The Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean (OVPD) has established a Professional Academic Coaching Fund (PACF) to support pedagogical and professional achievement, and the success of faculty at U of T Scarborough across a range of career stages, by providing access to coaching services to support them in their academic roles. Coaches provide personalized support in various areas including goal setting, work-life balance, productivity, leadership, network building, career planning, and working with personal neurodiverse needs, etc. The practice of working with a coach to support personal career goals, common in other professions, is starting to catch on in academia. Faculty at U of T Scarborough who are full time, or have a part-time continuous appointment, are eligible to apply for one PACF award of up to $3,000 to be spent by 30 November 2024.
Application deadline 1 March 2024
- UTSC faculty APPLY ONLINE
- UTSC faculty currently serving as academic administrators, apply via email to DeanHR.utsc@utoronto.ca
Resources for more information
- PACF Frequently Asked Questions (including 'How do I find a coach?')
- Making the most out of it - Coaching and mentoring. Prof. Lisa W. Loutzenheiser, recorded at UTSC March 2022 (Previously recorded UTSC webinar)
- How coaching can help (article)
- Why you need (and deserve) an academic coach (article)
- Five Times in a Career When Academics Should Hire a Coach (article)
- For help connecting with a coach, or if you have questions about this fund, please contact Eileen Egan-Lee, Faculty Development Administrator at DeanHR.utsc@utoronto.ca
Testimonials from previous PACF award recipients
"The fund had been a game changer for me in terms of professional development."
"It normalized seeking support."
"The overall experience was overwhelmingly positive. The coaching that I received through PACF had a massive impact on my [...] year. Having an external coach, who could give an 'outside' perspective was helpful."
Out of all the grants and funds I have received, this one was the most useful, as it was not about outcome, deliverables, or reporting to others. It was about me, my learning journey and a long-term investment in my [...] career.
"I was able to explore goals and ways of thinking about my job that I don’t think I would have otherwise done. My coach asked really helpful questions and provided prompts and scaffolding to help me think about things a bit differently. She also offered strategies in terms of day-to-day workflow and scheduling that have proved very helpful."