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

Higher Education volume 58, pages407–418(2009)Cite this article

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.

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Acknowledgment

The author acknowledges the support provided by the UK Leadership Foundation for Higher Education between 2005 and 2007 for the study on which this paper draws.

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  1. Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL, UK

    Celia Whitchurch

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  1. Celia Whitchurch
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Correspondence to Celia Whitchurch.

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Whitchurch, C. The rise of the blended professional in higher education: a comparison between the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. High Educ 58, 407–418 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9202-4

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Keywords

  • Professional roles
  • Professional identities
  • Blended professionals