Academic and Professional Development Coaching is a working one-on-one partnership that focuses on the process of learning and becoming.
Together with a trained coach, students examine their learning styles, working habits, career and leadership aspirations, professional goals, and current difficulties or barriers to success. Then this team— coach and student — works to create and put in place more effective strategies. The aim is to heighten awareness of what it takes to achieve academic and professional success and anchor this with new strategies, a supportive relationship, and personal accountability.
The Academic and Professional Development Coaching at UMB is an educational support service available to all UMB students, regardless of disability or accommodation status. We believe all students would benefit from having individualized attention on their academic process and professional development, and to create strategies to reach their goals.
The Coaching Process
Students can receive 4 coaching sessions per semester. The first session is 1 hour, with subsequent sessions being 30 minute appointments. Sessions are typically conducted in person or virtually by video.
As for the content of the sessions, coaching is a personal and private process, custom-tailored to each individual’s needs. Coaching generally progresses through the following sequence of activity:
- Submit the form indicating you are interested in working with a coach. (See request form below)
- You will be matched with a coach, who will email you a welcome questionnaire packet to identify desired areas for coaching.
- Complete the coaching questionnaire (~15 minutes) and email it back to your coach.
- Set up your first coaching session.
- Meet with your coach to establish coaching objectives, priorities, and goals (Session 1).
- Complete a session preparation form before each of your coaching sessions. Email your form to your coach 24 hours before your next scheduled session.
- Engage in a series of three coaching sessions.
- Complete a brief anonymous post-coaching evaluation.
