How do art and design technicians conceive of their role in higher education?
Clare Sams 2016
Clare Sams’s article was a very interesting read, visualising the perceived roles of technical staff can be challenging work, due to the environmental differences between technical teaching areas, as well as UAL’s different school pedagogy. Each school has its own methods of academic teaching and technical teaching which are all incredibly different and famous for their own.
Retelling Sams’s words “ A technician’s role is complex and varied, offering technical support in a wide range of disciplines. Supporting students was highly important to most staff and many suggested that both teaching skills workshops and helping students through individual support were fundamental to their role”.
This is a classical observation of our roles, Sams then explains that when managers contribute they have lesser student interaction backed up by Smith et al 2004 paper ‘ Highly Skilled Technicians in Higher Education’. Indicates that when technicians advance into managerial roles they move away from the traditional skills-based aspects of their technician roles. It is promising to see that Sams also came across this change in technical roles and I wonder if any participant mentioned anything on the topic of missing their craft or having less time to explore their own art practice.
The other mention in Sams’s article was a response from technician 21, which adds to my own research evidence and that is that 40% of technicians from Sams’s study which was opened to the whole of UAL technical teams, revealed that they felt their practice (Craft) was not valued by the university.
“I recently decided to give more time to my art practice because I don’t see any option for me at University. As a technician, I have no chance in terms of career and no time at all for research, which is vital in my career. (Technician 21)” Clare Sams 2016
This indicates a loss of interest due to the university’s neglect of technical longevity and staff retention when it comes to technical staff exploring or honing their practice-based skills to innovate, expand or explore new technologies within their departments/spaces.
Sams backs this up by mentioning that the technicians maintaining the practice ‘suggests they have a genuine enthusiasm for the arts’. Which is crucial to highly skilled individuals, I would wonder if the same neglect would be given to other creatives to divulge their free time into their own creative practice.
Further on in Sams’s paper, from the second part of the study, where Sams’s asked 4 participants, one from each college to participate in a ‘photovoice’ reflective perspective of their practice, while being promoted by a series of questions Sams set forth.
Technician A, stands out in this paper, as they have revealed another key aspect of evidence to my own investigation, Technician explores the connection and contact time between technicians and students and the important part technicians play in the student experience. Although Technician A felt they were ‘highly supported by students’ they did not feel a similar sense of value when it came from academic staff on their course.
“We are mainly valued by students constantly, but never from anyone else. The job of the technician is always backstage, as it should be, but it would be nice to be supported and valued. When I say valued, [that] means professionally valued, not just receiving the odd email saying “well done to all”. (Technician A)” Clare Sams 2016
Another key piece of evidence that I can use alongside Savage’s work, is on key findings on the feeling of technical staff and their value within the University.
One last piece which could also be an additional asset to my research is that Sams later explores the value of research with technician C, and how important research is to the technician’s role. The reach of technical research exploring new technologies in building virtual learning spaces has on ‘promoting’ learning and teaching environments of current and prospective students. This I feel has been felt dramatically since the Covid-19 pandemic, where many technical staff had to learn, explore and develop new methods of teaching their practice in online digital teaching spaces.
Sams’s conclusion, they have revealed that technical expertise is a huge part of a technician’s identity, with also technicians being the main point of contact for students as well as staff for technical advice and specialist expertise and equipment. With ending the conclusion that many technicians choose the technical pathway as a means to support and enhance their practice, shaping and excelling their artistic practice that is translatable to their identity.
Reflectively, this article was insightful and had a few hidden key elements that I can use to support my own evidence when it comes to researching the future the technical roles with higher creative education. Although in 2023 these findings in 2016 are extremely troubling as it is still happening today and nothing has changed. We need to see change if we want to innovate our teaching spaces and upskill are ‘master crafters’, ‘expert staff’ and ‘specialist technicians’ by offering new opportunities to explore and advance their practice for the good of the university and student learning experience.