Select Page

Accountability Groups

Life, Research, Academics

Gain What You Need To Reach Your Goals

Supportive Process to Achieve Success with Accountability Groups

You Know Your Goals, But Can’t Seem to Get Them Done?

Accountability group participants develop and refine the skills and awareness they need to accomplish their goals. Joining an accountability group provides graduate students a safe and supportive space to establish and work towards their individualized SMART goals.  Participants gain and share insight into their processes as they work towards completing their goals.

Not Sure? Schedule a time to ask more!

What are Accountability Groups?

Are AGs confidential?

Yes.  We abide by 4 core cohort guidelines: confidentiality, authenticity, presence, and respect. This is the key to cohorts developing the trust necessary for growth.

Will AGs help me define my goals?

You will learn the process of defining and refining SMART goals, goals that are Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time-based. Through the interactions with your group and facilitator, you will develop the practices necessary to achieve those goals.

Will AGs “keep me accountable”?

You will keep yourself accountable, with the help and support of your peers

What if I don’t make my goals?

Accountability groups do not sit in judgment. They provide the space to reflect on what did and did not work for you as you work towards your goals.  Accountability groups are a collaborative and iterative process of check-ins, reflections, and goal setting.

How Do I know If Accountability Groups are Right For Me?

Accountability groups are for anyone with a roughly defined goal that wants a collaborative space to develop the necessary skills to achieve them, and actually achieve them along the way.  To be “right” for accountability groups, you need to be willing to openly reflect on want you want to do and how you might achieve it.

1. I want to further develop my productivity.
  • You’ve tried a lot of different “productivity systems” and nothing seems to be quite right.
  • You hear yourself thinking “I should be able to get more done”.
  • People seem to want more from you than you feel you can do in a given day.
2. I want to achieve my goals on my schedule.
  • Everything seems to take longer that I think it should.
  • You’re working hard all the time but don’t seem to be progressing forward.
  • You’d like to feel in control of your schedule.
3. I want to get things done before the last minute.
  • You only seem to be able to work if someone puts a deadline on it.
  • All of the deadlines get done but the research, well that’s another story.
  • You see others thriving and wish you were too.
4. I want to be able set goals for my research.
  • You want to be able to set and achieve SMART goals for your research.
  • It would be nice to feel like you’re making progress towards a goal.
5. I want to engage a community of peers.
  • Pandemic aside, I feel isolated in my academic journey.
  • My advisor doesn’t understand my perspective and I want to hear other viewpoints.
  • I’d like something more than being told what to do.

Our Approach

We form small cohorts based on members’ stated availability.  Cohorts meet weekly for the semester where each member engages in a spotlight moment for their specific goals.

Weekly check-ins through the spotlight moment allow each individual to reflect on what has been accomplished, what they are noticing about the process, and what goals they are setting for the following week.

Weekly journal entries provide participants an opportunity to reflect on their personal goals and what they experienced and noticed within the session. 

Cohorts are provided a confidential SLACK channel to engage each other.

Not sure? Schedule a time to ask more!

Testimonials

“The accountability groups help you break down your goals into manageable and actionable steps. They are an opportunity to have honest and frank self-assessment in a judgment-free zone.”

Jenny W., Ph.D. Student

“Accountability groups are a great way to stay focused on your personal and professional goals while connecting with other grad students in the department.”

– Anonymous Graduate Student

“The accountability group encouranges me to structure my tasks in a meaningful and doable way and gives me the motivation to get them done on time.”

– Anonymous Graduate Student

“I’ve picked up a lot of great ideas from listening to and interacting with the people in my cohort.”

– Anonymous Graduate Student

How It Works

k

Sign Up

Cohorts form on a semester-by-semester basis. During the registration process, you will be asked your preferred weekly time slots and general goals.

Gain a Community

Meet your cohort and build trust using our core guidelines of confidentiality, authenticity, presence, and respect.

Reach Your Goals

Through the accountability group experience, you will come to understand your best process and develop actionable steps to reach your goals.

Still Have Questions?