| Abstract: | Can university teaching be counted a profession? The work of academics is examined against four criteria associated with professional life: members share a body of knowledge; professional identity is for life; professionals are accountable for the effects of what they do rather than for the actions they take; professional bodies restrict access and enforce codes of practice. The conclusion is that academics form a Janus-faced profession in which their professionalism is more evident in respect of the subjects they teach than in respect of their academic duties of teaching and examining. Professional training is recommended as the appropriate treatment for this lop-sided condition. |
