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Abstract:
Penn State's land grant mission is to serve the people of Pennsylvania. This mission is complicated by the legacy of settler colonialism, which roots our institution in Western ideals of education. While many people consider settler colonialism a relic of the past, its legacy continues to shape our practices, policies, and values, to the detriment of our students. This theoretical discussion, focused on emerging advising practices, explores how advisors are uniquely positioned to leverage characteristics of “Aunties” in our work to serve students and disturb legacies of oppression associated with land grant institutions. A brief introduction to Critical Auntie Studies and an overview of settler colonialism as it relates to land grant universities will be followed by conversations on how these concepts relate to our personal and professional experiences.