Summer Reading
Engaging Students:
Admissions & Beyond
******************************
Catherine Andersen
Judith Termini
Maria Waters
Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.
Gallaudet University
The world’s only liberal arts university
for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people
Enrollment: 1500 undergraduates
What is Summer Reading?
• Book chosen for all entering students
• Faculty, staff & extended community
participate
• Semester-long series of events that
promote a common intellectual
experience
Why should we have a
Summer Reading Program?
• Establishes a culture of readers
• Orients new students to critical
thinking & college level writing
• Provides a springboard for facultystudent conversation
• Establishes academic expectations
before arrival
Step 1: Book Selection
• Should reinforce a university goal or
initiative
Academic Affairs Planning Committee and
University Credo:
• Strengthen, nurture & infuse academic
culture into all aspects of Gallaudet
community
• Every person should be treated with
civility… our community is strengthened by
the diversity of its members
Where to look for possible
selections
• Electronic sources
• Website
http://sc.edu/fye/resources/fyr/reading/read.html
• Listserv
• [email protected]
• College First Year Homepages
• College publications
• Colleagues
Step 2: Reading the Possibilities
• Read & narrow the choices
– involve faculty & students in the
selection
– consider readability
• Contact agents and colleagues
– Author’s availability & cost
– Author’s presentation style
NOW CHOOSE YOUR BOOK!
Step 3: Preparation
• Send letter & guided reading
questions to newly admitted students
• Update your website
• Begin campus-wide advertising to
engage faculty/staff
• Stock your bookstore
• Plan coming semester events
Step 4: Activities & Events
• New Student Orientation & Convocation
• Semester events prior to author visit
–
–
–
–
–
–
Workshops
Panel Discussions
Essay Contest
Movie Night
Dorm Programs
Reading recognition buttons
• Author visit to campus
Step 5 : Assessment
• Do summer readings accomplish
your goals ?
• Use both quantitative and
qualitative measures
Assessment
Quantitative
Qualitative
• Numbers and
Percentages
• Head Counts
• Academic Progress
• Student
Perceptions
• Faculty/staff
Perceptions
Assessment Instruments
• First Year Seminar evaluations
• National surveys with questions
related to your goals
• Head counts at events
• Academic progress in courses that
use the book
• Faculty/staff/community feedback
• Student papers and journals
Student survey results:
• I read Tuesdays With Morrie 92%
• I attended an event 61%
• Summer reading is a good idea 76%
• Reading this book made me want to
read more
63%
• I want more events like Tuesdays With
Morrie
50%
Results, continued:
• After reading Tuesdays With Morrie I
• Appreciated life more
• Appreciated friends more
• Appreciate family more
• Appreciated teachers more
• Was more focused on academics
63%
49%
49%
40%
22%
More results:
Selected student journals
• “My father had ALS... I never knew…”
• “I am curious about last year’s book and
what will you choose for next year?”
• “Do you think Mitch follows his own
message?”
More results:
Faculty comments
• “What have you chosen for next
year?”
• “Can you send me the guided
questions?”
Contact Information
[email protected]
Director First Year Experience
[email protected]
Coordinator First Year Experience
[email protected]
Coordinator First Year Experience
http://fye.gallaudet.edu
Collaboration
Share your ideas!