Dr. Becky Lynn Caouette

I came to Rhode Island College 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 RIC 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 RIC’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.