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The Coaching Collaborative Builds New Pathways for Faculty and Staff Support

A new cross-campus initiative brings strengths-based, instructional, leadership, and wellness coaching under one umbrella to better support those who support our students.

A diverse group of adults seated in a circle during a group discussion or coaching session, with a woman holding a notebook speaking to the group.

Participants engage in a meaningful conversation during a small group coaching session.

🎯 Project Focus

The Coaching Collaborative will create a comprehensive, confidential coaching network for up to 430 full-time faculty and staff over the next three years. Housed in the Center for Faculty Excellence, the Coaching Collaborative will offer four types of coaching:

  • Personal and Professional
  • Strengths-Based
  • Instructional
  • Leadership

💡 Why It Matters

Faculty and staff are often the first line of support for students, but they're also managing rising demands and burnout. The Coaching Collaborative is designed to help UNO employees:

  • Maintain personal and professional wellness
  • Sharpen their strengths
  • Improve classroom instruction
  • Build leadership skills

By providing targeted coaching, the initiative aims to boost both employee satisfaction and student retention. In 2024-25 the Care Team processed over 1700 reports, an increase of over 350 from the previous year. By equipping faculty and staff with tools to respond to help them better respond to students, this initiative is a proactive response to the growing need to support students.

🚀 Key Initiatives

  • Personal and Professional Coaching: A successful faculty wellness initiative expands to include staff, offering coaching on multiple wellness dimensions.
  • Strengths-Based Coaching: Gallup-certified coaches will guide faculty and staff through CliftonStrengths development.
  • Instructional Coaching: A faculty fellow will provide hands-on, research-based pedagogy support.
  • Leadership Coaching: Three trained UNO leaders will mentor emerging campus leaders.

📈 Impact Goals

The Coaching Collaborative reinforces UNO’s commitment to Educating All Learners by:

  • Removing barriers to learning and support
  • Strengthening student-focused teaching practices
  • Supporting student retention and success through empowered faculty/staff​
  • Enhances community well-being and UNO’s role as a campus of care.

⚡ What’s next

The CC officially launches July 1, 2025. Faculty and staff can express interest in becoming a coach or signing up for sessions, starting this fall. Watch for announcements from the Center for Faculty Excellence, Human Resources, and Student Life and Wellbeing.