Terri Hasseler was initially drawn to her field because of its politically charged underpinnings. "I found that literature, art, music, and other forms of cultural production were actually forms of political discussion,"she says. "I became interested in how aesthetic issues, and issues of art, become a way for people to express belief systems about truth, justice, and morality."
Hasseler shares this passion with a group of unlikely students: criminal offenders. Through a program called Changing Lives through Literature, the RI offices of pre-trial services place criminal offenders in classes in lieu of fines or jail terms. Hasseler is a member of the advisory board that developed the program. She has taught five of the program's six courses and is the state faculty coordinator for 2006-2007.
�The amount of life experience and a true desire, in a number of participants, to make better choices and to lead better lives brings out the best in me,� Hasseler says. �Talking about the choices characters make in books and poems provides some objectivity about what they�re doing with their lives.� She also notes that after the program ends, many students are considering options in education that they hadn�t considered before.
Hasseler has been sharing her insights on English and culture with Bryant students since 1995, the same year she earned her PhD in English from the University of Washington. She also holds an MA from Marquette University and a BA from St. Norbert College.
Hasseler says she has seen some amazing growth at Bryant. "We've taken a traditional English and humanities department and integrated culture, theory, practice, creativity, and languages. The result is a program that is cutting edge and interesting," she explains. "A lot of schools claim to be a cultural studies department, but Bryant's really is a cultural studies department."
"The student population at Bryant is very aware of what's happening in the world and likes to see their education respond to that."
Additionally, by discussing topics of ethics and philosophy, Hasseler believes her department fosters student character development. "All of our classes talk about the responsibility and accountability an individual has within the community," she says, "This ensures that we don't go out and work in the world without putting it within an ethical framework."
