Dr. Khadeidra Billingsley, one of the English Department’s new faculty, is an assistant professor of English and the Writing Center Director. She received a BA in English from Clark Atlanta University, an MA in English from DePaul University, an MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. in composition, rhetoric, and English studies from the University of Alabama.

When asked what brought her to JSU, Billingsley credited the “genuineness and care that the committee (Raina Kostova, Jennie Vaughn, and Mysti Nichols) exuded from our first interaction.” She said that as she continued to meet and interact with more people on campus, she felt that same genuineness and care, and “that confirmed that I wanted (and needed) to be part of this community.”

Based in her expertise as a composition scholar, Billingsley strives to find ways high school and college writing instructors can collaborate in order to aid in students’ often-overwhelming transition from secondary writing to postsecondary writing. By enhancing writing educators’ experiences, she is able to highlight the complexities of teaching writing while refuting the argument that teachers are behind the insufficient writing skills of students.

Billingsley is teaching Enhanced English Composition, and her hope is that students will “leave my class knowing that Dr. K genuinely cared about them.” She also directs the Writing Center, which provides free, one-on-one writing assistance to students, faculty, and staff free of charge. Appointments are available for in-person or virtual assistance. The Writing Center website has more information.

Her favorite part of her job is cherishing every opportunity she gets with students in the classroom, as well as spending time in the Writing Center with the consultants. They “always lift my spirits,” said Billingsley.

Billingsley’s favorite part of the English Department is the fellowship among the faculty and staff. “I feel so welcomed by everyone,” she said.

Currently, Billingsley is working on a project called “Student Voice Project,” which concentrates on how students work through and draw connections between voice, identity, and expectations of academic writing. She and her co-researcher, In an effort to help students struggling with this experience, intend to outline strategies for writing center administrators and consultants to employ when helping these students.

In her spare time, Billingsley loves watching true crime and reality shows.

When asked what advice she would give to her students, she said, “Remember that a little bit of progress is still progress.”