In this episode of Coaching in Higher Education, host Dr. Tim Jansa welcomes productivity coach and organizational psychologist Juli Shulem for a rich, practice-focused conversation on coaching college students, faculty, and staff with ADHD and executive functioning challenges.

Drawing on decades of experience with undergraduates through PhD/postdoc clients, Juli unpacks how ADHD shows up in academic life—missed deadlines, chronic disorganization, decision fatigue, overwhelm—and offers concrete ways coaches can respond ethically and effectively while staying within coaching boundaries. She shares practical system-building strategies (from homework planning and calendar use to lifestyle structure and relationship-building with faculty), clarifies when and how to raise the possibility of ADHD or referral for evaluation in a non-pathologizing way, and explores how coaches can help reduce stigma and foster a kinder, more neuro-inclusive campus culture.

This episode is especially valuable for professional coaches who want to deepen their skill set with neurodivergent clients in higher education and expand their impact beyond “pure coaching” into truly holistic support.

In this episode of Coaching in Higher Education, host Dr. Tim Jansa speaks with Dr. AJ Lauer, a nationally recognized expert on imposter syndrome, about how imposter feelings uniquely show up for faculty, staff, and emerging leaders in colleges and universities.

Drawing on research (including Dr. Valerie Young’s five imposter types), AJ explores how perfectionism, overachievement, “expert” identity, and systemic inequities intersect to fuel self-doubt, burnout, and defensive leadership behaviors in academic settings. Together, Tim and AJ examine how coaches can distinguish between personal and institutional contributors to imposter experiences, work with nervous-system activation and somatic cues in sessions, and use competence-focused conversations (rather than achievement lists) to help clients reframe expectations and build healthier relationships with their “imposter monsters.”

Coaches will come away with practical approaches, a richer conceptual framework, and concrete ideas for supporting higher ed clients to move from hiding their perceived inadequacies to owning their expertise and impact.

In this episode of Coaching in Higher Education, host Dr. Tim Jansa speaks with Dr. Whitney Newcomb (Virginia Commonwealth University) and Dr. Sarah Schley (Oregon State University) about the distinct challenges and rich opportunities of coaching academic department chairs. Drawing on their dual roles as chairs and coaches, they unpack the complex “middle leader” position—navigating up, down, and across among faculty, staff, professional advisors, and senior administration—while managing relentless change, invisible supervisory work, and chronic trust gaps. The conversation highlights how coaching can help chairs develop greater self- and systems-awareness, lead through influence rather than authority, build trust across role boundaries, and shift from individual academic achievement to team- and culture-building. Coaches will come away with nuanced insight into the political, relational, and emotional landscape department chairs inhabit—and practical ideas for how coaching, assessments, and cohort-based development can meaningfully support these pivotal yet often under-resourced leaders.

In this episode of Coaching in Higher Education, host Dr. Tim Jansa interviews Dr. Kim Burns—coach, consultant, former long-time community college dean, and contributor to Transformative Coaching for Faculty and Staff in Higher Education—about the distinctive realities of coaching middle managers in colleges and universities. Together, they unpack why deans, directors, and coordinators function as the “glue” of their institutions, carrying heavy emotional labor as they navigate the tensions of managing up and down, and how coaching can help them shift from overwhelmed people pleasers to confident boundary setters. Drawing on her extensive experience in community colleges, Dr. Burns explores what external coaches need to know about institutional culture, the often-misaligned espoused versus lived values, and the practical implications of democratizing coaching beyond the executive suite. She also shares a values-based coaching framework and concrete strategies coaches can use to support clients wrestling with burnout, role ambiguity, and value misalignment. This conversation offers rich, immediately applicable insights for professional coaches who work in—or want to better understand—the higher education context.

In this episode of Coaching in Higher Education, Dr. Andrea Marcinkus and Dr. Aaron Wijeratne of Boundless Learning join host Dr. Tim Jansa to explore how data-informed strategy and thoughtful coaching can drive successful online program transformation in colleges and universities. Drawing on their own journeys from faculty and academic leadership into the private sector, they unpack how to use market, learner, and performance data without losing sight of institutional mission or the human beings behind the numbers. They discuss practical ways to work with skeptical faculty, address identity and confidence concerns, and design coaching engagements that genuinely build capacity rather than impose one-size-fits-all solutions. The conversation highlights the power of student success coaching, the unique challenges of online learning environments, and the critical role professional coaches can play in helping higher ed leaders, faculty, and staff navigate AI, workload pressures, and large-scale change—making this a must-listen for coaches working in or with higher education.

In this episode, Dr. Tim Jansa talks with higher education consultant and coach Rick Rattray about the growing role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in higher ed, from operational arrangements like food services and residence halls to academically embedded collaborations such as online program management and international pathway programs. They unpack common tensions around intellectual property, academic control, culture clashes, opaque decision-making, and misaligned timelines, and explore how coaching and change leadership can help surface mistrust, create psychological safety, engage key stakeholders early, and align both sides around a compelling “why.”

Drawing on real-world examples of both successful and failed partnerships, Rick offers practical advice—especially for coaches working from the university side—on using coaching and consulting skills together to navigate expectations, address red flags, and co-create sustainable, mutually beneficial PPPs.

In the first episode of Season 2 of the "Coaching in Higher Education" podcast, host Dr. Tim Jansa discusses the new book Transformative Coaching for Faculty and Staff in Higher Education with editors Dr. Karen Gonzalez Rice and Dr. Susan Hrach. The book, which includes contributions from various experts, aims to provide a comprehensive guide to coaching in higher education, addressing both faculty and staff.

The editors emphasize the importance of transformative coaching, the need for cultural competence, and the significance of coaching in addressing productivity challenges and personal well-being. They also highlight the book's structure, which includes foundational coaching principles, specific coaching scenarios, and different coaching modalities, aiming to create a learning experience for coaches.

Are you a coach interested in working with colleges and universities, but have gained most of your experience in industry? Or maybe you're an experienced higher ed coach looking for new insights to enhance your practice? Either way, you're in the right place!

This presentation on coaching in higher education, delivered by Dr. Tim Jansa, a certified leadership and organizational development coach, aims to provide insights and practical advice for coaches interested in working with colleges and universities. The presentation covers the unique challenges and complexities of higher education institutions, the importance of coaching in this context, and the potential impact of effective coaching on these organizations.

Dr. Jansa highlights the unique organizational structures and challenges faced by colleges and universities, such as deeply embedded silos, hierarchical structures, and the lack of a unified vision. He discusses the importance of understanding these complexities and the need for coaches to navigate them effectively.

The presentation then delves into the specific challenges of coaching in higher education, including the "faculty leadership trap," the misconception of higher education institutions as machines, and the lack of meaningful leadership development programs. The presenter emphasizes the importance of coaching as a non-directive approach to bring about lasting positive change in these institutions.

Dr. Jansa also addresses the changing priorities of employees in higher education, particularly in the post-pandemic era, and the need for institutions to adapt to these new expectations. He highlights the potential of coaching to address employee turnover and attrition by developing pathways for advancement and leveraging the knowledge and expertise of staff and faculty.

The presentation concludes with key takeaways and a call to action for coaches to help higher education institutions become more agile, appreciate the knowledge and potential within their organizations, and dispel the image of coaching as a punitive intervention.