Dr. Becky Lynn Caouette

Becky Caouette
Department, Office, or School
Department of English
  • Professor

I came to ΢Ȧ in August 2009, a matter of days marking the space between the conclusion of my graduate work (at the University of Connecticut) and the beginning of my faculty position here. While I have lived in Connecticut my entire life, my family has strong roots in this state.  

As the Director of Writing, I identify first and foremost as a Writing Program Administrator; my position here at ΢Ȧ includes, among other things, the oversight and continuing improvement of the First Year Writing Program. I am privileged to talk with other people, programs, departments, and organizations about writing and to help shape ΢Ȧ’s polices and curriculum. My own scholarship is directly informed by, and contributes to, my administrative work. 

I also get to teach some fabulous students in some energetic and inspiring classes. I teach a FYW course nearly every semester, where I get to see great student projects evolve. The Rhetoric and Writing (RAW) minor affords me the opportunity to work with students in a variety of majors, and I have been able to introduce students to my discipline in upper-level and graduate English courses.

My interests as educator, researcher, and writing program administrator intersect and currently include multimodality, corequisite courses, directed self-placement (DSP), and the role of research fluency in First Year Writing. I work to create equitable writing programs and courses which enable students to become effective communicators in school, at work, and in their personal lives.

At the end of the day, I cross the state line back to Connecticut, where I enjoy spending time with my own active family. I like to be outside where I can hike, plant flowers, and generally just enjoy nature, including the U.S.’s national parks and forests. But there’s also room in my life to watch television and movies, to sneak a nap, and to read, read, read.

Education

BA, Eastern Connecticut State University
MA, University of Connecticut
PhD, University of Connecticut

Selected Publications

“A Compelling Collaboration: The First Year Writing Program, Writing Center, and Directed Self-
Placement.” With Claudine Griggs.  Praxis: A Writing Center Journal. Forthcoming Spring
2015. 

“All Hands on Deck: Bringing Together High School Teachers and Adjunct Instructors for
Professional Development in the Teaching of Writing.” With Jennifer S. Cook.  T/W: The
Journal of Writing Teacher Education.
 2.1 (2013): 49-56. Web.

“On the College Front: Patrick Hartwell's ‘Grammar, Grammars, and the Teaching of Grammar’
and the Composition Anthology.”  Language Arts Journal of Michigan. 27.2 (2012): 57-62. 
Print.

Courses

FYW 150Boost:  The Writing Boost
FYW 100:  Introduction to Academic Writing
FYW 100Plus:  Introduction to Academic Writing Plus
FYW 100Honors:  Introduction to Academic Writing Honors
ENGL 222:  Introduction to Professional Writing
ENGL 230:  Workplace Writing
ENGL 232:  Public and Community Writing
ENGL 378:  Advanced Workshop for Professional Writing
ENGL 379:  Rhetoric for Professional Writing
ENGL 520:  Topics in Composition Theory and Rhetoric