Book-in-Common program connects students
September 10th, 2009
Christy Metzger leads a discussion on “The Devil’s Highway.”
It would be impossible to imagine a list of all the books students at the University of Louisville read in a semester. The subject matter would be as diverse as the courses they cover. The number would be staggering.
But new undergraduates, no matter their major disciplines, have one “book in common.” A program of the Office of First-Year Initiatives, Book-in-Common involves not only everyone reading the same book, but also participating in a variety of activities related to it.
This year’s book, “The Devil’s Highway,” is about 26 men who crossed the Mexican border in Arizona. It delves into issues of immigration, health care policy and politics. Author Luis Urrea, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for the book, will be on campus Sept. 24 for a lecture and book signing.
Christy Metzger, director of the Office of First Year Initiatives, discusses the program, this year’s selection and what benefits the program brings to campus.
What is the UofL Book-in-Common Program?
Book-in-Common (BinC) is a community-wide learning experience for UofL’s entire campus. Coordinated by the Office of First Year Initiatives, BinC supports new students, in particular, in their transition and acculturation to UofL by connecting participants academically and socially through exploration of the variety of complex issues raised in the selected text.
Some students encounter the book in English composition or a course in another discipline, though many hundreds of first-year and upperclass students choose to read and participate on their own outside of class. The book is used as a springboard for learning and discussion about the themes and issues raised throughout the text. With the co-curricular programs such as book discussions, film screenings, community service partnerships and lectures, we try to offer a balanced perspective so that participants will develop their critical thinking skills, will augment their respect for and understanding of diverse ways of thinking and being and will gain a better understanding of the complex issues affecting our community. With so many unique people coming together to form the fabric of our university, we hope that the common reading can also help participants connect with and learn from one another through this shared dialogue.
When and how did the program start?
Common reading programs are seen increasingly across the United States as part of intentional first-year experience programming, and UofL started with a small pilot in the summer of 2006. When First Year Initiatives programming began in Fall 2006, formalizing UofL’s version of such a program was among the priorities. “A Hope in the Unseen” by Ron Suskind was our first selection, followed by “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi in 2008. Each year we have grown the program in terms of total readers and co-curricular programming partnerships and options, and we hope to continue this growth by seeing more classrooms using the selected text, more campus-wide readers and partnerships and more readers from the Louisville community.
How are the books selected?
We rely on a committee of faculty, staff and student readers to help select the text, and we try to assemble a diverse group that can speak from different perspectives. Traditionally in October, when this year’s text is really just under way, we start the selection process for the coming academic year. The Office of First Year Initiatives collects a large list of books that have been nominated or recommended for consideration, and the committee reviews the list, ultimately narrowing the field to four or five candidates that everyone reads over the winter break. We reconvene in the spring term to decide as a collective what the next Book-in-Common should be. This year we hope to get more campus-wide feedback throughout the selection process so we are as informed as possible in our decision-making.
We look for books that we think our students will enjoy and that also address complex issues which can be examined from multiple perspectives and disciplines. We consider what kinds of campus and community partnerships might be viable with each text, what appeal it will have across the spectrum of readers and departments, what themes are most relevant or distinct from previous choices, and things like author availability, text length and cost. Once the text is selected, First Year Initiatives supports faculty and staff interested in the text by providing resources and integration ideas specific to the choice.
This year’s book is “The Devil's Highway.” What made this an ideal book for the program?
Based on a true story, the reader embarks on a journey with 26 men who cross the Mexican border into the unforgiving terrain of the Arizona desert. The text not only investigates the issue of immigration, but also foreign policy, health care and law enforcement in conjunction with themes of exploration, survival, hope and ultimately death. Given the ever-growing local and national debate on immigration in the United States, our committee of faculty, staff and students think that “The Devil’s Highway”" certainly is relevant to helping us as a campus explore the variety of related issues. And when we considered the variety of criterion upon which we set out to make a selection, we thought that this book was the best fit.
Why do you think it’s important to offer a program like this as part of First Year Initiatives?
UofL offers many opportunities and resources for its students to succeed. In First Year Initiatives, we help achieve the larger goals of the institution by providing students with a variety of programs and activities that introduce them to the civic, academic, personal, and social (CAPS) aspects of college life. The successful integration of our first-year students into these four areas of involvement can lead to higher retention rates and better preparation for their higher education experience. Each year the program looks different based on the unique qualities of the book that was selected. However, we are always intentional about developing a program which is holistic in nature, attends to these important aspects of the student experience and links to key institutional initiatives like Ideas2Action and the president’s vision for diversity. Helping students to recognize and build on the interconnectedness of their in-class and out-of-class learning and experiences helps them to have a more positive and successful UofL experience, and we build Book-in-Common in an attempt to maximize that effect for program participants.
Is there anything you’d like to add about the program or book that I didn’t ask?
In an effort to provide that balanced perspective we seek, we rely on many partners to help us round out the discussion. This year’s partner list continues to grow, currently including the Office of Civic Engagement, Service and Leadership; the Commonwealth Center for the Humanities and Society; the Cultural Center; Ideas2Action; Latin American and Latino Studies; the McConnell Center; PEACC; and Student Activities Board.
Our website is updated regularly to include more information about the book and related events. Events began Tuesday, Sept. 1, and continue throughout the academic year, and all events are open to the public unless otherwise specified.
Our featured fall event is the visit of author Luis Alberto Urrea to campus on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m. Another interesting note is that “The Other Side of Immigration” documentary film screening and Q&A on Sept. 10 is with director and Louisvillian Roy Germano.
Individuals who have a recommendation for our 2010–11 text can e-mail firstyear@louisville.edu or complete the web recommendation form when it is posted to the Book-in-Common site this month.
