The experience of students and faculty are intertwined. For students to thrive, faculty must too.

I am currently an associate professor within the Clemson Materials Science and Engineering Department. I use this blog to write about the faculty experience, different faculty career pathways, and steps to change productivity. I hope that those faculty who read it, leave feeling more connection.

In addition to my primary role as a faculty member, I am currently working to earn a Level 1 coaching certification from the International Coaching Federation (ICF). This process involves completing courses approved by ICF and completing 100 hours of documented coaching experience.  I am choosing to complete my formal training with Higher Ed Coach training (Dr. Katie Linder).

If you are interested in trying one-on-one coaching with me, let me know! Contact me at connect@mariankennedy.org to schedule a 20 minute exploratory session to discuss your goals and find out if coaching if a good option for you. While I wish coaching could solve every problem, sometimes mentoring or consulting with others might be a better pathway.

What is coaching?   

Coaches are ‘thinking partners’ for faculty.  The role of the coach is to ask powerful, thought-provoking questions to help the faculty refine their goals, explore challenges impeding progress, and identify priorities and strategies tailored to their needs to advance their career. Their work is different than mentors since coaches enable clients to find their paths rather than providing solutions or specific advice.  Coaches also focus on helping clients in the present rather than understanding the past like therapists.  

Places to go to learn more about coaching.

Here are some helpful websites and articles if you want to learn more about coaching in general or faculty coaching specifically.

What format does a typical coaching session take?

Coaching will be led by you (the client) and is not a passive activity.  As a coach, I help you reflect, explore, and test your beliefs through powerful questions.  We will start each 60-minute session by identifying the topic you want to explore and the outcomes you want to achieve by the end of our session.   I am there to provide you space and time to you reflect and think about your career.  Together, we will help maximize your clarity impact.