Dr. Don M. Beach, Tarleton State University (Deceased)
Dr. J. Russell Higham III, Tarleton State University
Dr. Juanita M. Reyes, Tarleton State University
Dr. Stephen M. Sloan, Baylor University
My study investigated twenty years of large and small changes (1997-2017) to Baylor University's Bear Program. Large changes included the commitment to keep mascots through adulthood, transition into a new habitat facility, and the separation from the long-standing tradition of walking live bears on a leash on campus and at football games. Small changes occurred within the student trainer-university administration relationship, and emerging cross-campus partnerships.
In addition to being such a unique research setting (actually the scholarly world of college mascots is quite narrow), this research offered contributions to fields of educational leadership, organizational development, and student affairs. I firmly believe I had as much fun as one could possibly have during a dissertation!
Using previously collected oral histories (that I collected), I applied Kotter's 8-step framework. The narrators (n=16) comprised of current and former student trainers, as well as Bear Program stakeholders. The shared-authority of oral history methodology offered very rich and descriptive narratives. It was important this research was educational leadership (i.e., Kotter, educational change), rather than historical narrative or even sport studies.
First, my analysis affirmed Kotter's linear framework could be used to analyze change even when changes were implemented ad hoc or without adherence to any change framework. My findings demonstrated change is cyclical or continual, meaning there is a regularly experienced sense of urgency. Plus, college mascot programs are more than simply a mascot -- learning boundaries are crossed within and across the program. The findings offered implications for a variety of scholarly (i.e., educational leadership, organizational development, sport studies, student affairs) and higher education administrators (i.e., student affairs, intercollegiate athletics, strategic planning). Lastly, the oral history narratives vividly described how change was experienced, including those powerful emotions when campus traditions are reimagined.
Patterson, C.A., Zimmer, W.N., and Meyer, A.R. (2021). Connecting college live mascots at the Sugar Bowl with oral history: An interdisciplinary study. Sound Historian.
Patterson, C.A. (April 30, 2021) Guest speaker on Waco History Podcast: Waco's known and unknown stories.
Patterson, C.A., Beach, D.M., Reyes, J.M., and Sloan, S.M. (2021). Stakeholder perceptions and experiences of a college live mascot program: A study of higher education ad hoc change. Innovative Higher Education. doi: 10.1007/s10755-021-09547-9
Patterson, C.A., Meyer, A.R., and Zimmer, W.K. (September 11, 2020). College live mascots at the Sugar Bowl: Not always sweet. Selected as oral presentation at the fiftieth Texas Oral History Association annual meeting. Waco, TX (remote delivery).
Patterson, C.A., Beach, D., Reyes, J., Higham, R., and Sloan, S. (April 27, 2019). A Case Study of Organizational Change: Stakeholder Experiences and Perceptions of a College Live Mascot Program. Selected as oral presentation at the Texas Oral History Association annual meeting, Austin, TX.
Patterson, C.A. (April 7-8, 2018). Tales from the dissertation: Applying oral history within a non-history doctoral program. Selected as an oral presentation at the Texas Oral History Association annual meeting, College Station, TX.
Patterson, C.A. (April 22-23, 2015). Baylor University Bear Program: Perspectives from Student Trainers. Selected as presenter at Texas Oral History Association Annual Meeting, Waco, TX.