Harnessing the power of professional associations to unite the third-space community

In this opinion piece, we discuss career pathways and trajectories for third space professionals. We explore the unique difficulties of career progression for those in the third space compared to the more recognised and established routes for academic colleagues, or those who work in professional s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Craig Morley, Nicola Grayson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/article/view/1273
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In this opinion piece, we discuss career pathways and trajectories for third space professionals. We explore the unique difficulties of career progression for those in the third space compared to the more recognised and established routes for academic colleagues, or those who work in professional services who are employed on ‘academic’ contracts. We argue that, in order to overcome these difficulties and make potential career pathways and trajectories more visible, we should conceptualise the third space itself as a collective unity. In creating an interconnected third space community, individuals could be supported to move between and across territories and boundaries which encompass different professional identities within the wider third space itself as a professional sphere. In support of this, we issue a ‘Call for Collaboration’ to our respective third space professional associations. We argue, that by enhancing and increasing interaction between fields within the third space, opportunities can be cross-promoted more effectively, resulting in greater career development opportunities and increased support for respective members.
ISSN:1759-667X