University Coaching Course

Lesson 1 • Defining Coaching in Higher Education

Clarifies what coaching is and is not within a university context. Sets the conceptual baseline for all subsequent coaching practice.

Lesson 2 • Ethical Standards and Professional Conduct

Covers the ethical obligations governing coaching relationships in academic settings. Establishes non-negotiable conduct standards from day one.

Lesson 3 • Roles and Responsibilities of a University Coach

Defines the coach's role boundaries within institutional structures. Clarifies accountability to students, departments, and the institution.

Lesson 4 • History and Evolution of Coaching

Traces coaching's origins from sports psychology to professional and academic settings. Provides historical context that informs current models.

Lesson 1 • Active Listening and Presence

Develops deep listening skills that go beyond hearing words to understanding meaning. Presence is the coach's most powerful relational tool.

Lesson 2 • Sustaining Long-Term Coaching Relationships

Covers strategies for maintaining momentum across multiple sessions and semesters. Addresses relationship plateaus and re-engagement techniques.

Lesson 3 • Managing Transference and Dependency

Addresses emotional dynamics that can distort the coaching relationship. Students learn to maintain healthy boundaries while staying empathetic.

Lesson 4 • Building Rapport with Students

Teaches verbal and nonverbal techniques for establishing immediate trust. Rapport is the prerequisite for all effective coaching conversations.

Lesson 1 • Socratic Questioning in Coaching

Applies Socratic method to surface assumptions and deepen critical thinking. Particularly effective for academic and intellectual development goals.

Lesson 2 • Designing Question Sequences

Teaches coaches to plan and adapt question flows within a session arc. Sequences build progressively from exploration to insight to commitment.

Lesson 3 • Avoiding Common Questioning Pitfalls

Identifies question patterns that shut down reflection or lead students toward the coach's agenda. Builds disciplined, student-centered inquiry habits.

Lesson 4 • Listening for Underlying Meaning

Trains coaches to detect emotion, values, and beliefs beneath surface-level statements. Deeper listening leads to more targeted and impactful questions.

Lesson 1 • The GROW Model in Depth

Provides a thorough examination of the GROW model's four stages and their application. Coaches practise full GROW sessions with structured feedback.

Lesson 2 • Solution-Focused Coaching

Introduces a forward-looking model that emphasises strengths and existing resources. Particularly effective with students who are stuck in problem narratives.

Lesson 3 • Narrative Coaching Approaches

Uses storytelling and identity exploration to help students reauthor their academic narratives. Effective for students with fixed mindsets or past failures.

Lesson 4 • Cognitive-Behavioural Coaching Principles

Applies cognitive-behavioural concepts to identify and reframe limiting beliefs. Coaches use structured thought-challenging without crossing into therapy.

Lesson 1 • Accountability Structures in Coaching

Establishes mechanisms that keep students committed between sessions. Accountability is a core coaching function distinct from external supervision.

Lesson 2 • Breaking Goals into Action Steps

Translates broad goals into sequenced, manageable tasks with deadlines. Action steps bridge the gap between intention and behaviour change.

Lesson 3 • Goal Clarification Techniques

Helps students articulate what they truly want versus what they think they should want. Clarity at this stage prevents wasted effort downstream.

Lesson 4 • Structured Goal-Setting Frameworks

Introduces evidence-based frameworks for writing goals that are motivating and measurable. Coaches apply and compare multiple frameworks in practice.

Lesson 1 • Coaching International and Multilingual Students

Addresses language, cultural adjustment, and academic expectation gaps for international students. Coaches adapt communication style and pacing accordingly.

Lesson 2 • Equity-Centered Coaching Practice

Integrates systemic awareness into individual coaching conversations without losing focus. Coaches acknowledge structural barriers while empowering student agency.

Lesson 3 • Coaching First-Generation Students

Addresses the unique navigational challenges faced by students without family precedent in higher education. Coaches build trust and decode institutional norms together.

Lesson 4 • Cultural Competence in Coaching

Builds awareness of how culture shapes student goals, communication, and help-seeking behaviour. Coaches examine their own cultural assumptions and biases.

Lesson 1 • Summative Coaching Evaluation

Assesses overall coaching engagement outcomes at the close of a coaching cycle. Summative data informs programme improvement and coach development.

Lesson 2 • Using Data to Improve Coaching Practice

Applies assessment data to refine coaching techniques and identify professional development needs. Data-informed coaches continuously improve their effectiveness.

Lesson 3 • Baseline Assessment in Coaching

Establishes starting-point data on student goals, strengths, and challenges. Baseline data makes progress visible and motivates continued effort.

Lesson 4 • Delivering Developmental Feedback

Teaches coaches to offer observations that challenge and support simultaneously. Feedback framing determines whether students feel judged or empowered.

Lesson 1 • Integrative Coaching Case Conceptualisation

Synthesises student background, goals, and barriers into a coherent coaching plan. Case conceptualisation guides session-by-session decision-making.

Lesson 2 • Coaching Supervision Models

Introduces supervision as a professional development tool for practising coaches. Students experience both receiving and providing structured supervision.

Lesson 3 • Ethical Decision-Making in Practice

Applies ethical frameworks to real-world dilemmas encountered in university coaching. Students practise structured ethical reasoning under uncertainty.

Lesson 4 • Building a Coaching Portfolio

Guides students in documenting their coaching hours, reflections, and competency evidence. A portfolio supports credentialing and ongoing professional identity.