Engaging in epistemic reflexivity: insights for new academic developers

Academic development involves creating conditions that support teaching and learning while aligning with institutional values. For new academic developers, epistemic reflexivity is crucial to align personal teaching philosophies with those of the university and create programs that support educators effectively. This paper documents how a new academic developer at an Australian university, in the absence of a formal Learning and Teaching Philosophy (LTP), engaged in epistemic reflexivity and analysed institutional documents to clarify the institution’s educational philosophy. Guided by a conceptual framework, this approach facilitated alignment of institutional values with coherent professional development programs (PDPs), offering insights for others facing similar challenges.