Academic Affairs Retention Office Team

Student Success Coaches

Student success coaches in our Academic Affairs Retention Office (AARO) offer students one-on-one support with time management, test-taking strategies, note-taking skills, connecting with faculty, and campus involvement. In addition, AARO partners with each college’s student support specialist for stress management, relationship navigation, conflict resolution, and community resource connections.

Students can schedule Success Coaching following the directions below OR can submit a Care Team Request for additional campus support.

Schedule Success Coaching

  1. Click on the “Schedule Success Coaching” Button (above)
  2. Log in using your Single Sign-On credentials.
  3. Click on “Book an Appointment with Success Coaching.”
  4. Select the course (optional) and the primary reason for coaching. Students can add more details on the next page.
  5. Click “Search” to view available appointment slots with success coaches.
Our Student Success Coaches Can Help With
Academic Success Skills: Classroom Success: Life Skills:
  • Adjust to UA Little Rock Academic Expectations (from H.S. or another college)
  • Goal Setting & Strategizing
  • Learning Styles Exploration
  • Study Skills & Test Preparation
  • Time Management & Organization Skills
  • Building Productive Faculty Relationships
  • Building Successful Classroom Habits
  • Forming Effective Study Groups
  • Grit ~ Resiliency ~ Skills to Thrive
  • Motivation VS Procrastination
  • Relationship Building

Meet Our Success Coaches

New Coach: Amber Bryant 

Amber Nicole Bryant, a proud alumna of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, brings a wealth of experience in student success coaching, community engagement, and program development to her role as a Student Success Coach for the Academic Affairs Retention Office (AARO) Team. With a background in mentoring, career advising, and program development, Amber has dedicated her career to fostering academic and personal growth among students. Her previous roles include serving as a Career Transitions Manager at the Little Rock Job Corps Center and as a Volunteer Coordinator at the Arkansas Foodbank, where she developed impactful programs and cultivated strong community partnerships. Passionate about empowering students to overcome obstacles, Amber is committed to supporting all UA Little Rock students in achieving their academic and personal goals.

New Coach: Alex Dayer 

Alex Dayer is a graduate of Hendrix College in Conway, AR. He has a master’s degree in Psychology from Illinois State University. He recently earned his Ph.D. in Cognitive and Information Sciences from the University of California, Merced. He has a background in teaching, research, and mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students. His accomplishments include teaching philosophy courses, publishing research on non-academic career placement for graduate students, and founding the Academic Climate Committee for his Ph.D. program. Alex is excited to join the AARO team and help UA Little Rock students succeed academically so that they may fulfill their personal and professional goals.

Heather A. Reed, Ed.S., M.P.A. | Director of Academic Affairs Retention Office and Coach | hareed@ualr.edu

A native of Kansas City, MO, Heather Reed now calls Arkansas home. As a lifelong learner, she is working on her doctorate of education in higher education from the University of Iowa, where she earned an education specialist degree in education policies and leadership studies, a master’s degree in public administration from the UA Little Rock, a master’s degree in college student personnel from Western Illinois University, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Truman State University. She has 20-plus years of experience helping students succeed in college, drawing on her time in housing/residence life, teaching and building learning communities, crisis management, mentoring, judicial affairs, first-year experience instruction, advising, and success coaching. Reed has served as an assistant dean at UA Little Rock and now focuses on innovating and leading the AARO. She is passionate about student success/retention and believes in reducing barriers for students to achieve success.

 

Kayla MaxwellKayla Maxwell | Office Manager

Kayla Maxwell is the Office Manager for the Academic Affairs Retention Office. A Spring 2023 graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, she is a dedicated advocate for student engagement and community development. During her time at the university, Kayla was an active member of both UA Little Rock and the local community. She brings a wealth of experience in student engagement and connection to the AARO team. Kayla is excited to begin her career in higher education and hopes to advance campus engagement to foster equitable and accessible learning environments.