OXFORD, Miss. – Patience D. Bryant, Ole Miss student conduct coordinator, has been named a faculty fellow for the 2015 Donald D. Gehring Academy by the Association for Student Conduct Administrators.
Patience Bryant
The association gives the prestigious fellowship, which is determined through recommendations from lead faculty members. Bryant, who has worked in the Department of Student Housing since June 2013, said she has high hopes for the fellowship.
“I hope to gain the opportunity to not only learn from the experts in field by working with them, but also to have the opportunity to share with my fellow student conduct colleagues how important our work is during the development process for students,” Bryant said.
Lionel Maten, UM student housing director and assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, said the honor for Bryant comes as no surprise.
“Dr. Bryant’s exemplary performance and distinctive contributions in shaping our student conduct process has made a positive impact on the experiences of our students,” Maten said. “Personally, I am honored that ASCA, the premier leading association for student conduct in higher education, has recognized Dr. Bryant and the University of Mississippi through this prestigious fellowship.”
Bryant, who holds a Ph.D. in conflict analysis and resolution from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said she plans to discuss at length the work UM does to resolve student conflicts. She is passionate about student conduct and also helping students learn from their situations when they become involved in the conduct resolution process.
“Student conduct is not often the job that many are eager to do, but it is important to me that the students know that the No. 1 thing that conduct officers want to do for students is educate them and not punish them,” Bryant said.
ASCA’s mission is to support higher education professionals through providing educational materials and resources, as well as professional development opportunities and a vast network of colleagues to help spread best practices of student conduct administration and conflict resolution on college campuses.