“Education bears a responsibility for the emergence of a fully integrated person post-matriculation,” said Dr. James Paine II, dean of student services at Logan University in Chesterfield.
He is also an adjunct assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, a member of the College Access Advisory Committee for the Missouri Department of Higher Education and an accreditation peer review consultant for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.
At Logan, he said he aims to help “students answer five critical questions: ‘who I am I?’, ‘who are my peers?’ ‘how do we live in community?’ ‘what am I called to do?’ and ‘what will be my legacy?’”
In his senior-level position, he works in many different areas to ensure student success both inside and outside the classroom.
“My job is focused on co-curricular programming, academic success, remediation services, counseling and psychological services, wellness and health promotion, diversity, character formation and student development,” he said.
It is clear he has made a lasting mark on Logan University. His commitment to “excellence in education” is apparent to all who come into contact with him, said Clay McDonald, president of Logan.
“I and all of Logan are proud of Dr. Paine’s accomplishments. We are thankful for his ongoing contribution to our mission,” said McDonald.
Paine has served the post-secondary educational community in St. Louis for almost 15 years. After graduating from Parkway North High School, he chose to remain in the area and pursue an undergraduate degree in human resource management from Lindenwood University. He then went on to attain a master’s degree in educational leadership from UMSL and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Saint Louis University.
He said what initially sparked his interest in the education field were the feelings of unfulfillment he experienced in his first job out of college.
“My first position, I worked in banking, and the mundane nature of the banking world was not something that really interested me,” he said. “But then I had a financial services background and was able to transition into the educational world, in financial aid initially, and I just really fell in love with the college atmosphere.”
Now a husband and father of three, he said his view of education has been forever altered because of his experiences as a parent.
“Having kids has caused me to really think critically about my impact as an educator and as an administrator, and to take very seriously each of those roles,” he said. “It’s caused me to sharpen my saw, so to speak, in the various areas where I serve the educational community.”
Those “various areas” have included public and private; for-profit and non-profit educational institutions. Over the span of his diverse career, he has held positions focused on Title IV federal financial aid programming, physical plant operations management and planning, student development programming and classroom instruction.
He also worked as a senior associate director for Housing and Residence Life at SLU prior to assuming his current role at Logan.
As a scholar and a professional, he has examined the effects of oppression and discriminatory practices in college communities and explored enrollment management trends specific to how students select, stay and succeed within institutions of higher education. He has also studied the experiences of African American men in higher education.
“Universities need to have an honest dialogue with students of color to glean from those students what types of programs, services and activities will engender them to want to participate,” he said.
He said it should be the ultimate goal of all educational institutions, especially institutions of higher education, to produce well-rounded, informed members of society.
“As a society, we often kick the developmental can down the street. If development doesn’t happen at home, it’s kicked to the K-12 environment. If it doesn’t happen there, it’s kicked to colleges. If it doesn’t happen there, it’s then kicked on to the employer, who really has nowhere else to kick that can,” he said.
“Colleges and universities really have a tremendous opportunity and bear tremendous responsibility to form the emergence of a fully integrated person who is able to succeed not only in their academic discipline, but also in life.”
