When faculty from diverse academic disciplines integrate a common text into their freshmen level courses
Facilitate a universal academic experience that enables dialogue and learning around a common point of reference.
Our incoming freshman body is diverse and non-residential. The freshman reading book provides a common academic experience that can help students of varying backgrounds and academic preparedness to connect with one another in an educationally purposeful way.
Initiate a universal academic experience that introduces reading as a gateway to meaningful exploration of a topic via a variety of academic disciplines.
Freshman students benefit from observing how a central topic can be applied and explored from a variety of methods and points of view. i.e., how might a sociologist apply this topic? Mathematician? Biologist? Etc. This process helps to reinforce the benefits of a solid general educational core, enhances critical thinking skills, and possibly assists students with their major and career choices.
If you have any ideas on how UVU can more dynamically integrate the freshman book into course curriculum and campus events, we'd love to hear them!