Prof. Catherine Hayter, MFA, Ph.D.

Writing can open doors for students to new places, new ideas, and new senses of self and identity. Writing can be affirming, too, and help solidify beliefs in ways that are better communicated and expressed so that they can be shared and used to foster community and growth. Writing can also be scary for students because of past educational experiences. Community college is a place where any person can be successful. I am dedicated to serving students regardless of their preparation and in support of their professional and personal goals. Additionally, I believe in using writing as a way to increase critical thinking and civic participation.

My professional specialties are writing-across-the-curriculum and pedagogies that engage students actively. And, I focus much of my research on the ways people who have lived in the margins find creative and powerful ways to shape the discourses around them and even create new ones. Currently, I'm doing archival research in higher education institutions related to the scrapbooking of women and African-Americans in the late nineteenth century. My research informs my teaching every day as I strive to help students find their voices in the complex world of academia and ideas.