Hearing the voices of general staff: a Delphi study of the contributions of general staff to student outcomes

Abstract

The key resource for universities is their academic and general staff; however, little attention has been paid, by government, researchers and even the universities in which they work, to the work of general staff. Yet general staff have comprised more than half the workforce in Australian universities since 1996, and a more rigorous understanding of the contribution of general staff towards the strategic goals of their institutions has the potential to enhance their institutions' organisational sustainability. While universities have multiple and diverse stakeholders, students occupy the key stakeholder role in a university's core business of learning and teaching. Consequently, the interaction of general staff with students has potential to impact on the sustainability of an institution. This paper describes a preliminary study into how general staff contribute to student outcomes. A meta-study by Prebble et al. (2004) derived 13 propositions for support of student outcomes that focussed on the contribution by academic staff, and Middleton (2006) subsequently surmised that general staff are also central to those outcomes. This study uses the Delphi method to test Middleton's (2006) assertion by engaging general staff in ranking the propositions in terms of the contribution of general staff to student outcomes. This paper concludes by discussing implications for future research.

The New Higher Education Professionals

“…The invisibility of the large body of university administrators, and their relationship with academic staff is an issue in Australia (Conway 2000a, b;Dobson and Conway 2003;Graham 2009Graham , 2010. Not depending on official and university statistics and their categorical limitations Dobson and Conway (2003, p. 125) give voice to the administrators' misery of being regarded "as non-persons who do nonwork" who "do not want to be defined as a negative or in oppositional terms".…”

Professional staff carve out a new space

“…Related to this is a growing collection focused on the work of professional staff (Allen-Collinson, 2006Bassnett, 2005;Blümel, 2008;Brown, 2008;Graham, 2009Graham, , 2010Lauwerys, 2002;Leicht & Fennell, 2008;McNay, 2005;Santiago, Carvalho, Amaral, & Meek, 2006;Szekeres, 2004Szekeres, , 2006Whitchurch, 2009;Wohlmuther, 2008). These works build on very few earlier examples which focused on professional staff (Castleman & Allen, 1995;Dobson, 2000;Dobson Santiago, et al, 2006;Small, 2008;Szekeres, 2004Szekeres, , 2006Winter, 2009;Wohlmuther, 2008); • the role of senior and middle management in universities (Bassnett, 2005;Blümel, 2008;Cain & Hewitt, 2004;de Boer, et al, 2007;Deem & Brehony, 2005;Fulton, 2003;Graham, 2009;Heywood, 2004;Lauwerys, 2002;McNay, 2005;Middlehurst, 2004;Santiago, et al, 2006;Shore & Groen, 2009;Smith & Hughey, 2006;Welsh, 2009;Whitchurch, 2008;Winter, 2009;Yielder & Codling, 2004);…”

“…• discussions of particular roles and functions in higher education (Allen-Collinson, 2004Brown, 2008;Eveline, 2004;Graham, 2009Graham, , 2010Heywood, 2004;Janosik, 2007;McMaster, 2002;Reybold, Halx, & Jimenez, 2008;Sebalj & Holbrook, 2006;Shelley, 2010;Small, 2008;Smith & Hughey, 2006); and • professionalisation of administrative work and workers (Bassnett, 2005;Blümel, 2008;Gordon & Whitchurch, 2007;Gornitzka & Larsen, 2004;Lauwerys, 2002;Reybold, et al, 2008).…”

Imagining a future: changing the landscape for third space professionals in Australian higher education institutions

“…Professional staff identities' fragmentation and identities' reconstruction; 'identity stretch'; first professional staff typology Whitchurch, 2007Whitchurch, , 2008Whitchurch, , 2009aWhitchurch, , 2009cWhitchurch, , 2009bWhitchurch & Gordon, 2009;Whitchurch, Skinner, & Lauwerys, 2009;Graham, 2010;Middlehurst, 2010;Whitchurch & Gordon, 2010;Graham, 2012;Whitchurch, 2012;Graham, 2013;Kolsaker, 2014;Gray, 2015 Professional staff as a group (despite the evident lack of its homogeneity) Conway, 2000;Dobson & Conway, 2003;Szekeres, 2004;Whitchurch, 2006Whitchurch, , 2007Middlehurst, 2010;Szekeres, 2011;Sebalj et al, 2012;Strachan et al, 2012;Whitchurch, 2012;Conway, 2013 Professional staff growth, development, acquisition of firmer legitimacies, maturity, professionalisation and higher sophistication in the career choices Conway, 2000;Dobson & Conway, 2003;Szekeres, 2004;Whitchurch, 2006Whitchurch, , 2007Middlehurst, 2010;Szekeres, 2011;Sebalj et al, 2012;Strachan et al, 2012;Whitchurch, 2012;Conway, 2013 Third space professionals, typology and positioning of the third space Whitchurch, 2007Whitchurch, ,...…”