One Campus, One Book: Selection Criteria for CSUN's Freshman Common Reading Program

In choosing the six semifinalists for our pilot Freshman Common Reading Program in 2007, we were looking for a wonderful book that was well-written, that had broad appeal across academic disciplines and individual interests, that would bring freshmen together as part of the campus community, and that would resonate with the unique characteristics of Cal State Northridge as a particular place and site for learning. As we talked about the books and debated which title we would choose, we developed selection criteria in the form of a series of questions that we also used in selecting Nickel and Dimed, our finalist for 2008-2009:

Does this book engage freshmen, and draw them into reading and reflection?

Does this book encourage freshmen to grow intellectually?

Does this book encourage thought and discussion in a variety of courses and contexts?

Does this book value diverse cultural perspectives and address contemporary social issues?

Making our final decision was not easy in either of our first two program years. The discussions were intense; opinions were contested; arguments raged; and votes were taken and retaken. But nobody—-not one committee member—-was bored. In the end, we agreed that The Things They Carried met all our criteria for the 2007-2008 program, and that Nickel and Dimed was the winner for 2008-2009.

We invite you to join other interested members of the CSUN community this summer as we begin the selection process for the 2009-2010 finalist. To find out more, email cheryl.spector@csun.edu or call Academic First Year Experiences at (818) 677-6535.