Conceptions of development in higher education institutions

Increased attention to the support of individual, group and institutional development in UK universities has led to the growth of communities of development practitioners. An explanatory model is proposed that characterises communities, locating them in relation to four dimensions: integration, strategy, inclusion and scholarship. The model contains both the benefits of, and a number of potential issues in, particular ways of interpreting and implementing each of the dimensions. The usefulness of the model for analysing development approaches at a theoretical level is considered, together with its potential practical usefulness.