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Why Start a Common Reading Program?

Gleanings from the Common Reading

Program at the University of Oregon

By Julie Voelker-Morris

This article outlines the benefits and structure of the Common Reading Program at the
University of Oregon (UO), illustrating its potential for fostering community engagement and
academic enrichment as well as promoting inclusivity. The UO Common Reading Program
provides a scalable model for implementing such programs in other educational institutions
globally. Initiated in 2009, the UO program provides incoming undergraduate students with
a shared text annually, facilitating intellectual discourse and cross-disciplinary connections.
By engaging with diverse themes such as anti-racism and social justice, participants develop
critical thinking, communication, and empathy skills essential for academic and professional
success. Furthermore, the selection process prioritizes texts that reflect the institution’s
values and address pertinent sociocultural issues, promoting inclusivity and dialogue in both
classroom settings and extracurricular activities. The article offers practical recommendations
for establishing similar initiatives, emphasizing stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and
ongoing evaluation. Overall, the UO Common Reading Program serves as a model for cultivating
a vibrant, intellectually stimulating, and socially conscious educational community and can
inspire others to adopt similar initiatives.

any colleges and universities, local schools and education districts, and alumni
Mand professional associations offer common reading programs. Such programs
can unite school communities, foster growth for faculty, staff, and students, and
enhance learning and research experiences. They support academic missions, build
memories and bonds, and address important sociocultural topics. This article focuses
predominantly on the Common Reading program at the University of Oregon (UO;
https://fyp.uoregon.edu/common-read) in the western United States of America,
which I directed for 6 years (July 2017–July 2023).

Overview
UO is a public research university in the northwest region of the continental United
States. About 5,500 new, first-year undergraduate students start at the university
each academic year. At the beginning of each academic year, these new students
are provided with copies of a university-selected book as part of their welcome to
campus. The book is provided as a gift and an entrée to the academic and intellectual
life of the university. The program is designed to engage students, faculty, and staff
in a shared intellectual experience around a common title and related theme.
The program started in 2009 as an initiative of the Clark Honors College with
about 150 students. In 2014, it expanded to include first-year students from all
colleges and schools in the university. Common Reading is now coordinated by
the Division of Undergraduate Education and Student Success and has had support
from varied institutional sectors such as the Office of the President, the Office of the
Provost, the Division of Student Life, the Division of Equity and Inclusion, and the

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