Let’s be honest–summer reading programs are total bullshit. Here’s how they work:
A group of administrators and higher-ed staff form a committee. This committee reads about seven to eight books (most only reading the two or three that have the most appealing “diverse” covers). Then they collectively decide on one book the incoming freshmen are going to have to read. The book discussion is poorly implemented and not integrated into one or more of every student’s core classes. The author will then visit in early fall and only a small portion of the freshmen class will actually come to see them, unless of course you require that too. And 99.9% of the time, this is done without any undergraduate student feedback whatsoever.
Oh, did I mention your freshmen will largely not appreciate summer homework, as well as an additional $7-$13 on their shocking textbook bill? They don’t care. And they don’t care because subconsciously they know why you’re doing a summer reading program.
You’re doing it to do it. You’re doing it so you can say you did it. So you can say you tried. But it doesn’t work. Here’s a little test to figure out if you should kill your program or not:
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1. Is this a book that first-year students had a hand in choosing?
2. Are you choosing the a summer reading book because it’s the most “diverse” experience you think your students will have all fall?
3. Is the book going to be integrated into one or more of every first year student’s core classes?
4. Are you loosely tying your campus PR themes to the themes of the novel (The book is about diversity, and we “Promote learning about other cultures”)?
5. Will this alleviate undue stress your program places on other student success offices on campus (in other words, it’s your program but it’s up to your first year orientation program to handle the book discussions)?
For the odd questions, Yes = 0, No = 1
For the even questions, No = 0, Yes = 1
If you have even one point, kill your summer reading program. The only type of college in a reasonable position to pull something like this off in a meaningful way, is a small community college. Period. All you’re doing in every other situation is reaching the students who like to read or who the book touches directly (Wow, a book that directly relates to my life may reach me!). But you’re pissing off the majority rest. Stop it, stop it now.