Governor for Contract Faculty
Michelle Haggerty, College of the Redwoods
Discipline: Psychology/Sociology

I fell in love with the discipline of Psychology while in high school and that admiration has not waivered. I received a BA in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Michigan State University and an MA in Psychology from Western Michigan University. My career started off in clinical areas of Psychology, working for 14 years in various settings including in-patient, residential, private practice, schools and family homes. I specialized in working with children and adolescents who were diagnosed with mental, developmental, educational and neurological disorders. The move to teaching full-time 21 years ago was a natural progression for me as it allows me to share my passion for the discipline with students considering their life path. Many of our students have overcome significant challenges to enter the classroom and being part of this journey is rewarding. Psychology is a discipline that is ever evolving, based on how we can examine the human experience. Being a curious and critical analyzer of the discipline is what I try to model for students.

The work that I am doing in the classroom created a desire to advocate more for faculty and students in the California Community Colleges system. Personally, I have benefited significantly from higher education, and I want to ensure accessibility to that pathway for everyone. Student learning conditions are faculty working conditions. Advocating for faculty therefore is intertwined with advocating for students. Being a union leader has allowed me to encourage community at my college, connect us to other colleges in our system and advocate for accessibility to education for all. I love working at a community college and am willing to work hard to ensure stability in our system. Being on the FACCC board and serving on the FACCC Legislative Committee has introduced me to bright and hard-working individuals that are working diligently to advocate for everyone in our system. It is honor to work alongside all individuals at FACCC.