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ASU West Valley campus

Common Read

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The Common Read program, offered at ASU’s West Valley campus, offers incoming freshman students an opportunity to connect with their fellow students through a shared reading.

Founded in 2012, the ASU West Valley campus Common Read program has attracted authors such as Ernest Cline (“Ready Player One”), Adam Braun (“Promise of a Pencil”), and Leslie Odom Jr. (“Hamilton: The Revolution”) to ASU’s West Valley campus.

What is Common Read?

The Common Read is a book selected by committee that the entire first year students at ASU West Valley campus read. The intent is to engage and stir the minds of our students. With all the students reading the same book it fosters student growth. The books may require students to question their belief system, relate to others and build community.

Goals

Intellectual engagement

Community engagement

How is the Common Read selected?

There is a committee made up of staff, faculty and students from all the colleges represented at ASU West Valley campus.

Selection Timeline

  • Early Fall Semester:
    • CCRC members seek text suggestions from campus stakeholders
    • CCRC rank top five texts
       
  • Mid-Late Fall Semester:
    • A campus wide survey is administered to select the following academic year’s common read
       
  • Early Spring:
    • Upcoming common read announced.
       
  • Late Spring/Summer:
    • Upcoming common read events and programs planned by CCRC 

History

Year

Author

Book

Speaker

2009

 

Freakanomics

 

2010

 

In Defense of Food

 

2011

Wes Moore

The Other West Moore

Wes Moore

2012

Ishmael Beah

A Long Way Gone

Ishmael Beah

2013

Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis

Allison Beckdel

2014

Joy Harjo

Crazy Brave

Joy Harjo, Winona LaDuke

2015

Adam Braun

Promise of a Pencil

Adam Braun

2016

Ernest Cline

Ready Player One

Ernest Cline

2017

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Hamilton Play (Script)

Leslie Odom, Jr.

2018

David Levithan

Everyday

David Levithan

2019

Dan Gediman

This I Believe: Life lessons

Dan Gediman

2020

Bill  Burnett

Designing Your Life

Bill  Burnett

2021 Celeste Headlee We Need to Talk

Celeste Headlee

2022 Natalie Eve Garrett The Artists' and Writers' Cookbook No Speaker: Student Recipe Submission "Feast"