Exploring The Role and Experience of Academic Administrators in the Delivery of Experiential Education Programs in Undergraduate Professional Faculties

Abstract

While experiential learning is broadly emphasized and implemented in the university setting, there is a scholarship gap regarding the organizational dynamics that impact the academic leaders who are responsible for these programs’ implementation and ongoing support, as well as in how academic leaders see their role in the delivery of these programs. The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of academic administrators responsible for the delivery of experiential education programs in undergraduate professional programs, including the perceived or expressed reasons why these academic administrators support experiential education, how these administrators see their specific role in supporting these opportunities, and the challenges these leaders see in the administration and delivery of these programs. Academic leaders, such as associate deans, occupy a unique position within higher education institutions, one in which they are required to blend administration, leadership, and scholarship while also existing in an ‘interstitial space’ between faculty and institutional leaders and their experiences are worthy of study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four administrators from professional faculties at a large research-intensive university in Alberta, Canada, the University of Alberta. Thematic analysis of the transcripts was then used as the primary form of analysis to capture patterns and meanings within data, and an additional document scan was conducted on publicly available faculty and program information to inform data analysis and conclusions. This study is a step towards better understanding the experiences of academic administrators who support experiential education programs in the face of factors such as funding limitations, operational challenges, student and employer expectations, institutional politics, or government intervention.