Academic Identities and Policy Change in Higher Education

This work looks at the classical notion of academic identity, the paradoxical idea of strong individuals within a community of equals, and examines the extent to which this is reflected in reality. The author argues that the higher education reforms and consequent changes in the academic community have created an impetus towards a more structured environment, encouraging new, professional academic identities. She also asks whether the reforms have made the institution more important than the disciplines.