Overview of the Program
History
To enhance first year students' experiences, the 1997 Chancellor's Task Force on Intellectual Climate recommended a "First Year Initiative," composed of First Year Seminars, a First Year Living/Learning Program, and a Summer Reading Program.
The Carolina Summer Reading Program is coordinated by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Learning in the Division of Student Affairs, with the cooperation of a Book Selection Committee composed of faculty, staff and students, as well as the Orientation Office that is responsible for Fall Orientation. Several offices play a significant role in the implementation of this program including but not limited to the Provost's Office, Faculty Council Chair, Bull's Head Bookshop, Printing Services, and Academic & Technology Networks.
The Carolina Summer Reading Program began in 1999:
1999: There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America by Alex Kotlowitz (1991)
2000: Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz (1998)
2001: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman (1997)
2002: Approaching the Qur'án: The Early Revelations translated and introduced by Michael Sells (1999)
Mission
This educational program is designed to fulfill the following goals:
To enhance the intellectual climate of the campus, through stimulating discussion and critical thinking.
To set an academic tone from the beginning of a student's undergraduate experience at Carolina.
To enhance a sense of community between students, faculty and staff.
To provide a common experience for all incoming students (first year and transfer students).
Program Design
Students read a selected book during the summer and prepare for small group discussions held during the Fall Week of Welcome. Small group discussions are facilitated by select faculty and staff volunteers the day before classes begin.
The reading is addressed, by a distinguished UNC-Chapel Hill faculty member at the New Students' Convocation. The author of the book, or a person deemed most appropriate is invited to campus during the Fall semester.
Faculty and teaching assistants incorporate the reading in their first year courses, as appropriate. Ideally, the reading and theme(s) contribute to discussions throughout the year.
The Carolina Summer Reading Program website is re-designed each year, located at www.unc.edu/srp/.
Criteria for Book Selection
Intellectually stimulating - stretch the readers' minds, cause the reader to think about things they might not have before.
Enjoyable, engaging, relatively short, easy to read, up-to-date.
Reading that will provoke interesting discussion.
Appropriate for developmental level of incoming students.
Addresses a theme/topic that can be made applicable to students (i.e., societal issues).
Author would be a good speaker.
Fall Orientation Discussion Sessions
Optional workshops will be held in early August to prepare faculty/staff discussion leaders.
Discussion Leaders will receive a packet of materials in early August, outlining expectations of discussion sessions, a list of strategies for facilitating discussion, discussion questions, related reference materials, and an evaluation.
Expectations include things such as engaging in intellectual discourse and developing a balanced perspective. Discussion leaders "lead" discussion rather than "direct." Students are encouraged to come up with their own questions.
Preferred group size of 20 students, requiring approximately 170 faculty/staff discussion leaders.
Orientation Counselors will also read the book and participate in discussions with new students.
Student Participant Comments
Here is a sampling of what students had to say about the program:
Do something like this for every class at UNC forever!!!! This is a great idea! It helped me feel more connected to UNC and others here.
The best part was getting to meet a professor and discuss a book that raises many questions.
Great book choice! Also, great way to get students excited about giving back to their community.
The book opened my eyes to a world I had never seen before.
A good way to meet and get to know people!
Listening to others' interpretations, ideas, feelings and insights on this book helps you to learn more about them and where they came from.
Faculty & Staff Discussion Leader Comments
Here is a sampling of what faculty and staff had to say about last year's program:
I think this is an excellent way to begin a student's college career.
One student said it best, "I didn't realize how important the book was to me until we had the discussion."
The best part was meeting the students . . . and hearing their perspectives.
The small group format enabled us to get to know each other as well as discuss how today's college students can affect change.
The best part was the opportunity to hear the concerns and values of young people today.
For more information about the Carolina Summer Reading Program, send email to read@unc.edu.
© 2002 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. All rights reserved.
Website designed and maintained by the UNC-Chapel Hill ITS Center for Instructional Technology.
Last revised: April 30, 2002.