Academic developers as change agents: Caught in the middle

You are here

Research and Development in Higher Education Vol. 28: Higher education in a changing world

July, 2005, 639 pages
Published by
Angela Brew and Christine Asmar
ISBN
0 908557 62 0
Abstract 

The current higher education environment is characterised by change as it adapts and responds to multiple agendas. With an increased focus on quality we are seeing greater emphasis on measures of accountability. Within this environment the professional practice of academic development is positioned as ‘strategic’ with one of the major roles of academic developers being ‘change agents’. But what does this really mean in practice? This paper draws on focus group data from academic developers from one university to explore and analyse from a critical perspective the tensions and conflicts that such a positioning has on the practice of academic development. Through this discussion struggles within the field, that have largely been silent, are raised.

Keywords: academic developers, changing higher education environments, discourse analysis