Blurring Boundaries and Changing University Staff: The Case of the University of Hong Kong

Abstract

In the changing higher education environment, universities increasingly engage in areas outside the traditional teaching and research missions. The new missions extend over wide yet specialized areas, such as technological advancement, internationalization, entrepreneurship, and enhancement of teaching and learning. To effectively handle these areas, universities require specific talents that may not be found in conventional academic and administrative cadres. The transformation highlights blurred boundaries between academic and non-academic spheres of the university. Situated in the University of Hong Kong (HKU), this paper explores how the university utilizes new professionals and administrative staff in new missions. Qualitative interviews with university staff reveal their profiles and perceptions in evolving organizational structures. By examining understudied subjects in Hong Kong, it discusses implications of changing university staff and how universities may optimize their new talent.

Labelling in the academy: identity renegotiation among postgraduate teaching assistants

“…The fusion of knowledge and skill sets in third space creates a centre for addressing challenge and instigating change (Whitchurch, 2013). The frequent movement of academics and professionals in and out of the site indicates the breaking down of bounded roles, and the perceived value of different contributions to and within the academy (Henkel, 2000;Takagi, 2015).…”

“…A blended professional, whose identity is continuously renegotiated in the professional realm, depicts a role that is regularly reconfigured based on the evolving nature of their responsibilities and contributions to a setting. Their roles are often a fusion of existing bounded roles, although these individuals are often suitably qualified to perform across various domains (Takagi, 2015). Their association with third space, and those intermittently passing through, is likely to encourage renegotiation of identity (Henkel, 2000).…”

A Novel Definition of Professional Staff

“…• 'employees without academic appointment whose jobs require some higher education or equivalent experience, the ability to exercise independent judgement, and minimum supervision' (Henkin & Persson, 1992) Professional staff • 'All had management or developmental roles and were not employed on academic staff contracts (although as we will see, many undertook work which was "academic" in nature) and all were employed on HEE Level 7 or above' (Berman & Pitman, 2010) • 'the graduate and/or professional entry staff that have high levels of autonomy and responsibility for managing and leading business-related functions in the university' (Kallenberg, 2020) • 'administrative staff, general staff, non-academic staff, allied staff' (Szekeres, 2011) • Refers to Whitchurch's (2009) notion of the 'blended professional' (Takagi, 2015) • 'staff who increasingly, for instance: have academic credentials such as master's and doctoral level qualifications, or a teaching or research background in the college sector; work in teams, dealing with institutional initiatives that require a range of specialist, academic and policy contributions, from bids for one-off infrastructure funding to the establishments of more long-term regional partnerships; undertake quasi-academic functions such as conducting study-skill sessions for access students, speaking at outreach events or conducting overseas recruitment visits; and have the possibility of moving into an academic management role, for instance, a pro-vicechancellor post with a portfolio such as quality, staffing or institutional development' (Whitchurch, 2008a) • Not explicitly defined or described in reviewed document (Gray, 2015;Whitchurch & Gordon, 2009) documents at all -but may have been defined elsewhere. One term, 'para-academic', is defined as 'individuals who specialise in one type of element of academic life' (Macfarlane, 2011), which includes PS, but not exclusively.…”