Scholar-Administrator Imperative:

Abstract

Professional experiences in community engagement are often distinctly separated from educational theories and practices, yet the work of many community engagement professionals sits at the intersection of theory, practice, experience, and context. Intentionally and critically exploring this untapped third space offers an exploration into professional educational identity, practice, and scholarship. This exploration has indicated a gap between theory and practice and between professional experience and scholarship. Interrogating experience as a source of knowledge and recognizing the centrality of practice and context, this piece explores the scholar-administrator's potent role. Offering potential strategies for scholar-administrators to leverage their role through inquiry leading to scholarshiop, an inquiry framework is provided situating the need to fill the practice-theory gap as an imperative for the field.