Resources for Dissertation Coaches

Here you’ll find practical resources for the day-to-day work of dissertation coaching.
Guild members: When you join, you’ll get editable planning tools and templates to use with clients.

Free Coaching Resources

Client Scheduling and Workflow Tools

These tools can help coaches schedule sessions, track time, manage client deadlines, and reduce administrative work. Check current pricing and privacy terms before storing client information.

• Calendly
  Create booking links, set availability and buffers, send reminders, and connect appointments with online meeting platforms.
• Clockify
  Track coaching sessions and administrative work by client or project. Includes timers, timesheets, reports, and invoicing tools.
• Google Calendar Appointment Scheduling
  Create a booking page connected to your Google Calendar so clients can choose from available appointment times.
• Harvest
  Track billable time, monitor project budgets, generate reports, and create invoices.
• Microsoft Bookings
  Create appointment pages connected to Outlook and Microsoft Teams. Particularly useful for coaches already using Microsoft 365.
• Toggl Track
  Use timers or manual entries to track sessions, preparation time, and client projects. Includes billable rates and reporting.
• Trello
  Organize clients, dissertation milestones, session notes, and deadlines with visual boards and cards. Avoid storing sensitive student information unless your privacy practices allow it.

Coach Education and Professional Resources

These organizations offer training, ethical guidance, research, and continuing education for coaches. Inclusion here does not mean that DECA Editors Guild requires or endorses a particular coaching credential.

• Academic Coach Training Program
  Training in academic coaching skills, learning strategies, student support, and practical coaching methods.
• Association for Coaching
  Professional-development opportunities, events, publications, and resources for working coaches.
• ICF Coaching Education and Professional Development
  Courses, continuing education, mentor coaching, peer coaching, and coaching supervision.
• ICF Code of Ethics
  Guidance concerning confidentiality, professional boundaries, conflicts of interest, technology, and ethical decision-making.
• ICF Core Competencies
  A useful framework for reviewing coaching skills and identifying areas for continued professional development.
• SUNY Coaching in Higher Education Certificate
  A certificate program focused on evidence-based coaching in colleges and universities.

Guild Member Resources

Guild membership gives dissertation coaches access to editable resources designed for real client work, including:

• Client intake and readiness questionnaires
• Coaching agreements and scope-of-service templates
• Session planning and follow-up forms
• Dissertation milestone and accountability trackers
• Time, payment, and client-work logs
• Sample policies for cancellations, communication, confidentiality, and AI use
• A growing library shaped by the needs of working dissertation coaches

Spend less time creating forms from scratch and more time working with clients.