The art of academic development (AD) inspires me daily as an English lecturer and AD researcher. Since entering the field of AD, teaching and AD work have operated in synergy for me. AD research informs my teaching, while questions from my teaching guide my research exploration. Therefore, it is a great honour to be invited to write on this topic, as I believe these conversations will enrich both the AD field and, more broadly, higher education.

Understanding how academic developers perceive their roles in academic development (AD) is crucial for exploring the formation and development of their professional identities. This perspective also allows for the consideration of both workplace and emotional factors that influence this process. An individual’s professional identity significantly affects their commitment to, or prioritisation of particular roles, which in turn shapes the quality of work outcomes. From colleagues who have done or are doing AD work in managerial positions or in their respective AD units/departments, I have learnt that the art of AD is a complex mix of concepts and activities, including:

• Reflection
• Personal growth and continuous education
• Empowering personal development
• Improvement
• Selfless generosity
• Pragmatism
• Striving for more than satisfactory
• Collegial support
• Negotiation
• Building academic/faculty communities
• Encouragement
• Facilitating future success
• Long-term cultivation
• Support
• Doubt
• Creative teaching
• Persuasion
• Experimentation

What do these diverse perceptions tell us? For one, it is interesting that when academic developers reflect on the art of AD, some view it as a process—dynamic—while others see it as a state or result—static. For me, the art of AD is fundamentally about nurturing human relationships within and beyond my institutions to develop a fruitful educational environment, which ultimately provides an optimal learning experience for students.

The responses gathered from my doctoral study on the professional identity of academic developers reflect the diverse trajectories developers have taken and their destinations as a result of migrating to AD from different fields and disciplines.

To illustrate, the response, ‘Academic development is the art of negotiation,’ suggests that this developer may have taken on a highly service-oriented, negotiator role, operating within the liminal space that developers often occupy. This negotiation could also imply the individual is continuously balancing multiple identities, playing a neutral role as a change agent in implementing AD work. In contrast, the response, ‘Academic development is the art of reflection,’ indicates that this developer's role may lean more towards the academic side of the service-academic spectrum. However, when a developer's role becomes highly administrative, finding time for reflection can be challenging. The constant need for negotiation may force them to adapt, like a ‘chameleon on a tartan rug’ (Kensington-Miller et al., 2015), seamlessly adapting to fit into various situations.

What does the art of academic development mean to you?

Acknowledgements:

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the study participants from the University of Otago and The University of Tokyo, whose valuable insights greatly enriched my exploration of academic development. I am also grateful to HERDSA Connect Blog Editor, Dr Daniel Andrews, for his helpful comments on an earlier draft of this post.

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