Reconstructing identities in higher education

"Intellectual leadership in Higher Education draws on studies conducted in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, this book focuses on the growing number of staff who undertake roles associated with broadly based projects that are emerging in higher education institutions. These include aspects such as student life and welfare, widening participation, learning support, community partnership, research and business partnership, and institutional research. Some academic staff are moving in a increasingy project-oriented direction, effectively creating a Third Space between professional and academic spheres of activity. Associated with these changes, the concept of service has become re-oriented towards one of partnership between professional and academic colleagues, students and external agencies. Lateral networks are becoming more significant than traditional linear relationships, and individuals may identify more closely with projects and teams than with formal organisational structures. The concept of Third Space is offered as a way of exploring the emergence of less boundaried roles and identities in higher education community, and of considering the implications of these for individuals and institutions. This book explores the significance of relationships as a key variable in Third Space environments and looks into the development and use of appropriate forms of language to facilitate communication between a range of constituencies.