Advanced Supervision Certificate Program
Build the confidence, tools, and perspective to lead teams that advance your institution’s mission.
Upcoming Cohorts
January 12 – March 27, 2026
April 6 – June 26, 2026
Overview
At Academic Impressions, we believe that good supervision leads to better outcomes overall. Our goal is to help you to develop your supervisor toolkit and grow in your confidence and ability to positively and effectively develop team members who can contribute to your institution’s goals and mission.
Our offerings are based on the premise that the most important elements in a supervisor’s leadership and organizational development include understanding the best practices, taking space to practice and reflect, and a taking part in a community to add to and broaden your perspective.
If you haven’t taken any supervisor training previously, we recommend that you start with the Supervision Certificate as a pre-requisite for this program. Learn more and register for the Supervision Certificate Program.
This course is designed to advance your supervision knowledge in key areas that will drive the most impact in your work.
Who Will Benefit
This program is designed for supervisors at any level and in any role in higher education who have participated in some supervisory training previously, either through Academic Impressions, your own institution, or another organization.
How it Works
This certificate program takes place over the course of 3 months and involves both live and asynchronous components. By registering for a cohort, you’ll gain access to:
- Two coffee chats to network and learn in community with fellow supervisors.
- Six self-paced courses to build your expertise in more nuanced aspects of supervision.
- A reflection assignment required to earn your badge.
Coffee Chats
Coffee chats are optional live sessions for your cohort, set up as a time to network and discuss what you’re learning. We find that learning requires practice, reflection, and feedback, and these coffee chats will help you to get feedback from others in your role and practice what you’ve learned.
Asynchronous Courses
This program includes registration for six asynchronous courses.
Creating a Supervision Philosophy
Before you can effectively lead others, you must first understand yourself. In this course, you’ll explore your personal leadership philosophy and how it connects to your supervisory approach, using Academic Impressions’ leadership framework as a guide. You’ll leave with a clear sense of your guiding principles and how to translate them into action with your team.
Self-Care as a Supervisor
This course helps higher ed supervisors to strengthen their leadership by practicing mindful self-care and boundary setting. Through guided reflection, participants will uncover what gets in their way, build supportive networks, and learn to lead with balance and intention. The course connects personal well-being to professional effectiveness—highlighting why self-care is essential to leading others well.
Coaching Skills for Supervisors
This course exposes leaders to Academic Impressions’ coaching model and demonstrates how a coaching approach can transform supervision. Participants will learn and practice five essential coaching elements—active listening, curiosity, inclusivity, safety, and shared ownership—while applying them to real supervisory challenges such as feedback, conflict, and performance conversations. The course equips supervisors to model a growth mindset and to support the autonomy and development of their teams.
Building High Expectations with High Support
Supervisors play a key role in helping their teams to live out the institution’s values through action. This course explores how to clarify expectations, align goals with purpose, and provide meaningful support through coaching, feedback, and performance management. Participants will leave with strategies to strengthen accountability, foster growth, and sustain motivation in challenging times.
Building Accountability on Your Team
In the realities of higher ed, accountability isn’t punishment—it’s clarity, trust, and integrity in action. This course helps supervisors to model personal accountability, communicate expectations that stick, and create psychologically safe teams where people will be able to notice, own, and fix issues quickly. It also covers generational differences in accountability.
Supporting Neurodiverse Employees
Grounded in lived experience, this course shows how small supervisory shifts—clarifying the “why,” agreeing on preferred communication, and normalizing support—unlock the strengths of neurodivergent staff. Leaders leave with scripts, tools, and resources to build trust, reduce stigma, and translate inclusion into everyday actions.
Over the course of the cohort, we’ll invite you to complete the courses you want. Each course also comes with a short summary of tips and reflection questions if you’re unable to engage with the full course.
Reflection Assignment and Badge
To earn your badge at the end of your experience, you’ll need to complete a short reflection assignment. We’ll ask you to share briefly how you’ve been able to incorporate what you’ve learned and how you plan to do so in the future. Once you have completed it, you’ll automatically receive your digital badge certifying that you have participated in the Advanced Supervision Certificate program! The only requirement for receiving this badge is completing this reflection assignment.
Hurry! The Next Cohort Starts January 12, 2025.
Supplement Your Learning
In addition to joining a cohort, we’ll offer four live sessions to build upon what you’re learning and allow for a deeper dive into specific topics. Each session comes toward the end of a cohort, so we highly recommend that you join us to serve as a culminating experience! You’re welcome to join us at one or all of these sessions, but attendance is not required to complete the certification. These sessions will also be recorded if you would like to view them later.
Put Your Mask on Before Assisting Others: Taking Care of Yourself
Getting Comfortable with Uncomfortable Supervisory Conversations
Connecting with Your Employees: Practicing Coaching and Engagement
Supervising Varied Voices
Make Your Learning Stick
Being a supervisor can feel lonely and isolating, and coaching can help to address that challenge. Coaches hold the space for you to be vulnerable, explore where you’ve been successful and where you’ve missed the mark, and grow as a leader. Pairing this program with coaching is the best way to apply what you’ve learned immediately! Coaching helps you to build your reflective practice as a leader, and you’ll be able to partner with your coach to talk through personal challenges or how to apply specific tips to your work. Reach out to us to learn more or to be referred to our Coaching team.
Choose from 2 Options:
January 12 – March 27, 2026
April 6 – June 26, 2026
Questions About the Program?
Academic Impressions partners with colleges and universities to collaboratively create custom training for supervisors at all levels of the organization. These custom workshops are designed with the needs of your campus and your supervisors in mind and allow us to go deeper on issues specific to your institution. They can be delivered on your campus or virtually to your teams. Contact us to learn more!
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