The rise of the blended professional in higher education: a comparison between the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States

Abstract

This paper builds on earlier work by the author to explore the international dimensions of a study of the changing roles and identities of professional staff in higher education (Whitchurch 2008a, b). It further develops the concept of the blended professional, characterising individuals with identities drawn from both professional and academic domains, and examines the institutional spaces, knowledges, relationships and legitimacies that they construct. Comparisons between the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States are used to provide indicators of possible futures for this group of staff, including their positioning in the university community, the challenges they face, and the potentials that they offer to their institutions.

Exploring the Role of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the Context of the Professional Identities of Faculty, Graduate Students, and Staff in Higher Education

“…While faculty and graduate student identity is often formed through their development of disciplinary expertise and the research, instructional, and service networks they develop, many higher education professional staff members have been described as "third space" or "blended" professionals that are situated as neither fully academic or fully service staff (Whitchurch, 2008(Whitchurch, , 2009). This conception of staff identity often leads to challenges and opportunities of not being associated with one particular segment of an institution.…”

From ‘shadowy cabal’ to new profession: Networks of cooperation and competition in UK Higher Education fundraising

“…Moreover, the author cited the need for academics to function as research managers, entrepreneurs, teachers 'and (even) sales and marketing people' (Scott, 2006: 24;Whitchurch, 2009 (2013: 22) to facilitate collective learning in a rapidly changing and competitive HE environment.…”

Higher Education Research in Europe

“…Often, they are just called according to their specific areas, i.e. quality managers, career officers, international officers, etc., while scholars analysing this phenomenon opt for various umbrella terms such as 'middle-level managers' or 'higher education professionals' (Gornitzka and Larsen 2004;Macfarlane 2011;Meek et al 2010;Roesser 2004;Schneijderberg and Merkator 2012;Whitchurch 2009).…”