“Parks and Recreation: One Response to Crisis

or Transition Karla A. Henderson

North Carolina State University

Is This Concern the Story of Chicken Little?

The Falling Sky as a Crisis AND a Transition…

Jackson & Burton (1999) –Our field has always been in a state of crisis.

Rowe (2002)-The difference between a crisis and a mind set of critical reflection may be quite fine.

Dog with Cat

Nature of Crisis/Transition in Higher Education

Intellectual

Institutional

Are WE (Practitioners and Educators) All in the Same Boat?

Kuhn (1970)—Scientific Revolutions

Reaffirming the Status Quo

Dangers of allegiance to traditional paradigm

Common Mission/Collective Identity

What does our field stand for?

What are our common values?

Are we clinging to a traditional paradigm?

An Intellectual Approach…

1. How can change be embraced?

2. What is our field’s collective identity and core values?

3. What do we have to contribute (to students, higher education, knowledge systems, society…)

4. What collaborations must we seek?

The Dialogue Continues…