University of Louisville
ER-T2-8: Themed Semester or Year

Through the Book-In-Common program, UofL students are encouraged to read and explore a common text throughout the academic year. The text is also incorporated into English 101 and other classrooms across disciplines. In the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years, the text, "The Other Wes Moore" by author Wes Moore highlighted a variety of social sustainability themes including urban poverty, racism, access to education, and justice. The book has been very well-received by UofL's diverse student population and has spurred a deep interest in service projects to empower under-served youth in Louisville. In the 2010-11 academic year, the text, "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" (2005) by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner challenged students to consider the interconnectivity of major issues shaping our world and the sustainability implications of seemingly unrelated policy and design decisions. The Office of First Year Initiatives partners with the Sustainability Council and other campus and local community organizations to provide a series of out-of-class activities revolving around sustainability themes and issues raised throughout the Book-In-Common. Related activities take place throughout the academic year, including a featured keynote speaker (brought to campus in 2010 and 2011 as a part of UofL Sustainability Week), out-of-class group discussions, essay contests, film screenings, and faculty lectures/panels. The Book-in-Common program supports new students in their transition and acculturation to UofL and engages the campus community through a series of curricular and co-curricular activities related to a common text. Through cross-campus collaborations, Book-in-Common supports the university mission of intellectual and cultural development, the President’s Vision for Diversity, and the university’s goals of developing students’ critical thinking skills and community engagement.