Identities of academic developers: Critical friends in the academy?

Abstract

The intention of this chapter is to explore the identities of a group of people holding significant positions in academic institutions – academic developers. I will describe briefly what type of positions academic developers hold, which functions they carry out and what academic development means, at least in the context of this chapter. Based on research, I will argue that the academic developers themselves hold quite different views of their functions and mission. Drawing on a socio-cultural understanding of identity formation, I will argue that this reflects a situation in which faculty developers as a group lack a unifying professional identity. By analysing some central conditions for their work, I will discuss how this may be understood and explained. Whether this is a satisfactory situation or not, for the professional group as well as for the university, will also be discussed. I will then argue that the metaphor of ‘the critical friend’ is a potential professional identity for the academic developer and explain why this might be a particularly potent identity within the academy. Finally I will discuss if and how a development towards a shared professional identity of this kind may be realised.