PACE – Post-Promotion Advancement and Career Exploration
The transition to senior faculty status that occurs upon promotion to associate professor with tenure comes with a number of challenges as you consider the shift in your goals and priorities in the next phase of your career. Across diverse contexts, faculty have communicated that this juncture in their careers has presented unique challenges as well as opportunities. With that in mind, in fall 2023 the Office of the Provost and the ADVANCE Program launched a pilot coaching program for U-M faculty newly promoted to associate professor with tenure who did not already have access to coaching resources in their home schools/colleges.
What is PACE?
General Information
Applicant Eligibility
Matching Process
Coaching Sessions
Additional Questions
What is PACE?
PACE is a confidential resource intended to meet you where you are and support individual career exploration relevant to your interests and concerns. The pilot provides up to 8 coaching sessions for faculty whose primary appointments are in school/colleges that do not already provide coaching resources (i.e., the College of Engineering and the Medical School provide coaching resources already).
We are excited to announce that in fall 2024, the PACE pilot program has expanded to include not only faculty newly promoted to associate professor with tenure effective fall 2024 but will also reach back to offer this resource to those promoted to associate professor with tenure in fall 2022, with the same school/college eligibility scope.
General Information
PACE Coaching Organizations
We are utilizing the services of three highly regarded coaching organizations external to U-M for the PACE Pilot Coaching Program. Please click on the links below for more information.
What information is needed in my PACE Pilot Coaching Program request?
When you request coaching support through the PACE Pilot Coaching Program, you’ll be prompted to answer several short questions about your goals for coaching. You’ll also be asked to supply your CV, which will help your coach orient to your career thus far.
Participant Surveys
Participants in PACE will be surveyed at application, after 4 sessions, and after 8 sessions. Survey responses are kept confidential and held within ADVANCE. Topics discussed during coaching are private between you and your coach.
Applicant Eligibility
Who is eligible for the PACE Pilot Coaching Program?
The PACE Pilot Program is open to associate professors who were promoted at U-M from assistant to associate professor with tenure effective fall 2022, fall 2023, and fall 2024 who are based in schools/colleges that do not already provide coaching resources. (Note: Because the College of Engineering and the Medical School already provide such services, those schools/colleges are not part of this pilot.) If you have additional questions about your eligibility for the PACE Pilot Coaching Program, please reach out to us at pace-coaching-info@umich.edu.
Eligibility for the program may be expanded to include additional groups beyond its initial pilot phase, which serves faculty promoted to associate professor with tenure effective fall 2022, fall 2023, and fall 2024, in schools/colleges that do not already offer coaching resources.
I am eligible for PACE, but I already have an established relationship with a coach. What are my options?
You may request additional coaching sessions (up to 8) through the PACE Pilot Coaching Program if you have an established coach who is currently affiliated with Leader Academic, Kardia Group, or Vineyard Associates and you meet the eligibility criteria. If your coach is not currently affiliated with one of these three organizations, we are unable to offer the same opportunity through this pilot for that coach.
I’m planning to be on leave/sabbatical during part or all of the year. Can I still participate?
Yes! In fact, this might be an ideal time to focus on your career goals. You need not be physically present on campus to participate in the coaching pilot.
I am currently an assistant professor at U-M. I have just been promoted to associate professor with tenure as of fall 2024. Will the PACE Program be there for me?
Yes, if you are promoted to associate with tenure effective FA24 and you are based in a school/college that does not already provide coaching resources. U-M assistant professors who are promoted to associate professor with tenure effective fall 2022, fall 2023, and fall 2024 are eligible to participate.
I am jointly appointed and newly promoted as of fall 2024 to associate professor with tenure in two different colleges/schools). Am I eligible for the PACE Program?
Our focus is on faculty in schools and colleges that do not already have access to coaching resources. We may have to consider joint appointments on a case-by-case basis, but the general outlines are below:
- If your joint appointment is within the same school/college and that school or college does not already provide coaching resources, you are eligible to participate in the PACE Pilot Coaching Program.
