University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: February 20, 2003

By DONNA LONGENECKER
Reporter Assistant Editor

Despite their varied backgrounds and areas of interest, incoming freshmen at UB—all 3,200 or so—share one thing in common. For the past three years, they and their parents have read the same book—a best-selling book about life's challenges—during the summer before they start their studies at the university.

The title may change, but the message does not. "High school is over and you only have one chance to live your life" says William Barba, chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy in the Graduate School of Education. Barba also is director of UB Reads—the program designed to introduce students to the rigors of academic life while creating a cohesive environment and shared experience with their peers.

Students are introduced to the program and given the same best-selling book during summer orientation in July. They are asked to read the book by the time they return to campus in late August. The book then is discussed in UB 101 classes during the fall semester.

Barba says the program is designed to encourage reading among college students—something that ought to seem like a forgone conclusion, but it isn't.

Matthew Weigand, director of New Student Programs, notes that the program attempts to get students to think about what they want to get out of the college experience.

Students also may enter an essay contest, with the author of the top essay winning a semester's tuition, Weigand says.

"Throughout the fall semester, a number of programs and activities are offered that relate to the book. Last year, for example, students read "Tuesdays with Morrie," by Mitch Albom, and in conjunction with reading the book, they met the author during Homecoming weekend and watched the movie based on the book.

"The goal of the program," says Weigand, "is to build a sense of community among first-year students and introduce them to academic life at the university while providing a common reading experience to all first-year students and their families, as well as faculty and staff."

This year's incoming freshmen read cyclist Lance Armstrong's "It's Not About the Bike," which chronicles Armstrong's successful battle with testicular cancer and his subsequent win of the Tour de France bicycle race. Students read "John Glenn: A Memoir" during the first year of the program.

Barba is fond of quoting a passage from Armstrong's book, which he says inspires the kind of personal assessment he hopes students will make of their own lives: "My illness was humbling and starkly revealing, and it forced me to survey my life with an unforgiving eye. There are some shameful episodes in it: instances of meanness, unfinished tasks, weakness and regrets. I had to ask myself: If I live, who is it that I intend to be?' I found that I had a lot of growing to do as a man."

Reading, Barba says, introduces first-year students to the process and practice of thinking critically about a text from a variety of perspectives and exposes them to common themes related to transition and success.

"Thirty-two hundred students come in here with no unified experience. We want to get freshmen in contact with professors, and the reading program gets them ready for the rigors of academic life—reading, thinking and changing their lives. Everything in high school is over now," says Barba.

"In a big research university, there are very few things that people do that are good for everyone. This is something that does that. It's not new or unique on big campuses," adds Barba, who says that reading "Tuesdays with Morrie" had a tremendous impact on him personally—he read the book while flying on an airplane.

"I was crying all the way across the state while reading 'Tuesdays with Morrie,'" he recalls.

Mentoring is one of the main goals of the program, Barba points out, adding that his goal is that all 3,000 freshmen are inspired to find a mentor.

And what do the parents get out of it? Many say it's the first time in years they did something as a family and "loved it," Barba explains.

"Two years in a row," he notes, "students have rated UB Reads as the best and strongest component of orientation."

"It's not just about reading a book, but establishing class identity, which makes for a more cohesive experience," he says.

Barba tells the story of a student who fell ill last year and admitted that he hadn't read the assigned book. The student's health took a critical turn for the worse and he was hospitalized. His mother brought him the book, which he credits with helping him to recover.

Weigand says the number of essays submitted last year for the contest was overwhelming.

"Many students wrote very inspiring essays about how the messages in the book helped them in preparing to make successful transitions to college. Most instructors of UB 101 used the book to facilitate discussions in their sections. They were asked to share their thoughts about the program at the end of the fall semester. One instructor wrote that "Tuesdays With Morrie" spurred some great discussions and provided a great opportunity to encourage the students to find themselves a mentor. Other instructors also wrote that it inspired wonderful class conversations," says Weigand

Moreover, "we are always looking for creative ways to help reach our goal, which is to help new students make a smooth transition to UB so that they can be successful as students and beyond," he says. "Making connections with peers and faculty and staff at UB is essential for student success. And UB Reads is a great way to help facilitate interaction among those parties."

To make the program truly successful, Weigand says the entire campus community needs to get involved, and can begin by suggesting books for the next crop of incoming freshmen.

"We are asking faculty, staff and current students to suggest books for consideration for this summer. We hope to have all suggestions by the end of February and have a book chosen by mid-March," he says. "Once we select a book, we will get the word out to as many people as possible. We invite all faculty, staff and students to incorporate themes from the selected book into their classes, programs and casual conversations with first-year students."

Barba cites the support of Dennis Black, vice president for student affairs, and Barbara Ricotta, associate vice president, in contributing to the success of UB Reads.

"They've been great. They provided us with a budget for the books and have not placed any limitations on the goals we're trying to achieve," says Barba.

He adds that he hopes to see more faculty members involved in summer orientation, noting that engaging with faculty early in their studies will only improve students' chances of success.