As the first and most experienced Executive Coaching Practice solely for higher education, we know the demands, stresses, and challenges institutional leaders face. The primary goal of our practice is partnering with leaders as a trusted and professional confidant, companion, and advisor to accomplish leadership and institutional goals.
The corporate sector has long recognized that one of the most valuable investments it can make in its key leaders is executive coaching. We believe that leaders in higher education also deserve professional and qualified leadership guides as they navigate the challenges of higher education.
Steven E. Titus, Executive Coaching Practice Leader
Meg Richtman
Director, Executive Coaching Practice
In collaboration with HERS, we champion leadership development that emphasizes equity, recognizing that diverse leadership fosters more dynamic and resilient institutions capable of navigating a rapidly evolving world. Together, we’re dedicated to preparing higher education leaders to lead inclusively and effectively amidst these changes.
We tailor our plans to meet the unique needs of each individual and institution. We invite you to reach out for a discovery call to discuss how our executive coaching solutions can be tailored in scope and investment to suit your specific circumstances.
What if my institution is sponsoring my executive coaching?
Leaders have two primary options when engaging an executive coach. First, the leader can pursue the engagement on their own and self-fund the engagement. Under this scenario, it is entirely the leader’s discretion to disclose the engagement to his/her institution.
Second, if the institution is sponsoring (funding) the executive coaching engagement, the appropriate institutional representative, e.g., board member for a president or president for a cabinet member, will most often be included in helping to shape the overall executive coaching agenda, or Executive Growth Plan. During the Engagement Phase, we will negotiate to what extent assessment results are shared, how or to what extent they are used, set sponsor expectations regarding accountability, and clarify confidentiality.
Is executive coaching confidential?
Confidentiality and trust are essential in the executive coaching partnership and process. Therefore, you are assured confidentiality in the executive coaching process. Though executive coaching does not enjoy the legal protections offered by attorney-client or doctor-patient relationships, Academic Search holds to the spirit of such privileges. Thus, the protection of confidentiality is claimed by you and you are free to disclose any and all aspects of the executive coaching engagement. Neither the executive coach nor Academic Search may disclose without your written permission that you are a client of Academic Search. The executive coach may not disclose the substance and content of your conversations, Executive Growth Plan, or any aspect of the coaching engagement. This applies to the sponsoring institution. The sponsor is entitled to know that the leader is showing up for sessions, is prepared, is engaged, and making progress. The sponsor is not entitled to the substance of the content of executive coaching sessions.
Exceptions to confidentiality: Executive coaches may be legally compelled to report the commission of a crime, the credible intention to commit a crime, and when a client is harming him/herself, harming others, or currently being harmed by others.
How long is a typical executive coaching engagement?Is executive coaching confidential?
A typical executive coaching engagement at the presidential, cabinet, and dean levels is 12 months. However, all engagements are customized to meet the leader’s agenda. It is rare for an engagement to be less than six months.
How do coaching sessions work?
It is common for executive coaching to occur via telephone or virtual meeting platforms. Emails and texts also ensure leader accessibility to his/her executive coach when and where it is needed.
Typically, a leader and executive coach will meet once or twice monthly for 60 minutes. The real work of executive coaching occurs between coaching sessions. The leader has access to his/her executive coach at all times. We craft a meeting schedule based on the needs and desires of the leader and the Executive Growth Plan.
What is the cost of executive coaching?
The professional fee is calculated based on the scope of the engagement and value being provided. Academic Search executive coaches do not work based on hourly rates but based on professional engagement fees. Our professional fees consider the operational and endowment size of an institution if it is serving as a sponsor. This allows us to ensure that all leaders and institutions, regardless of size and resource base, have access to this critical and necessary resource.
How are executive coaches matched with leaders?
Our Executive Coaching Practice Leader or Chief Operating Officer begin the process by responding to inquiries for executive coaching. Once we determine a sense of scope, we identify up to three Academic Search Executive Coaches. We forward brief bios to the leader and schedule one-on-one conversations with the leader and the coaches whom he/she wishes to interview. The next step is for the leader to choose the coach he/she prefers to work with by confirming with the Executive Coaching Practice Leader.
