College campuses are discovering the possibilities that open up when students, faculty and staff make a point to read the same book. In the process, such "common readings" serve a range of purposes, especially for incoming students who are navigating a big transition.
"When students have more active involvement in school, when they have closer relationships with faculty, they're more likely to persist and more likely to graduate," says Carol Geary Schneider, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. "The common readings are a signal to students that this is going to be a very intentional, very engaging first year of college."
In recent years, hundreds of colleges and universities have come to assign common readings for new students to complete over the summer. The readings seldom include classics but instead feature today's hot-selling books on timely topics. Among this year's themes: justice for developing nations, global warming and individuals making a difference in society. Here are a few examples:
College of Holy Cross: The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
LaGuardia Community College: An Inconvenient Truth
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology: Life of Pi
University of Vermont: Long Way Gone and a screening of "Blood Diamonds."
Meredith College: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
Texas State University: The Water Planet: A River Runs Through It
Goucher College: The Death of Vishnu
Source: National Council of Teachers of English from USA Today story
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