Trajectory to professorship for third space practitioners: a learning developer perspective

Abstract

A higher education (HE) professional with a role that spans across the traditional academic and non-academic dichotomy is described as working within the ‘third space’ (Whitchurch, 2013). Whitchurch (2023) conceptualises the third space as, ‘likely to be plural and to be comprised of multiple spaces, which may continually reconfigure’. Therefore, some staff may work permanently or periodically in the third space. I have worked in the third space as a Learning Developer for almost 20 years. During this time, I have been fortunate to progress in my career from an Academic Skills Tutor to Director of Learning and Teaching Excellence. I have co-chaired the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) and am humbled to have received a National Teaching Fellowship in 2020. However, up until around 12 months ago, I had never thought that I could realistically pursue a professorship.

In this opinion piece, I explore the reasons for my preconceptions around professorship and the emergence of new professorship pathways. I consider broad criterion related to a Teaching and Learning (T&L) professorship pathway and how evidence might be obtained by a third space practitioner. Through these reflections, I hope to demystify potential sources of professorship evidence for other third space practitioners. In turn, I hope this will support aspiring third space professors in their career planning. In addition to aspiring professors, I anticipate that the practical suggestions included in this paper will help to support the career planning of third space practitioners who wish to pursue higher education leadership roles.