Shifting sands: navigating being academic in an evolving sector

ABSTRACT

The evolution of the higher education sector has included a strong focus on academic performance despite increasing workloads and employment precarity, with COVID-19 further disrupting traditional university expectations. Drawing on HERD’s author voices from 2010 to 2020, this reflective review examines the changing nature of academe, mapping the shifts in role and identity that occur through an academic’s career life cycle. The mechanisms to support these developmental journeys are examined, highlighting the role that development agencies and university leaders need to play in supporting the holistic development of academics (and researchers), particularly as expectations evolve. Implications for a post-COVID sector are explored, suggesting this disruptive phase will require more responsive support from universities, developers and university leaders. The paper identifies gaps in research and commentary that warrant further exploration by scholars in the future.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic identity
• academic careers
• academic leadership
• higher education development
• university leadership

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).