Tammy M Gocial, PhD

Tammy Gocial

Coach Overview:

Dr. Tammy Gocial has spent 35 years as a leader in higher education. She is a consultant, coach, facilitator, mentor, and leader with 20 years of experience – in both Academic and Student Affairs – at the cabinet level of three different institutions. She spent her most recent 15 years as an associate academic vice president, business school dean, and department chair for a Higher Education Leadership doctoral program, leading teams of faculty in curriculum innovation, faculty on-boarding, faculty engagement, assessment, accreditation, and teaching and learning for a technologically-driven workforce.

Tammy has worked closely with faculty colleagues in many academic disciplines and staff colleagues in numerous units throughout campus (e.g., student affairs, administrative operations, IT, athletics, facilities, and finance). She served as the IRB administrator, overseeing the review and approval of academic and clinical research, primarily in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and education.

Tammy’s coaching and consulting has focused on leading strategic change, strategic planning, leading diverse teams, and leading with Strengths. Tammy has been a part of the core faculty for the HERS Leadership Institutes since 2011, presenting on Leading Strategic Change, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Most recently, she co-authored an article for The Department Chair with Dr. Sarah B. Westfall on “Using Coaching Skills to Lead and Mentor Faculty Colleagues.”

Statement of Coaching Philosophy:

Dr. Gocial’s coaching and consulting practice is founded on the values of Engagement, Empowerment, Development, Achievement, and Amazement. Tammy connects with academic and administrative leaders in higher education using the IDEAS Coaching Framework© she developed.

The IDEAS Coaching Framework© helps clients to reflect on the unique context of higher education within which they work while examining the strategies and skills they have (or can develop) to address the complex challenges they face. The IDEAS Coaching Framework© is a client-centered process that engages clients in Identifying the Challenges they are facing in their environment that have become obstacles to their leadership success. Developing potential Strategies for addressing those challenges, weighing the pros/cons of different strategies, and choosing which course to follow is the second step in the process. Leadership requires action, so Enacting Solutions is the third step. This step requires the client and coach to co-create an action plan and navigate through limiting beliefs or other obstacles that may deter progress. Assessing Progress regularly is a way to verify the goal and efficacy of the pathway to achieve that goal; making adjustments along the way may also be needed. The final step is Succeeding and celebrating.

Dr. Gocial follows all ICF ethical guidelines in her work.

Coaching Expertise:

  • individual coaching, group coaching, team facilitation
  • helping established mid-to-senior level college and university department chairs, directors, deans, and vice presidents to navigate pressing leadership and organizational challenges (experienced with leaders in Academic and Student Affairs, Development, and Enrollment Management)
  • empowering new/emerging leaders and supporting their transition from faculty or staff positions into leadership or supervisory roles
  • assessments: verbal 360, Clifton Strengths, and Hogan Assessments

Experience with Higher Education and/or Academic Medical Centers:

  • almost 35 years of faculty, academic, and administrative leadership expertise in higher education, primarily in small-to-mid-sized institutions
  • Associate Academic Vice President: Led teams of faculty and staff on broad institutional projects that included diverse participants from across the institution (e.g., IT, registrar, facilities, human resources, finance, assessment, accreditation, athletics, auxiliary services, academic advising, center for teaching and learning, residential life, orientation, multicultural affairs). Projects analyzed and influenced academic, operational, human resource, and leadership decisions that addressed policies, governance, legal issues, academic structures, operations, faculty/staff onboarding, teaching and learning, student engagement, and student success. Also served as IRB Administrator and Research Integrity Officer for university-wide research.
  • Business School Dean: Led faculty and academic staff on school-wide projects that included assessment, accreditation, curriculum development/updates, strategic planning, new program development, and online program development/ review. Led recruitment, hiring, on-boarding, supervision, and evaluation of full-time and adjunct faculty, as well as academic staff. Oversaw school-wide budget, grant initiatives, advisory board, development initiatives, external partnerships, and internships.
  • Founding Program Director for Higher Education Leadership doctoral program: Worked with full-time and adjunct faculty colleagues to develop and deliver the curriculum and student experience, consonant with program learning outcomes, to prepare doctoral students for the leadership challenges inherent in different types of higher education institutions. Taught courses in research methods, moral and ethical leadership, legal and policy issues, and international perspectives in higher education and chaired 19 dissertation research committees.
  • Served as Senior Student Affairs Officer for two institutions: Led team of colleagues in athletics, academic advising, alcohol and drug prevention, athletics and recreation, campus ministry, career development, student employment and experiential education, Greek life, health and wellness, housing and residential life, judicial affairs, multicultural affairs, new student orientation, personal counseling, student activities, and student leadership development. Oversaw strategic facilities development (including new buildings and renovations), emergency response protocols, policy analysis and revision, program assessment, operational budgets, and administrative staff.

Representative Coaching Engagements:

  • Coached new department chairs and associate deans in their transition from faculty to academic leadership roles; co-developed leadership goals and plan for working with faculty to achieve departmental goals; supported leadership and communication for key projects; supported analysis of issues and articulation of action plan to address conflicts with colleagues as they arose. Clients recognized for promotions, salary raises, and as Dean candidate finalists.
  • Coached administrative leaders (directors, vice presidents) with managing generational staff differences, strategic planning, grant development, departmental restructuring, team engagement, and succession planning by articulating and executing leadership strategy to achieve departmental/divisional goals. Also worked with leaders on executive presence and demonstrating strengths through clear and direct communication. Engagements on-going.

Certifications and Trainings:

  • Associate Certified Coach (ACC), International Coaching Federation
  • Hogan Assessments, Certified Facilitator
  • Clifton Strengths, Certified Trainer
  • Certified Diversity Education, Anti-Defamation League
  • Immunity to Change Certified Facilitator, Harvard University
  • Design Thinking for Innovation Certification, University of Virginia

Education:

  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Applied-Experimental Psychology; Saint Louis University 2001
  • Master of Arts (MA) in College Student Personnel; Bowling Green State University 1989
  • Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) in Human Development and Social Policy; Northwestern University 1986
  • ICF-Level 2/ACTP Credentialing Program, Center for Executive Coaching 2023