About Western Reads

Western Reads is a campus-wide reading program designed to promote intellectual engagement, community and conversation. The program serves Western’s mission of promoting “Engaged Excellence” by bringing together teaching, scholarship and community service in a liberal arts, student-centered context.

The Western Reads program introduces new students to the intellectual communities and conversations of the university, including the variety of perspectives and forms of inquiry provided by the disciplines and the diverse students, faculty and staff that make up the Western experience. Copies of the book are provided free to incoming freshman and transfer students during Summerstart and Transitions.

Western Reads offers students the opportunity to engage in formal and informal conversation about each year’s book choice through a range of activities and events. These include academic courses; interdisciplinary faculty panel discussions; brown bag forums, such as the Fairhaven World Issues Forum; faculty-led dinner-discussions; and exchanges with the author, who generally speaks on campus and attends forums and classes in early November.