University of North Carolina Greensboro - Communication
Director, Impact Leadership Village at University Housing, North Carolina State University
Higher Education
Anna
Patton, Ph.D.
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Area
I am an impassioned scholar-educator committed to developing engaged, critical-thinking young leaders through intentionally designed leadership programming and curriculum.
My academic and research interests rest of the intersections of educational philosophy, higher education, student affairs, academic capitalism, and ethics. Student affairs research and scholarship have traditionally focused on educational practice between practitioners and students. While a variety of lenses have been used to expand on this relationship, student affairs has not yet adopted a self-reflexive stance to critique ideologies pervasive in the field as a whole. One particular lens of interest for examining the larger cultural and ideological systems of student affairs is academic capitalism. An additional recurring theme that I have connected to is opening spaces for love in education—especially student affairs.
The field of student affairs espouses its grounding in person-centered values. Student affairs embraces respecting the whole person, supporting holistic development, and honoring students’ voices. However, there is little explicit conversation about the role of love in connection with these values. What would student affairs practice look like from a perspective of a love ethic? In bringing conversations of love into student affairs, how can student affairs become a truly transformative partnership? At the heart of these inquiries is educational philosophy and philosophical inquiry—particularly as it could be used within student affairs. How might philosophy and the contemplative life propel student affairs into new areas of inquiry?
Coordinator for Residence Life
Facilitated positive student experiences, development, and leadership in residential communities.
Director, Impact Leadership Village
Anna worked at University Housing, North Carolina State University as a Director, Impact Leadership Village
Leadership Training Specialist
Develop and implement leadership training programs for inter-generational clientele including high school students, college students, and adult professionals focusing on values-based leadership and selfless service.
Graduate Assistant
Teach 2 sections of 3-credit hour "Philosophies of Education" Course in Spring 2017 for a total of 41 students
Teach 1 section of 3-credit hour "Philosophies of Education" Course in Fall 2016 for a total of 16 students
Assistant to the Editors of The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy (See link)
Provide 20 hours/week direct administrative and departmental support to the chair of the Educational Leadership and Cultural Studies Department
Graduate Resident
Facilitated positive student experiences, development, and leadership in a residential building for first-year women.
Master of Education (M.Ed.)
College Student Affairs Administration
Working as a college student affairs professional is challenging, rewarding, and always changing. The MEd in College Student Affairs Administration offers theoretically grounded, experientially rich preparation for a career serving students in higher education.
Building on a legacy of more than 40 years as a leading student affairs program, the program offers an exceptional graduate experience based on a cohort model and taught by nationally recognized faculty. The curriculum focuses on student development and learning, and the connection of theory to practice. Learning takes place through traditional academic study and research, and through experiential activities including assistantships, practica, and internships.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Psychology
Walter J. Mathew Medal
The award is named after Walter J. Mathews, the first student enrolled at the NC College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1889. After graduation, Mathews became a dedicated, devoted and involved alumnus. When the Alumni Association Student Ambassadors launched this special student recognition, they decided that Walter Mathews embodied the ideals of the award. They also modeled the Mathews Medals after the Watauga Medal, an honor established by the NC State Board of Trustees and given annually at the Founders Day Dinner to honor those who make significant contributions to the advancement of the university.
The medal is awarded to seniors who have made significant contributions based on leadership and service. Each has created a lasting legacy that leaves NC State a better place because of their leadership.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Educational Studies, Cultural Foundations
The program in educational studies is concerned with the breadth and depth of what is fundamental to educational practice-its ideology, philosophical assumptions, and moral claims-and is grounded in the study of education and culture with a particular interest in the integration of social analysis, cultural analysis and praxis.
The program focuses on theoretical and policy issues related to educational practice including:
• the disciplined study of the relationship between culture and education, encompassing philosophy, sociology, history, critical theory and pedagogy as it pertains to issues of power, equity, access, and privilege
• providing broad philosophical, moral, and spiritual perspectives on educational policies and practices.
• the impact of current important intellectual movements in educational theory, including feminist theory, gender studies, queer studies, critical race theory and neoliberal critiques
Graduate Resident
Facilitated positive student experiences, development, and leadership in a residential building for first-year women.
Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs
Abstract This historiography offers a critique of the common narrative of student affairs history by considering the ways in which the history of student affairs is mediated by those scholars writing the texts. Student affairs professionals and scholars are regularly engaged in reflection on current practices, trends, and concerns within the field; however, it is equally important to continue looking back into our professional history. In this paper, I employ a process of historiography to critique the way in which the history of student affairs is mediated by those scholars writing the texts. A historiography seeks to tell the history of a history--the history of the history of student affairs. This historiography first traces the historical development of the field as presented in commonly used student affairs textbooks covering major periods of the profession including student personnel, student development, and student learning. After providing a review of student affairs history as illustrated in professional texts, I then provide contextual research of the individual authors such as their educational pathways and employment credentials. Using a variety of critical theories, I interrogate the common narrative presented in student affairs history texts with intentional consideration to the scholars writing the texts.
Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs
Abstract This historiography offers a critique of the common narrative of student affairs history by considering the ways in which the history of student affairs is mediated by those scholars writing the texts. Student affairs professionals and scholars are regularly engaged in reflection on current practices, trends, and concerns within the field; however, it is equally important to continue looking back into our professional history. In this paper, I employ a process of historiography to critique the way in which the history of student affairs is mediated by those scholars writing the texts. A historiography seeks to tell the history of a history--the history of the history of student affairs. This historiography first traces the historical development of the field as presented in commonly used student affairs textbooks covering major periods of the profession including student personnel, student development, and student learning. After providing a review of student affairs history as illustrated in professional texts, I then provide contextual research of the individual authors such as their educational pathways and employment credentials. Using a variety of critical theories, I interrogate the common narrative presented in student affairs history texts with intentional consideration to the scholars writing the texts.
The NCHO Signpost
Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs
Abstract This historiography offers a critique of the common narrative of student affairs history by considering the ways in which the history of student affairs is mediated by those scholars writing the texts. Student affairs professionals and scholars are regularly engaged in reflection on current practices, trends, and concerns within the field; however, it is equally important to continue looking back into our professional history. In this paper, I employ a process of historiography to critique the way in which the history of student affairs is mediated by those scholars writing the texts. A historiography seeks to tell the history of a history--the history of the history of student affairs. This historiography first traces the historical development of the field as presented in commonly used student affairs textbooks covering major periods of the profession including student personnel, student development, and student learning. After providing a review of student affairs history as illustrated in professional texts, I then provide contextual research of the individual authors such as their educational pathways and employment credentials. Using a variety of critical theories, I interrogate the common narrative presented in student affairs history texts with intentional consideration to the scholars writing the texts.
The NCHO Signpost
Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs
This literature review presents a bridge between current use of critical theories in student affairs and contemporary political critiques of higher education. Critical theories in student affairs have been used in professional philosophy statements, student development theories, as well as new works of research exploring student experiences and campus practices. Particularly, Critical Race Theory (CRT), feminisms, and queer theory are salient in a number of works using critical theories in student affairs. Applications of critical theories in student affairs do not include a thorough interrogation of the political economic environment surrounding higher education and its relevant implications. Academic capitalism has been used to understand how shifting political conditions have encouraged universities to move closer to the market by taking part in market and market-like activities. Themes in research around emerging Academy-Industry Relations (AIRs) and their impacts present a number of patterns relevant to student affairs practice. Application of the themes in academic capitalism results in a number of areas for future consideration including equity and access to higher education, responsibility of student affairs professionals to navigate changing political climates, and a pressing need for philosophical examination of professional practice and relevance within the current political context of higher education.
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