Advancement of Teaching-Focused Roles Interest Group


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The motivation to propose this Interest Group arose organically from a panel discussion session at ISSOTL23 and was a theme reflected in several other presentations and discussions at the conference.

Education-focused roles – encompassing a variety of responsibilities including (but not limited to) teaching, educational leadership responsibilities, SoTL and other education-related activities – are becoming far more widespread across diverse institutions, but establishing, embedding and advancing them is a complex process of organizational and culture change. Institutions are at various points along this change pathway, from well-established for a decade or more, to emergent and developing.

As we heard throughout the ISSOTL23 conference, context matters greatly. What pathway is taken by a given institution depends critically on institutional context, history, scale, culture and strategic vision. The ability to bring people together to share, interrogate, adapt and translate from a variety of different institutional approaches through this group will be both efficient and effective and help institutions navigate these paths. This IG will support the development of shared perspectives of how these roles are emerging and evolving across diverse institutions, as well as provide practical examples of criteria and pathways. Whilst there exist regional approaches and collaborations on this issue, an ISSOTL IG presents an opportunity for a more diverse and inclusive set of perspectives, through the application of a SoTL lens.

Our goals are listed below:

  • Curating and sharing artifacts and documents (e.g., criteria for advancement through the ranks) that have been developed across various institutions and geographies.
  • Documenting and sharing approaches, strategies, professional development approaches, and tactics to aid the processes of institutional, cultural, and organizational change required to embed, expand, and promote these roles.
  • Provide a convening space for discussing the presence, development, and support of those in scholarship/education roles within higher education structures, policies, and practices (e.g., tenure, promotion, career pathways, recognition, expectations, activities, exemplar journeys/role modelling).

Co-Chairs: Dr. Collins Fleischner (collins.fleischner@acu.edu.au) and Professor Anne Tallontire (A.M.Tallontire@leeds.ac.uk)