and in hybrid-learning formats. In 2025, NU was named an Opportunity University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education®, a recognition awarded to institutions that both serve large numbers of underrepresented students and deliver some of the highest earnings outcomes for their graduates.

To showcase this work, National University and InsideTrack collaborated on a case study about the partnership and its results. Read the full case study here. 

‍About InsideTrack: InsideTrack is a mission-driven nonprofit that fuels positive change by empowering and advancing all learners to achieve their educational and career goals through the transformative power of coaching. We help people get the education they need to enhance well-being, create opportunity and secure meaningful employment — ultimately facilitating economic and social mobility. Since 2001, we have served over 3.5 million learners, partnering with more than 380 institutions and organizations to directly improve enrollment, retention, completion, and career advancement — tailoring our coaching outcomes to fit the needs of our partners and the learners they support. Our coaching methodology is evidence-based and research-confirmed, supporting all types of learners at every stage of their journey — especially those who face systemic barriers to postsecondary success. We are a catalyst for transformational impact, ultimately empowering learners and the organizations that serve them. To learn more, visit www.insidetrack.org and follow us on LinkedIn @InsideTrack and X @InsideTrack.

About National University: National University, a Veteran-founded nonprofit, has been dedicated to meeting the needs of nontraditional, working, and military students by providing accessible, affordable higher education opportunities since 1971. As San Diego's largest private nonprofit university, NU offers over 150 online and on-campus programs with flexible four-week and eight-week classes and one-to-one graduate education models designed to help students reach their goals while balancing busy lives. Since its founding, the NU community has grown to 130,000 learners served per year—50,000 degree-seeking students and 80,000 workforce and professional development students—and 250,000 alumni around the globe, many of whom serve in helping industries such as business, education, health care, cybersecurity, and law and criminal justice. To learn more about National University's new possibilities in education including next-generation education, value-rich education, and whole human education, visit NU.edu.

SOURCE InsideTrack