The expansion and specialisation of 'non-academic' higher education roles, in response to increased regulation, monitoring and measurement of the sector, can be attributed to a rise in neoliberal manageralism and globalisation. Such changes have challenged the professional status of the academy, potentially 'de-professionalising' academic staff. This thesis explores the extent to which a concurrent professionalisation of administrative and managerial staff has occurred, and examines the case for higher education administration as a profession. Building on a conceptual framework linking the literatures of 'professionalism' and 'identity' with personal reflections and an examination of the role of the Association of University Administrators (AUA) as a representative body for university administrators, a qualitative analysis was undertaken with six UK higher education institutions, comprising in-depth interviews with 23 administrative/managerial staff. These were augmented by further indepth interviews: two with staff at the AUA; and three with internationally based administrative/managerial staff (two from Canada; one from Holland). The produced data, together with the conceptual framework, facilitated construction of a thematic, analytical model which enabled exploration of nomenclature, behaviours, perception, qualification, status, and structure(s), as elements of constructed professional identity. The findings reveal that higher education administrators/managers possess the necessary tools to construct an identity as a professional, but that they lack the collective selfconfidence to claim university administration as a profession. The study recommends that through the facilitated acquisition of 'academic empathy', increased sectoral and societal visibility, promotion of higher education administration as a career path, and the development of a strong and consistent public voice, it is possible to instil the collective selfconfidence necessary to proudly assert that university administration is a profession.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:572963 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Lewis, Kenton Richard |
| Publisher | University College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10020666/ |
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