About the UW Common Book
Undergraduate Academic Affairs initiated the UW Common Book in 2006. This project is a catalyst for new undergraduates to make discovery, innovation, scholarship, and community engagement an integral part of their UW experience. A goal of the project is to introduce and engage these students in the University’s intellectual community and experiential learning. During summer orientation, incoming University of Washington students receive a common text with the expectation that they read it before fall quarter begins.
Centered in Undergraduate Academic Affairs at the UW Seattle campus, UW Bothell and Tacoma may also choose to incorporate the book into their campus curriculum. UW Bothell included Mountains Beyond Mountains, the inaugural selection, in its curriculum and plans to include Field Notes from a Catastrophe in it freshmen experience as well.
The UW Common Book is implemented with the partnership and support of First Year Programs, the University Libraries, University Book Store, and UW Alumni Association.
Disability Resources for Students
The University of Washington is committed to providing equal access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. If you are a student with a documented disability that would impact your ability to read the common book without reasonable accommodation, please contact Disability Resources for Students to request the common book in alternate format e.g. audiotape, large-print, electronic text, Braille.Disability Resources for Students is located in 448 Schmitz Hall, 206-543-8924 (V/TTY), 206-685-8379 (fax), firstname.lastname@example.org (email).
2007 UW Common Book Selection Criteria
The selection committee used the following criteria to choose the UW Common Book.
2007 UW Common Book Selection Committee
Thank you to these individuals who volunteered hours of their time to recommend the UW Common Book:
Special thanks to:
2006: Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder. The web site for the 2006 UW Common Book is archived here.
2007: Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert.