Professionalising the contribution of HE third space professionals – developing themselves to support others

Abstract

This case study discusses the introduction of a new student support role, the Senior Academic Coach, at the University of Wolverhampton. Firmly located in the ‘third space’, Senior Academic Coaches reside in the liminal space between the traditional academic and administrative roles. Using skills and knowledge gained through the completion of the ILM Effective Coaching and Mentoring qualification, they lead faculty-based academic coaching teams. These teams provide the predominant support that levels 3 and 4 and international level 7 students receive as they transition into and through higher education. Students’ interactions with the Academic Coaches provide them with the knowledge and tools to be successful. Using a narrative approach, Senior Academic Coaches were interviewed about how the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) course supports them in developing and delivering their roles. The findings are delivered via a composite Senior Academic Coach, who relates the transformative impact of the ILM on a personal and professional level. It was found that the ILM provided the framework which not only underpins how coaches work with students, but also how they navigate supporting their teams as first-time line managers. The ILM encouraged them to reflect on their own development and helped them challenge feelings of imposterism, as well as providing them with the skills that they needed to challenge senior staff as they worked to develop, and advocate for, the role. We close by arguing that there is no better time to listen to the lived experiences of these marginalised HE workers in order to better understand the impact of providing more funding to support these types of third-space roles.