Freshman Reading Round-Up rides into town Aug. 29

Freshman Reading Round-Up is a program for first-year students at The University of Texas at Austin. Open to all freshmen entering the university in summer or fall 2006, the Round-Up gives new Longhorns the chance to choose a book for summer reading from among 30 titles recommended by members of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. On Aug. 29, the day before the start of the fall semester, students participating in the Round-Up will meet in small groups for an informal discussion with the professor who recommended the book.

The idea for a freshman summer reading program was conceived in 2004 by Jim Vick, then vice president for student affairs, who is familiar with freshman reading programs on other campuses. He brought the idea to his colleagues in the academy, who were enthusiastic.

“It’s important for freshmen to experience from the beginning that the university is essentially a place of ideas, where inquiry and discovery occur every day among students and professors,” said Vick, a professor of mathematics.

Elizabeth Cullingford, professor of English, who has volunteered to lead a Round-Up session on Elizabeth Bowen’s “The Death of the Heart,” is excited about the program.

“The idea appeals to me because it involves reading a book for no credit at all, either for students or faculty. It tells students at the beginning of their university careers that learning begins in pleasure and curiosity,” said Cullingford.

Karl Galinsky, professor of classics, will lead one of two discussions on Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code.”

“The program has been so successful because it works both ways,” said Galinsky. “The students feel it’s a special, and very personal, effort by the big UT to welcome them, while for the faculty it’s a great way to get a glimpse of the incoming class without grading and other routines. It sets a nice tone for the university being about the shared life of the mind.”

The book selections were entirely up to the professors, and are remarkably varied in subject matter and genre—ranging from cutting edge science to recent bestsellers to controversial social issues—which reflects another goal of the Reading Round-Up: to make available to the university community and public the list of diverse books chosen by some of the university’s most highly awarded teachers.

All eligible freshmen have been sent an e-mail message inviting them to participate in the Round-Up. Registration for the Reading Round-Up is online, at the Freshman Reading Round-Up Web site, and will continue throughout the summer so long as seats in the discussion sessions are available.

Academy of Distinguished Teachers

The university’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers was established in 1995 by Mark Yudof, who was provost at that time. The academy honors faculty who have been exemplary teachers over an extended period, with a focus on those who teach undergraduate students and make an impact on the undergraduate experience. New members are elected each year and asked to serve for the duration of their tenure at the university. Membership in the academy is limited to no more than five percent of tenured faculty.

Academy professors on the Reading Round-Up...

“Reading Round-Up is one of the best measures of how this large university provides multiple small-group forums for its students, making it possible for every entering student to immediately recognize that he or she can have a voice in the many dialogues that the UT college experience can engender.”—Carol MacKay, professor of English, College of Liberal Arts.

“I’ve been doing this since the inception, and meeting and interacting with these new students just gets better and better. I think it’s worth doing for a couple of reasons. One is it’s a special way to welcome freshmen to UT because it actively invites them to become part of the intellectual community here. The second is that it’s a wonderful way, I think, for them (and us, too, as teachers) to get energized as we embark on a new academic year.”—Charles Ramírez Berg, professor of radio-television-film, College of Communication.

“I think the Reading Round-Up is a great introduction to the university for freshman because it gives them a personal encounter with both peers and a faculty member in the context of an intellectually stimulating activity. I hope it sets the tone for their experiences over the next four years. For me, I just enjoy discussing the books with the students and hearing what they have to say. I always learn something from them.”—Ross Jennings, professor of accounting, McCombs School of Business.

“I always enjoy Reading Round-Up. Much of my time is spent reading books or papers that directly relate to my research, and this is a great excuse for me to take the time to read a book for the sheer pleasure of reading. It’s fun to discuss the books with the students and to hear them get excited talking about something that has captured their interest. The students not only get to meet other students with a common interest, but as one pointed out to me, it’s a great opportunity to get to know a little about a faculty member prior to taking one of the professor’s classes.” Shelley Payne, professor of microbiology, College of Natural Sciences.