Deans Coaching Circles are collaborative and dynamic leadership cohorts where small groups of deans meet online monthly with a professional executive coach to support one another’s growth, share experiences, and engage real issues that impact deans at colleges and universities. Deans Coaching Circles offer a confidential, trusted space for personal and professional development, fostering a community of practice and mutual learning. They are led by professional executive coaches.
CIC is delighted to partner with Academic Search and its Executive Coaching Practice to offer inaugural Deans Coaching Circles, designed specifically for new and current deans at CIC member institutions. We are grateful to be able to offer this new opportunity at an affordable rate.
Location: Virtual
Dates: January through April 2026 and September through December 2026
Program Fee: $2,000 per participant
Application Deadline: Friday, November 14, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. (ET)
Participant Eligibility: Deans Coaching Circles are open to all current deans at CIC member institutions.
Benefits of CIC’s Deans Coaching Circles
CIC’s Deans Coaching Circles will be led by Academic Search senior executive coaches. This is a unique opportunity for deans to:
- Build and strengthen resilience and leadership skills,
- Share experiences with peers,
- Engage in meaningful dialogue in an authentic space, and
- Create a community of practice that is dean-driven.
Program Structure
Each Coaching Circle will consist of six to eight participants and a senior executive coach. The agenda for each meeting will focus on key issues determined by deans and coaches, providing reflective time in a confidential and trusted space to share experiences, reflect on leadership practices, and collaborate with peers and the executive coach to engage campus challenges and priorities that deans often face.
Deans Coaching Circles will meet online for 90 minutes eight times from January through April and September through December 2026, with a break over the summer. Deans should be prepared to participate fully in all virtual sessions and are encouraged to engage with others in their cohort between sessions. Each dean will have an opportunity for up to two individual coaching sessions with the executive coach throughout the program.
Application Details
Individuals are invited to apply by submitting the following items:
- The candidate’s curriculum vitae
- A letter of nomination from the president, provost, or a vice president of their current institution
- A statement by the candidate explaining their interest in being an active member of a Deans Coaching Circle
Applications are due on Friday, November 14 at 5:00 p.m. (ET). Selected candidates will be notified by December 5, and payment will be due no later than December 26.
Contact Information
For program questions, please contact Titi Ufomata, senior vice president for academic programs, CIC, at titilayo.ufomata@cic.edu or (202) 545-6041; or Meg Richtman, assistant vice president, executive coaching practice and senior executive coach, Academic Search, at meg.richtman@academicsearch.org or (202) 263-7480.