Leadership initiatives at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School will get a lift thanks to a $3.5 million gift from The Delta Air Lines Foundation. The funds will endow the newly-renamed Delta Leadership Coaching Fellows Program, an experiential and peer-to-peer education initiative. A portion of the gift will also go toward the creation of the Delta Leadership Hub, a teaching and reception space at the school.

“Giving back to the communities where Delta people live, work and serve is at the core of our values,” said Tad Hutcheson, Senior Vice President of The Delta Air Lines Foundation. “The Delta Air Lines Foundation has a long history of serving communities, and we are proud to help advance the mission of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School through the Delta Leadership Coaching Fellows program, as well as the Delta Leadership Hub.”

According to Goizueta administrators, the gift will allow the school to serve more students, expand coaching opportunities and increase interaction among leaders.

“As a top-20, but small, business school our relationship with industry has historically centered primarily on recruiting relationships,” said Erika James, the John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School. “With Delta’s support, we have more opportunities to create meaningful experiences for our Evening and Full-Time MBA students.”

While all MBA students receive leadership training at Goizueta, Full-Time and Evening MBA students can apply to become coaching fellows for additional instruction and chances to practice more interpersonal leadership skills.

“Roberto Goizueta once said, ‘Leadership is one of the things you cannot delegate. You either exercise it, or you abdicate it,’” said Ken Keen, Associate Dean of Leadership Development. “We seek to provide students as many opportunities as possible to exercise leader skills, receive feedback, reflect on those opportunities and grow as leaders. The fellows program is one of those unique opportunities.”

Coaching fellows receive instruction in behavioral, relational, cognitive and emotional tools. The program is anchored on academic, experiential and reflection learning. Fellows complete workshops beyond the MBA curriculum, practicum experiences and have one-on-one sessions with executive coaches.