B.A. | English-Oakwood College (now University) M.ED. | Secondary Education-Alabama A&M University ED.D. | Educational Leadership-University of Alabama at Birmingham
Hi! I’m Dr. Jarrod E. Patterson. The simplest way to describe myself is that I’m a passionate higher education professional who believes in and advocates for an active academic success program that ultimately improves academic advising and increases student retention rates. I served for 27 years as an educator, teaching writing and literature at various levels. I also have almost 20 years as a faculty academic advisor and 15 years as a departmental advising coordinator. Throughout my career, I have had additional opportunities to work in academic success and retention at the departmental, college, and university levels. These activities include recruiting two-year transfer college students, collaborating with University partners, participating in mentoring programs, improving first-year retention by creating opportunities and using resources to increase student success, and facilitating professional development for faculty and professional advisor peers. My areas of specialization include: English/Humanities, first-generation student support, transfer student advising and support, degree planning, graduate school advising, and degree completion. I look forward to working with you to advance your academic pursuits and helping you be an academic success.
Having over 27 years of experience in higher education, working primarily with first-year, first-generation, and at-risk students, I’ve built my career in a variety of roles, where I was not primarily a faculty member but also a departmental academic advisor, textbook developer/editor, member of the University’s Freshmen Faculty Learning Community, Departmental/College recruiter, mentor, organization advisor, and researcher. I’m accustomed to wearing many hats, but I also genuinely enjoy it. I thrive in an environment where no two workdays are the same.
I’m a passionate educator and advocate for an active academic success program that ultimately leads to improved academic advising and increased student retention rates. I’ve served for twenty years as a faculty academic advisor, meeting regularly with assigned department majors, reviewing academic transcripts, reviewing and approving individual courses of study, completing senior record checks, and completing graduation applications. As an active member of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), I regularly take advantage of professional development opportunities to stay current on academic advising discussions. As the Advising Coordinator for over a decade, I have worked diligently to lead a team of faculty advisors, develop effective advising procedures, and lead successful retention efforts in the department.
I assisted students in developing academic plans that aligned with their educational and career goals, provided students with guidance for course selections, major/minor requirements, and graduation requirements, monitored students' academic progress and addressed any academic challenges or concerns, and assisted students in creating semester-by-semester course schedules that align with their academic goals and help them graduate on time.
I was selected for the 2019-2021 Whisenton Public Scholars Program, a joint project between the Kettering Research Foundation and Joffre T. Whisenton & Associates (Atlanta, Georgia). The Whisenton Public Scholars Program is an initiative that explores how faculty and administrators in various disciplines at schools with a mission to serve minority communities (HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, and tribal colleges) can institute public scholarship and serve their local communities.
Currently, I am retired from full-time teaching but still stay connected by teaching a couple of classes asynchronously each semester. I also own and operate PattersonEdits LLC, a full-service agency that provides independent authors with editing and self-publishing support and offers writing coaching support to aspiring authors.
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