- If, however, your appointment is in two different schools/colleges, the school/college in which your primary appointment is held (e.g., your administrative home unit) will determine whether you may participate. If your administrative home is one that does not already provide such services, you are eligible to participate in the PACE Pilot Coaching Program.
- If your appointment is split equally between two schools/colleges and neither of those units provides such services, you are eligible to participate in the PACE Pilot Coaching Program.
Matching Process
Can I select my own coach?
Unfortunately, program capacity means that we are unable to allow you to select your own coach. If you indicate your interest in the program by submitting a request, you will be matched with a coach. That said, if you feel the coach assigned to you is not a good fit, contact us promptly at pace-coaching-info@umich.edu and we can identify a coach whose style may be better suited to your needs.
What information do I need to provide to be matched?
You will receive an invitation letter from the provost that contains a link to the InfoReady site to request coaching. You’ll be prompted to provide your CV and some additional information about your goals that will help your coach orient to your career and interests.
What information will U-M collect about me if I participate in PACE?
When you request and participate in the PACE Pilot Coaching Program, administrators for the program (which is jointly managed by the ADVANCE program and staff in the provost’s office) will know your name, school/college affiliation, your goals for coaching, information from your CV, and how many coaching sessions you participated in. Program administrators will evaluate the program using de-identified, aggregate data regarding overall participation and perceptions of the PACE Pilot Coaching Program.
What if I want to change coaches during program?
It’s important that you feel you have good rapport with a coach, but sometimes the connection just isn’t there. If that is the case, please reach out to us as early as possible at pace-coaching-info@umich.edu to discuss your desire to make a change. While we will make every effort to address needs that arise, we cannot guarantee that we can match you with another coach.
How long do I have to request and complete my coaching sessions?
Eligible faculty members have a 20-month period (four regular academic terms plus summer) during which they may request and receive up to 8 coaching sessions. Faculty may register for the program and begin working with a coach at any time during that 20-month period but eligibility will conclude at the end of April regardless of the number of coaching sessions completed.
Specifically, faculty invited to participate in the pilot that began in September 2023 have until April 2025 to request and receive up to 8 coaching sessions, while faculty invited to participate in the pilot in September 2024 have until April 2026 to request and receive up to 8 coaching sessions.
How does the coach matching process work?
The PACE Pilot Coaching Program works with external coaches to identify matches based on your interests and capacity of coaches. Once you have been matched, your coach will reach out to you, typically within a week.
Is the information I discuss with my coach confidential?
Subject to the exception below, the content of all coaching sessions is considered confidential and will not be reported to anyone (including program administrators and school/college leadership) except in the aggregate. Coaches will inform the program administrators of general themes or issues that arise during the coaching process and will make recommendations regarding the evaluation of the program.
Please note that any information learned during coaching about illegal or life-threatening activities will be exempt from confidentiality restrictions.
How often should I meet with my coach once I am matched?
While this will be for you and your PACE coach to determine, coaching sessions should optimally occur monthly. The cadence of coaching sessions will be a little different for everyone, but you might expect to have your initial 2-3 sessions fairly close together, with later sessions a little further apart.
Coaching Sessions
What can I expect in a coaching session? Will there be things I need to prepare, or tasks to complete?
Every coaching relationship is different. Coaches will tailor the sessions based on the topics and issues participants wish to discuss. Outside assignments, readings, or tasks may be assigned to reinforce discussions. Such work will be developed in consultation with participants.
Will I be asked to give feedback on the coaching once my sessions have ended?
You will receive two brief surveys from the ADVANCE Program to help us evaluate the PACE Pilot Coaching Program. These surveys will be administered near the midpoint of your coaching sessions as well as after your last session. This feedback (in aggregated form) will be shared in program reports.
Additional Questions
For questions about the PACE Pilot Coaching Program or the InfoReady application website, please contact pace-coaching-info@umich.edu.
