UHCL’s Common Reader Program is a required extension of the First-Year Seminar course, Learning Frameworks, for all first-year students. The program, which began in 2014, selects a book for new students to read and discuss with fellow students, staff and faculty who are involved with the course.
The book selection is decided each year by a committee of students, staff and faculty from all four colleges. The Common Reader Program also hosts several events open to the UHCL community during the year that relate to the selected text.
Amy Lucas, committee member and assistant professor of sociology and women’s studies, enjoys the collaboration process with faculty and students.
“It’s the only committee of which I’m a member where I get to interact with faculty, staff and students in the same space,” Lucas said. “I find it incredibly nice to be able to hear various perspectives and work together to plan events for the UHCL community. I also love to read, so I really enjoy being a part of the decision-making process for the next year’s reader.”
The program’s three main learning objectives are: to strengthen the academic community, to encourage depth in learning by posing different perspectives and to establish a stimulating environment that is both informal and structured.
“The central question of the First-Year Seminar course, Learning Frameworks, is, ‘How does critical thinking help us become engaged, purposeful, global citizens?’” said Wanalee Romero, director of the First-Year Seminar Program and faculty in Humanities and Latina/o and Latin American studies. “Reading
the same text as the greater UHCL community gives them more opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations beyond the classroom and even the campus walls.”
The program’s committee announced “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race,” the 2016 The New York Times Non-Fiction Best Seller, as their selection for the 2017-18 academic year.
“We consider books nominated by committee members that are narrative texts with attention to one or more of the following concepts: race, gender, class, marginality, voice and citizenship,” Romero said. “Our goal is to stimulate intellectual conversation throughout the greater UHCL community, so we examine texts that encourage readers to consider identity and points of view.”
Romero expects that this year’s selection will increase participation from those in the UHCL community interested in STEM fields and strengthen the university’s collaborations with community partners in technology and sciences, such as NASA.
“I found the story of the black women at NASA both unexpected and inspirational,” said Kathleen Garland, committee member and lecturer of environmental management. “It reminded me of my own experiences as a woman scientist in a male-dominated profession. Our proximity to JSC will allow us to create some great events around this book and connect our students to the actual setting of the story as well as to other women who lived it.”
Many are be familiar with the premise of “Hidden Figures” due to the popularity of the 2016 film adaptation of the book, which was nominated for three Academy Awards and won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture.
The Common Reader Program welcomes all interested parties to attend all events related to “Hidden Figures,” which will include a screening of the film adaptation along with speakers from NASA, a meet-and-greet for students and faculty, a Black Community and Student Activist workshop and a speaker panel of women in STEM fields. The dates for these events are still being finalized.
For more information on all things regarding the Common Reader Program, contact Wanalee Romero at romero@uhcl.edu.
Great article, Jeremy! I also like the graphic that Anna Claborn created.