“The goal is to create a common experience, but also to get [incoming freshmen] primed for the kind of work they’ll be doing once they get to Tech,” said Nirmal Trivedi, director of academic transition programs in the Center for Academic Enrichment.

In the past, a campus committee selected a book that was then distributed to new students at FASET orientation. The book was subsequently used in assignments in GT1000 and ENGL1101/ENGL1102 courses.

With Project One, students will instead receive a packet of shorter readings of both fiction and nonfiction. Some may come from popular nonfiction works, while others may be written by academics but not necessarily be academic in nature. The packet will likely be delivered electronically. Students will still use this reading in their introductory courses, but projects will have more focus on multimodality.

Incoming students will be given access to a website where they will be able to create a profile and share responses to the readings. The idea is that they will already have shared a classwork experience before even arriving on campus.

“We want students to get a taste of the interdisciplinary and creative possibilities that await them,” Trivedi said. The Center for Academic Enrichment will also facilitate having faculty and upperclassmen participate in the online conversations, and plans to coordinate a related keynote speaker and competition in the fall. 

A committee composed of faculty from every college will help determine the final reading selections, but suggestions from current students, faculty, and staff are encouraged via an online form. Many of the readings being considered touch on a theme of transition or transformation — themes that should ring true for new students.

Project One will begin this summer when the packet of short readings is distributed to incoming students.