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Academic development by way of student affairs: reflections from the first fifty days on the job
Abstract
This reflection on practice describes the first fifty days of a professional transition from student affairs into academic development. Campus collaborations, educational experiences, and holistic student learning are identified as professional parallels between these two institutional divisions. Professionals from student affairs can uniquely contribute to academic development because of their ability to view the campus as a working system and the student as a whole person. This reflection describes how a student affairs background can be a valuable addition and asset to academic development teams. © 2019
... CTLs support faculty who seek to play a leading role in creating social change. Beyond individual faculty, CTLs can help address institutions' needs for technological support, graduate student development, and research collaborations (Austin & Sorcinelli, 2013;Bishop & Keehn, 2015;Cook & Kaplan, 2011;Sorcinelli et al., 2006) and engage in campus partnerships with libraries and student affairs (Patterson, 2019;Schroeder, 2011). Studies on CTLs have concluded that they are critical contributors to the development of student learning through a variety of academic and faculty collaborations (Lieberman & Guskin, 2003;Schroeder, 2011;Sorcinelli et al., 2006). ...
Centers for teaching and learning (CTLs) address external and internal factors that influence teaching and learning. To accomplish this, often without additional resources, CTLs need an efficient and effective solution. By combining evidence-based practices in faculty development and a distillation of effective practices at three different institutions, the authors developed a sustainable, generative, learner-leader model for CTLs and others in faculty development to employ. The model emerged from an analysis of the authors’ collective and independent professional experiences, is grounded in a community of practice framework, and innovatively addresses the need for faculty leadership development. The authors describe the components of the learner-leader praxis and illustrate in narrative examples. By employing a learner-leader model, CTLs and others in faculty development can efficiently and effectively transform teaching and reach greater numbers of faculty.
... There are resources available to support faculty's leadership and professional development as administrators (Buller, 2012(Buller, , 2015Martin & Samels, 2015). However, less is written about the experiences of administrators becoming faculty (Bosetti et al., 2008;Groen & Kawalilak, 2014, Perry et al., 2019, and much of that is autobiographical (Bosetti et al., 2008;Firmin, 2008;Patterson, 2019;Quincy, 2021;Willis, 2010). ...
Crossing over to the dark side is a popular reference to someone’s decision to leave the supposed “good, pure, and honest” side of something to go to its “bad, evil, and suspicious” side. This idiom is typically used when an administrator moves into a faculty position or vice versa. While there is a plethora of literature on the challenges new scholars face as they enter the academy, less is knownabout the lived experience of moving from being an administrator to faculty member. One might assume the move is straightforward; our own experiences, however, suggest otherwise. This study explores the transition experiences of seven Canadian higher education administrators to faculty positions. Participants shared common experiences and perspectives on the differences between the roles, all of which are exacerbated by the distrust between the two sides. Findings offer further understanding of the nuances and misconceptions held by both parties and propose areas for further research.
... 21). We concur with a definition of discipline that moves beyond the silos of academic disciplines to include our colleagues from across the institution: for example, seeing student affairs as a discipline (Patterson, 2019) with its own holistic, student-centered worldview. As our field continues to grow, including even more perspectives can widen our lens on student experience, expanding our definition of student learning to include co-curricular and extracurricular learning: "Everyone-diverse faculty, staff, advisors, studentsshould be regarded as learners, inquirers, researchers, and agents of change" (Bass, 2020, p. 21). ...
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has demanded large-scale collaboration within all organizations, including higher education, and taking teaching and learning seriously, in this moment, means leveraging partnerships to address the wicked (large, complex) problems cited by Bass (2020). These problems are not ours alone to solve; rather, we make the case for a “wicked consciousness,” an amalgam of perspectives, in educational development. Guided by intellectual humility, our success as educational developers ought to be measured by the quality of our collaborations as well as our ability to learn with others, form equitable partnerships, and lead others by our example.
The recent coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the lives of students, faculty, and staff across higher education institutions (HEIs) globally. Current research has primarily focused on the impacts of the global pandemic on students’ experiences and the financial well-being of HEIs. However, there is a lack of research that focuses on student affairs practitioners in HEIs, who play a critical role in the transition process of students. This chapter explores the contemporary challenges and issues faced by student affairs practitioners during this time of crisis and the steps they can take to overcome their struggles. Additionally, the chapter offers practical implications of current practices and evidence-based predictions of their legacy as we move into a new age characterized by technology, flexibility, and a “new normal.”
Career trajectories within the academic enterprise elicit copious amounts of literature, much of which focuses on individuals who hail from faculty and rise through the academic ranks to college and university administration. However, scholarly discussions that conversely pay attention to administrators who transition to faculty roles are not as abundant even though they may possess unique skills, views, and perspectives that can positively contribute to the student experience. This reflection on practice describes challenges, opportunities, and insights for college and university administrators to make a successful transition to faculty through academic development.
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.
This article uses a narrative retelling of my journey to academic development to offer a new insight into induction initiatives: alongside a critical commitment to student learning, new academic developers need to build an informed and scholarly ‘idea of the university’. As universities renew focus on teaching and learning, student retention, and success, there is a corollary increase in new academic developers. Newcomers need a full picture of the field; induction that focuses on the narrow institutional context and aspects of best practice is unlikely to fully prepare new academic developers for tensions they may encounter.
Ten new student affairs professionals participated in this longitudinal study of their first year on the job. This qual- itative study used online data collection. Participants sub- mitted monthly responses to open-ended prompts inquir- ing about their experiences, challenges, and surprises. Over three time phases (Pre-Employment and Orientation, Transition, and Settled In), three themes emerged: the importance of relationships, institutional and professional fit, and issues of competence and confidence. Findings suggest several implications for practice, includ- ing preparing new professionals, being a new professional, and supervising new professionals. The authors suggest areas for future research.
A new generation of students – the "Millennials"-are beginning their tertiary education. How will academic staff – the baby boomers and generation X deal with the characteristics and learning styles of the Millennials? How will teaching and learning practices be affected? What are the implications for academic development in our universities? This paper examines the unique characteristics, learning and communication preferences of Millennials. Some teaching and learning strategies are suggested and a holistic academic development approach is recommended. Seven factors contributing to a holistic academic development approach are outlined.
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