While thinking about the PhD – value of networks in developing capacity – I explore the key features of our university policy on staff professional development and how it relates to academic citizenship.

University is committed to providing its academic staff with the opportunity to become excellent teachers and leading scholars and researchers in their fields, and to developing their managerial, leadership and technical abilities. One of the applied principles is that orientation and induction; mentoring; training as a lecturer/tutor; training for academic heads; and development in academic leadership, are important for the development of good practice. Professional development includes: technical skill development to help academic staff to teach or research more effectively; mentoring to provide staff with advice and support and a sounding board for self-review and appraisal; and work culture development.

Taking leadership in one’s discipline is perhaps the ultimate goal of an academic, be it focused on research leadership or teaching excellence. The policy is quite clear in supporting staff in this aspect. Unfortunately, there is no mention of professional development opportunities for dissemination of research or developing an outreach locally or globally. Though, this might be considered communication skills development (key feature 5). As responsible and productive academic citizens, how can we ensure our research has wider appeal? And, what support will we have to grow into a role that encourages interaction with fellow scholars and considerable community engagement? Hence the appeal of networks in capacity development.

The opportunity to be mentored in career planning and work culture development, included in this policy, would definitely benefit early career academics. This perhaps has the most relevance to the concept of academic citizenship. How and when this form of professional development can be requested is subject to the departmental priorities and may not be realistic. There are no indications as to how career planning and work culture development initiatives would be recognised as achievements or be identified as legitimate form of development for enhancing an academic’s contribution to the university or the wider community. This remains a valid question for recognising the legitimacy of networks and the value networking provides for professional development.

McFarlane says in ‘The Disengaged Academic’ that the “role of university academic staff is rarely expressed in terms of their citizenship…[but] more in terms of the dual claims of teaching and research” (2005, p299). Nonetheless, our professional development policy addresses the concerns of Austin (2002). We need to prepare our academics for the present and future teaching and learning contexts. For example, by having the opportunity to develop communication and technical skills, we can better respond to the “increasing diversity of students” and “the rise of…new technologies” (p122).

Coincidently, our university policy directly addresses some of the eight essential skills for new generation academics identified by Austin (2002). The focus seems to be on the development of a complete scholar. The following essential skills that relate most closely to academic citizenship, have unfortunately not been included (Austin, 2002 p125-128):

>> Understanding of engagement and service.
>> Expertise in working in diverse groups.
>> Appreciation of institutional citizenship.
>> Appreciation of core purposes and values of higher education.

How these could be developed in the dynamic university environment is still a challenge.

References

Austin, A. (2002). Creating a bridge to the future: preparing new faculty to face the changing expectations in a shifting context. Review of Higher Education 26(2), 119-144.
Macfarlane, B. (2005). The disengaged academic: the retreat from citizenship. Higher Education Quarterly 59(4), 296-312.