Listening changes everything.
A foundational postgraduate subject in transformative leadership practice — delivered as an intensive at Devonport Christian School, Tasmania, with live online participation. The entry point into the Graduate Certificate of Coaching & Mentoring.
◉ Intensive 9–10 June · Enrolments closing soon
✓ FEE-HELP eligible ✓ 10 credit points ✓ In-person or live online
SUBJECT DETAILS
DURATION
INTENSIVE
Devonport Christian School, Tasmania
DELIVERY
Real-time participation, not recordings
LECTURER
Faculty lead: A/Prof Sue Westraad
⬈ Entry point to the Graduate Certificate of Coaching & Mentoring
The conviction behind the subject
Listening is a leadership skill that changes everything. Learn to do it well.
Listening — the kind that transforms the person being heard — is a discipline. It’s the ground of coaching, mentoring, pastoral care, and leadership influence. And it’s a skill that can be taught, practised, and deepened.
CMS501 is built around this conviction: that learning to listen well is not a soft skill add-on but a transformative leadership practice in its own right. Over one concentrated 10-week postgraduate subject, you’ll study the theory of listening, practise it under supervision, and integrate it into how you lead.
A PAST STUDENT'S EXPERIENCE
“From the very first readings and experiences of this, I have deepened my awareness of the importance of listening for spiritual formation and organisational culture. I would encourage friends and colleagues who want to build good foundations for mentoring, coaching, and supervision, those who are in leadership, or those who aspire to leadership in schools, churches, or other settings to enrol.”
Chris Rayner
About the subject
Listening as the cornerstone of influence.
This subject explores listening as an essential skill for effective leadership, coaching, and mentoring. Students discover that leadership is a functional skill accessible to all, not merely a positional privilege, and that intentional listening is the cornerstone of influence, connection, and sustainable growth.
Through theoretical frameworks and practical application, students learn to distinguish between listening to content and listening for deeper meaning — including values, emotions, assumptions, and possibilities. The subject emphasises creating psychologically safe spaces, enabling genuine dialogue and building cultures of trust.
The rhythm
Your 10 weeks at a glance.
Built for working leaders — online engagement opens 1 June, the intensive anchors Week 2, and assessments are spaced to reward sustained thinking, not cramming.
Week 1
1 June
Orientation & pre-reading
Week 2
8 June
Tue 9 & Wed 10
Devonport, TAS
Week 3
15 June
Week 4
22 June
Week 5
29 June
Wed 5–6pm
Week 6
6 July
Week 7
13 July
Wed 5–6pm
Week 8
20 July
Week 9
27 July
Wed 5–6pm
Week 10
3 August
Outcomes
What you'll take away.
You’ll finish the subject with a framework, a practice, and the foundation for the full Graduate Certificate.
A framework for listening
Listening as a functional leadership skill — not a personality trait.
Listening 'to' vs listening 'for'
Distinguish content from values, emotion, assumption, and possibility.
Psychological safety in practice
Create the conditions for genuine dialogue — tested, refined, embodied.
Tools for building trust cultures
Apply listening craft across schools, churches, teams, and organisations.
Foundation for the Grad Cert
A launchpad into the remaining units of the Graduate Certificate of Coaching & Mentoring.
Who this is for
Built for leaders who develop people.
Designed for professionals currently – or aspiring to be – involved in coaching, mentoring, leadership, or people development roles.
Teachers & school leaders
Especially those mentoring pre-service teachers, early-career staff, or stepping into instructional leadership.
Pastors & ministry leaders
Formalising the coaching and pastoral care dimensions of your ministry.
Counsellors & pastoral care
Deepening listening craft with theological grounding and practical rigour.
Business & organisational leaders
Building capability and resilience in teams through developmental listening practice.
Community & NFP leaders
Strengthening the people-development work at the heart of mission-driven organisations.
NICE & CEN educators
Enrolled directly through AC with fee arrangements reflecting your school's partnership.
YOUR LECTURER
Sharon Garro
Lecturer, CMS501 — Listening as Transformative Practice and Leadership
Sharon Garro is a Registered Psychologist and Director of Postgraduate Counselling Studies at Alphacrucis University College. With over 18 years of experience, Sharon is dedicated to mentoring future counsellors, aligning clinical practice with personal values.
Faculty lead: Associate Professor Sue Westraad, Head of AC’s School of Education. Sue brings a PhD, an ICF-accredited Graduate Diploma in Applied Coaching, and a Master of Higher Education — and has shaped the design and direction of the Graduate Certificate.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Do I need coaching experience to enrol?
No. CMS501 is designed as a foundational unit. Many students are entering coaching and mentoring formally for the first time.
Is this unit specifically Christian or theological?
Yes — the whole Graduate Certificate integrates evidence-based practice from psychology, leadership theory, adult learning, and organisational development, thoughtfully contextualised within a biblical perspective. It’s equally valuable for leaders in professional, ministry, and community settings.
What's the difference between live online and recorded study?
Live online means you join the intensive and the Wednesday check-ins in real time with the in-person cohort. You participate in discussions, exercises, and practice. Recorded-only is not an option — presence and engagement are part of the learning.
I'm affiliated with NICE or CEN — what does that mean for me?
You will enrol with NICE and we will work in partnership to enrol you in the unit
Is FEE-HELP available?
Yes, eligible domestic students can access FEE-HELP for credit-enrolled study.
What are the entry requirements?
An AQF Level 7 Bachelor’s degree in education, or an equivalent degree plus a Diploma/Certificate in Education, or an AQF Level 8+ postgraduate qualification from an authorised institution. International students need an IELTS score of 7.0 (no band below 6.5).
READY TO START?
Listening is a practice. This intensive is where you start.
Intensive 9–10 June at Devonport. Enrolments closing soon.
◉ Limited places available